I have travelled along the Spain coastline from Sevilla to Malaga. From Malaga to Alicante. From Alicante to Barcelona, including a day trip to Figueres. I´ve realised on this trip that I cannot see everything. There were so many places that I wanted to pass through but if I had done so I would not be able to explore enough of each place I visit. As well, more trains and busses means more money. Lugging a heavy bag around for months is not the simplest task. It makes me need to stop in a place for longer than a day to give my legs and back a break.
I gave Barcelona 5 days. Today is day 6 and I am off. It was hard to leave, I could easily have stayed another week. I did not get to half of the places I wanted to see but I did take the time to find the obscure cafes and bars, to meet new people and sit in a park and stare at the passerby´s. I bought fresh fruit, cheese and meat from the market.
I met locals and travellers. I walked the streets and saw the most amazing architecture that I´ve ever seen in any city I´ve been to thus far. I had the absolute pleasure of being one of the first guests at an amazing hostel run by fellow drifters. The beds were brand new and I got to christian them with my drool.
This past week has been the hardest for sleeping. I got really exhausted and worn out. Started getting loopy and losing my thoughts. Grabbing zzzz´s for mere minutes on trains. I almost let my fatigue get the better of me. My new friends wanted me to go out with them Friday night but I had to decline. I ended up chatting ´till 2am with Phillipe, one of the hostel owners, then went to bed. Within an hour my 5 roomates came home and did not oblige the common hostel ettiquette. In a hostel, the rooms are known for areas of sleep. There are common rooms to hang out in and then there´s the bar that you just came from that you do not have to leave if you are not yet ready to sleep. In a room of 6, it was 5 against one, it´s the hostel way of bullying I suppose. So these kids chatted and giggled like fucking school girls for hours. Finally they quieted down for a couple of hours. Then their alarm went off at 7:30am. It took awhile for them to shut it off, they got up and began play fighting, playing on the laptop and giggling and chatting. I thought they must be leaving to go out so I figured I´d wait it out, cancel my plans to go to Figueres until Sunday, and sleep once they left. But then they just went back to bed at 8:30am. What the fuck was the point of that? So here I lay, exhausted beyond belief and annoyed to fantasies of murderous rampage. So I said, Fuck it, CARPE DIEM!! I can sleep when I´m dead. I got up, I showered and then I got the fuck out of there.
I got to Figueres and completed a dream I have had for over 10 years. I got back to the hostel at 9pm; gone for 12 hours. Retarded and tired but I promised my hostel mates that I would party with them and I am a woman of my word. In the end, I lead 12 people (including the roomates) to the streets. Why they put the most whacked out person in charge is beyond me. Half of them wanted a club the other half wanted a bar then a club. So I walked them down a side street and a woman was handing out flyers for free shots so I said, OK our first stop on my pub crawl is the place that gives free shots. I found the couch at the back and sat my tired ass down. The music was groovy, just the way I like it! I had one beer and one shot and I started chatting. I ended up talking to the people who work and frequent the bar so when my mates decided it was club time I just stuck with my comfy couch and groovy music. I ended up sticking around ´till long after the bar was closed and singing along with the staff. The bartender´s name was Africa and she sang like an angel. Ironically, Phillipe had showed me this Stand By Me video before heading out that night.
I had to whisper the lyrics to Africa because she did not know them but sang so beautifully I just had to hear it. Sunday came around and my asshole roomates pulled the same crap on me again. I hope they fall off a cliff. I´m not even joking. The world is over-populated as is, no one is going to miss those ignorant french students. I guess the apple doesn´t fall far from the tree. I woke up exhausted still but I managed to get another 2 hours in after the dickheads finally bounced.
I was too tired to climb le mountain so I just chilled on the couch in the living room. Phillipe let me use his compter but I didn´t end up getting much research done because I got to chatting to the homeland. It is hard when óne has been gone for so long. I want so bad to chat and share stories but I need to research too. I´ll be home in a month, I shall share all adventures then (while everyone sits around on their iphones...). The hostel owners asked me if I would like to have dinner with them and I said, I will never say no to food! Phillipe made the greatest carbonara, which brings me to my next post.
I gave Barcelona 5 days. Today is day 6 and I am off. It was hard to leave, I could easily have stayed another week. I did not get to half of the places I wanted to see but I did take the time to find the obscure cafes and bars, to meet new people and sit in a park and stare at the passerby´s. I bought fresh fruit, cheese and meat from the market.
I met locals and travellers. I walked the streets and saw the most amazing architecture that I´ve ever seen in any city I´ve been to thus far. I had the absolute pleasure of being one of the first guests at an amazing hostel run by fellow drifters. The beds were brand new and I got to christian them with my drool.
This past week has been the hardest for sleeping. I got really exhausted and worn out. Started getting loopy and losing my thoughts. Grabbing zzzz´s for mere minutes on trains. I almost let my fatigue get the better of me. My new friends wanted me to go out with them Friday night but I had to decline. I ended up chatting ´till 2am with Phillipe, one of the hostel owners, then went to bed. Within an hour my 5 roomates came home and did not oblige the common hostel ettiquette. In a hostel, the rooms are known for areas of sleep. There are common rooms to hang out in and then there´s the bar that you just came from that you do not have to leave if you are not yet ready to sleep. In a room of 6, it was 5 against one, it´s the hostel way of bullying I suppose. So these kids chatted and giggled like fucking school girls for hours. Finally they quieted down for a couple of hours. Then their alarm went off at 7:30am. It took awhile for them to shut it off, they got up and began play fighting, playing on the laptop and giggling and chatting. I thought they must be leaving to go out so I figured I´d wait it out, cancel my plans to go to Figueres until Sunday, and sleep once they left. But then they just went back to bed at 8:30am. What the fuck was the point of that? So here I lay, exhausted beyond belief and annoyed to fantasies of murderous rampage. So I said, Fuck it, CARPE DIEM!! I can sleep when I´m dead. I got up, I showered and then I got the fuck out of there.
I got to Figueres and completed a dream I have had for over 10 years. I got back to the hostel at 9pm; gone for 12 hours. Retarded and tired but I promised my hostel mates that I would party with them and I am a woman of my word. In the end, I lead 12 people (including the roomates) to the streets. Why they put the most whacked out person in charge is beyond me. Half of them wanted a club the other half wanted a bar then a club. So I walked them down a side street and a woman was handing out flyers for free shots so I said, OK our first stop on my pub crawl is the place that gives free shots. I found the couch at the back and sat my tired ass down. The music was groovy, just the way I like it! I had one beer and one shot and I started chatting. I ended up talking to the people who work and frequent the bar so when my mates decided it was club time I just stuck with my comfy couch and groovy music. I ended up sticking around ´till long after the bar was closed and singing along with the staff. The bartender´s name was Africa and she sang like an angel. Ironically, Phillipe had showed me this Stand By Me video before heading out that night.
I had to whisper the lyrics to Africa because she did not know them but sang so beautifully I just had to hear it. Sunday came around and my asshole roomates pulled the same crap on me again. I hope they fall off a cliff. I´m not even joking. The world is over-populated as is, no one is going to miss those ignorant french students. I guess the apple doesn´t fall far from the tree. I woke up exhausted still but I managed to get another 2 hours in after the dickheads finally bounced.
I was too tired to climb le mountain so I just chilled on the couch in the living room. Phillipe let me use his compter but I didn´t end up getting much research done because I got to chatting to the homeland. It is hard when óne has been gone for so long. I want so bad to chat and share stories but I need to research too. I´ll be home in a month, I shall share all adventures then (while everyone sits around on their iphones...). The hostel owners asked me if I would like to have dinner with them and I said, I will never say no to food! Phillipe made the greatest carbonara, which brings me to my next post.
<3 this post. Love the fountain...
ReplyDeleteRaises an angry tiny fist at the crazy frenchies and their rudeness towards my sleepy dear.