Madrid, something else

Metro Logo and a normal Train

So I got into Madrid at 9 in the morning yesterday. I had three bags, una mochilla, una bolsa y una bolsa de viaje. I have been absolutely forced to use Spanish almost all the time! I can truly already see a difference in my conversation skills.

So I wandered around the airport until I was able to find the METRO railway HQ. I spoke Spanglish with the attendant and he told me a 3-day unlimited rail pass would be the best way to go, similar to what I used in Chicago, so I got it.

I took the METRO to about as close as to where my CouchSurfing host was and began to walk around the city looking for internet to contact him and everyone in my life.

I was struggling with these 3 huge bags and made my way into a small coffee shop. I asked the people around & 1 older man with a cane insisted in Spanish that I come with to another shop.

So we walked a few blocks as he smoked his cigarette and chatted about why he likes Madrid so much. "La ciudad de MEJOR!" he kept saying. I could tell from the beginning this was a trustworthy man from whom I could learn a lot. He took me to a few shops and the internet never worked, so instead he just bought me beer and tapas and a Cafe au Lait with half Baileys liqueur in it. Fantastico.

Before he continued to show me around the city, out of the true goodness of his heart, he took me to his home (like a condo on the 6th floor of a downtown building) and let me leave my bags there as we walked. Randomly (for me at least) we run into his mujer y hija (wife and daughter). We had some red wine and pastries outside a street market then all went back to his home.

All these people do is drink.

So Jose and I sat down and his wife & daughter proceded to bring courses of dinner to us. Everything was different, but great. I was content that I had no inability to consume any of the food as it would have definitely been insulting.

So in Spain they sell box wine, but different from America it is a small maybe 2 pint box, and the stuff goes for less than a EURO!! (Conversion rate today is $1.42)

So he poured me some 12% alcohol merlot and proceded to pour the other half with Diet Coke. I hate Diet Coke...but this stuff was awesome! We killed the whole box!

3pm

So he took me into his office and started showing me where I needed to go to find my couchsurfer host. I was so beat and Spanish-Full I started passing out on the floor. I asked him if I could take a Siesta and he said yes. Then he woke me up a couple hours later & said I had to go...I was a little delirious still but I was able to find my way closer to my CS host and I found an ice cream parlor to use some internet and make some Skype calls.

When I started passing out at the parlor I knew it was time to find a hostel. I found one for £10!! So I checked in this place, the guy was suuuper chill. Let me put my airplane--beers in the fridge and pick my bunk bed.

I wandered into the common room only to meet 5 Texan's. The 2 males were from Texas A&M and the three 6'2" women were from Southwestern. We played some Euro coin spinning drinking game then got dressed and ventured out around 2am (Very normal for Spainards) to find some free concert.

Didn't find it, but we did roam around the streets utilizing the lack of an open container law. Got back to my hostel about 5:30 am and I completely caught up on my sleeping.

My CS host started calling me last night but I'm still getting a grip on how I can most inexpensively use my cell phone. Now I am about to shower then go to his home. I'll keep you all updated.

God Bless.

David (Daaahhveed)

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