of buses, trains and planes

I took these rides within 24 hours.

So after Teresa and I went around Madrid looking for Calle Bastero (where we finally found it in a place with lots of Chinese immigrants -- but not China Town), we had an early dinner as I had to catch my bus to Barcelona at around 11PM. I still have to pack some of my stuff.

I am grateful that Teresa and Chin (a Filipina volunteer in Spain), accompanied me to the train station to make that I get on the right train, going the right way, so I won't miss the bus. At Avenida Americana, I had to go around looking for the bus bay until I finally talked to a guy whose wife was around looking for it, too! Thankfully, this guy was accommodating and asked me to wait so we could all go together. In just a few minutes, his wife was hurrying us along as the bus was going to leave in a couple of minutes. Wow, I am just so grateful that I bought my ticket in advanced or else I would be running mad around the coach station buying the ticket and looking for the right bus!

I was seated on the left side of the bus. My seatmate was from Latin America, who does not really speak English. When asked if he enjoyed the "World Youth Day," he was so confused but when I translated this to "JMJ," he was really enthusiastic. Unfortunately, we didn't get to converse much because he doesn't really speak English and I don't speak Spanish well. The couple who helped me find the bus were seated behind me.

There was one stopover along the way but as the bus was kind of small (leg-wise), I didn't bother going out because it would just be too much hassle. I went back to sleep.

Early morning, we arrived in Barcelona. As I only have a couple of hours in the city, I decided to go to the Sagrada Familia. Luckily, the train station was just walking distance (I had to leave my bag in the very elusive-can't-find-them lockers, though, costing me 5Euros again!) but it was an effort to figure out the ticket machine even if there was English option to it. Hmmm. What kind of ticket should I buy?! So I pressed one, and when that didn't seem to work, I pressed another and put in some money. Later, one ticket appeared and after a few seconds, another one appeared! So I think I got an extra ticket which looked like a day ticket! :D And as I was curious if it was working, that was the ticket that I used to enter the station and it really worked! :)

So in the subway train, I spotted a Filipino whom I was shy to talk to at first but due to necessity, I walked up to him as we were leaving the train and asked if I was going the right way to see the Sagrada Familia. He said that I was and when we arrived at the steps going out of the subway, he gestured towards my back and said, "it's behind you." When I turned around, I didn't expect it to be quite that huge! I mean, I was literally just standing a couple of meters away from it. That was how close the station is. Writing this now, it made me think of the time when I left the station near the Big Ben in London and never really expecting to come out of the station standing smack at that tall building!

 

Unfortunately, I didn't have lots of time to go around and I had to go back pick my bag up, and get on a aeroporto bus. There were so many kind (but old) people around who helped me with where to take the bus. Maybe they appreciated me speaking in pidgin Spanish? I'm not quite sure but they were smiling. Or maybe they were making fun of me, that I was weird? Never mind. I got on the right bus anyway. The ticket that I got at the train station apparently does not work on the aeroporto bus so I had to pay around 4Euros, only for the bus to let me out on the wrong terminal! So I had to walk, and walk, and walk up to Terminal C where EasyJet was.

So there I was, sitting at the pre-departure area, eating my lunch which was the leftover from yesterday's picnic bag. It was not particularly yummy, but it will have to do until I get to Belfast and eat Pinoy food, cooked by Pinoys! :)