Well, I´ve escaped Madrid and now I guess I´d rather be there than here.. I´m in Malaga... I spent some serious time doing some wonderful self pitying while I was wandering the streets alone and jetlagged in Madrid.. then I got some great pick me up messages from lovely friends and had a nice conversation with the gentle older woman who runs the hostel I was in... and then had the most beautiful train ride from Madrid (4 hours) with Dido playing along with me... And then I got to Malaga - my absolute worst nightmare- and unless you´re planning to go straight to El Chorro for climbing or taking one day to run up the castle and see a Picasso museum, my advice is stay away...
I should write travel books, the Real Deal by Rai... of course it would be my opinion, but I think I can safely say that this experience is not worth it when you could go two hours north and see Granada or head to Italy and have cobble stone streets and bridges coming out of your ears without the cranes, jack hammers, tourists, potential petty thiefs checking you out, etc etc... So, did I mention today was a low point... but I expressed that earlier to Justin, my mom and dad and they each sent the best of messages... my mom saying she´d even go vegan if I´d come home and let her support me, while at the same time encouraging me to keep my chin up! How sweet is that!! Anyway - those messages brought tears to my eyes... oh wait they´re still coming... but there is hope...
My parents lined up a time share for me starting this Saturday for one week... a gesture I was not so keen on when I was stateside... now, the thought of having permanence and not having to lug that f-ing pack around on my back to get denied at the doors of full hostels or told that I have to pay out my %&$ to stay one night... I've almost paid a month´s rent at this point... well, that thought is soothing to say the least. The good news is I have a place tonight and tomorrow and then begins my time share - a two bedroom condo, on the beach, with a pool and a full kitchen... all to myself? Any takers on a last minute week in Spain? My amiga from Germany, Uta, (Uta is her name, she´s not from Utah, she´s from Germany) is coming down for next weekend to be a girl with me. During this week that I have time share I am going to cook like I own a restaraunt and go out to El Chorro to see what it´s all about and if there is anywhere near the limestone heaven that can give me sanctuary from this hell hole... Please don´t be angry cause I´m bitching about being on the Mediterranean in Spain with no job to worry about... truth is, I'd rather be sitting in slc looking out the window at snow fall with friends than sitting here alone. But, all will come in good time, including friends.
I did meet some great climbers in Madrid at the climbing gym last night.. great, as in good people - buena gente... I have the number of a few of them in case I go back there or they come to Malaga... I may be back there sooner than I thought, but I still have back up plans.... Alicante, Granada and this rad white house stranded in the middle of 1,000 acres of Olive Trees... well, that would require the owners to let me stay and give me work... oh and me finding it again as I only saw it fly by through the train window this morning... but it soooo called out to me.. all the country side did. It reminded me of how at home I felt in Mallorca years back - with the olive trees and sheeps bells ringing all around... Mallorca isn´t out of the question...
Yes, I´m looking hard and as is my personality, I am not settling... I will not stop til the land resonates deep within me and I know I can stay, live, learn and produce something worthwhile - be it language, poetry or just passing on good spirit... right now, in this grunge, my spirit is super weak and I just want out... So, that´s the glory of travel sometimes.. It´s fucking hard and like friends have reminded me, it´s hard to leave the comfort zone and... something big and beautiful will come of it, whether I can see that now or not!
Anyway - the other shitter is that I can´t find a decent bite to eat.. I wandered around for hours and all I could find were dingy cafes with loads of tourists on the patios, smoking and drinking cafe... so finally, I stopped my quest for the perfect lunch, entered one of those places and found that all they had on the menu were 25 variations on how to eat meat... so I drank a cafe... Now, I´m still starving and wired... but, I did find a cute little shop the size of a small closet.. I bought some fruit, some water and a chocolate bar... oh and shampoo... and the sweet little old lady threw the fruit in for free for some reason... so, we´re on the uphill folks! I´ll try to promise that I won´t write again until what I have to say is beautiful... this message is merely to soothe the jealous beast in all of you...
As in the words of Pink Floyd - WISH YOU WERE HERE...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment