Madrid Day 1

Oh, look!  More free Internet!  And more free time.  w00t for you.

The morning of departure, I woke up at 3:30am with the thought that I still had to print off my ticket for the easyBus.  I figured, what the hell, and walked all the way down to reception to see if I can use that printer.  Not only did the guy not know what the printer looked like, but I wasn´t allowed on the computer down there.  So that was a no-go.  My next option was to use the 24 hour library computers all the way out in Marlyebone campus.  So I got dressed, got my stuff, and headed out on a 24 hour bus.  At the campus, I didn´t just print the easyBus tickets to and from the airports for my Madrid trip, but I also booked bus tickets for every single other time I´ll be in need of it until I leave.  Go me.

Met Becky in the courtyard and we made our way to the easyBus station for Gatwick airport.  Slept on the bus ride to the airport.  Went through normal airport procedures, except I somehow set off the security alarm going through.  Probably my earrings.  Nothing was found and I was sent on my merry, tired way.  Breakfast was some warm apple juice and a cinnamon pastry from Apostrophe patissery cafe.  Then I slept some more as we waited for our gate to appear.  Of course, the moment I go to use the bathroom, our gate number is called.  Also, of course, our gate number is all the way across the airport.  Go figure.

Took forever to board because the flight was slightly delayed.  There were apparently visibility problems in Madrid and the captain was working on getting us cleared.  We boarded late, but then we sat on the tarmac for about an hour even though the captain said it would be about two hours.  Didn´t sleep them, but I did spend the time with one earplug in.  Also wrote a bunch in my diary to pass the time.  Not just diary stuff too, but I started writing an actual story, which was really refreshing.  Should do that more often.

We finally took off and I slept really well on the way.  There were little boys behind me that kept on singing as we were singing, so the earplugs helped to drown them out.  The earplugs were especially helpful to drown out the nosies of the flight attendents.  And the announcer lady on the PA system.  Oh so very nice.  Earplugs ftw!

Landed in Madrid and immediately met up with Melissa.  She took a different flight over though she was just as delayed and arrived minutes before we did.  Her flight was earlier than hours by about two hours.  But it worked out in the end.  So we made our way to the metro and into the city.

Madrid metro is really nice.  It´s similar to the Tube in that each line is a different color and the map is easy to read.  So Madrid wins for best metro system so far.

The first thing we did upon arrival in Madrid is take a cable car across a park.  Becky was informed that it took you into the city center, but I didn´t believe that because, based on the maps of the city center we already had, the cable cars were way off.  We paid for one way on the cable cars, but the Dumb American Tourist card helped us get a free ride back.  It sucks that stereotype exists, but it´s pretty useful in situations like these.  The view in the car was nice, though.  Took quite a few pictures.

Then we wandered through a mass festival in the Plaza Mayor to get to our hostel.  We feared for our wallets during the whole thing, but everyone still had everything when we checked in, so that´s good.  Once were were settled, we set out again for the city.

The Prada art museum was free from 6 to 8 so that´s where we went.  It was the kind of art I liked -- the kind that was detailed like a photograph that showed mythological scenes from the classics and Biblical scenes and portraits of royalty that was important at some point in history.  It was pretty cool, but we were shepherded out ten minutes before they closed.  I guess it takes ten minutes for everyone to leave the building. 

We went to find a cheap place to eat.  The exciting meal of the trip are tapas, which are appetizers you can share, I guess.  They´re supposed to be really cheap, but we couldn´t find a good place that had them.  Or if they did have them, we didn´t recognize them.  So we went to a different restaurant instead and ordered actual meals.  My meal looked like a series of spring rolls (I only ordered it because I could only understand half of it on the menu), but it was good and surprisingly filling.  Becky and Toby both got burritos and Melissa´s meal was similar to mine but hers were stuffed with chicken and beans.  Still good though (we traded one).  We also had sangritas, which were delicious!  Oh my word they were delicious.

Dessert for everyone but me were churros with hot chocolate.  I wasn´t hungry so I didn´t get any.  While waiting in line, an old guy in front of us gave us his remaining churros, and that was what filled me up.  Churros are crunchy, which isn´t usually what I want for dessert, but perhaps they´re softened in the hot chocolate.  By the way, the hot chocolate tastes like a melted Hershey bar, so now I have a method to experiment with when it comes to hot chocolate.  (Melissa let me try hers, but I only wanted a sip). 

Returned to the room then and got ready for bed. 

Big Worry of the Day:
Me taking a night bus to the airport Sunday night/Monday morning.  Not worried so much now because I intend to leave for the airport around midnight.  My flight is at 6am, so there should be no worried with me getting lost and being late or anything.  I intend to sleep to pass the time, though whether I can check in five hours early or not will be determined when I get there.  As far as I know, I leave from terminal 4, and the bus takes me to terminal 4, so I should be okay in that regard.  If not, I´ll just walk.  Why not, I have the time and the legs.  And I asked Becky today if I could be walked to the bus stop, and she said "Yes, of course."  So now I feel more comfortable with the whole situation when I didn´t earlier that day. 

Currently the endish of day 2, but you´ll read all about that when I finally return to London.  Rest assured, I feel like I saw a lot of Madrid today, and it´s good enough to send me home satisfied.  No offense to any Madrid people, but I´m not too keen on the Spanish culture in the first place, and Madrid just doesn´t do it for me.  But that´s a speculation for another post, I´m afraid.