Originally written November 1
I
arrived home last night after a weekend in Cordoba, Malaga, and Seville. It was my intention to stay two nights in
Cordoba, and two in Seville, but bad planning caused me to travel otherwise. I’m not a fan of “overplanning” trips because
I believe there needs to be room to change plans a little (or a lot) based on my
mood. I also think that too much
planning causes things to be rushed.
This weekend, I learned that under-planning can cause the same rushed
feeling and can cost extra money.
I
arrived in Seville Friday at 3 pm but didn’t leave for Cordoba until 7. Had I planned better, I could have spent
those four hours enjoying Seville (as much as possible with all my luggage,)
but instead I was frantically walking, searching, messaging, and waiting for a
ride to Cordoba. At last, I gave up and
headed to the bus station, determined to take the bus if blablacar didn’t work
out. Only then did I begin to enjoy my
trip.
That
enjoyment was short-lived. When I
arrived in Cordoba and pulled up my map to walk from the bus station (where my
ride dropped me off) to my hostel, I discovered it was a 25-minute walk and my
phone was low on battery. I at least had
the sense not to attempt walking, so I did the only thing I could in tired,
desperate frustration. I took a cab and
it cost me 10 euro. The funky Cordoba
was a decent hostel in a great location.
I arrived at 10 pm and had to
charge my phone first thing. After I was
confident in the battery level, I went out to explore the city with a fellow
Couchsurfer named Jay. He told me
stories of his travels and I was so amazed that there are actually people out
there who only work a few months out of the year and travel the rest of the
time. That concept boggles my mind. On my adventure with UK Jay, I went to Burger
King at 1:30 am because I was starving.
People may be inclined to pass judgement, but I eat Spanish food every
day of my life; I needed a hamburger.
After arriving back at my hostel at 2 am and showering, I began looking
for a place to stay for the next night in Malaga. I had hoped to stay two nights in Cordoba,
but Saturday was all sold out on account of it being the long weekend. The prices for Seville hostels were high on
Saturday night, so it was cheaper to travel to Malaga for a night than pay the
higher price in Seville. Plus, I didn’t
want to spend the Sabbath in a city I already explored thoroughly. I booked a cheap hostel in Malaga with a
“perfect” location (according to the reviews,) sent a message or two looking
for a ride to Malaga, and crashed at about 3:45.
I
got up at 8 and would have been at the Catedral Mezquita at 8:30 (which is when
they start letting people in for free,) except I had to wait for 2 people to
shower before it was my turn in the bathroom to change. I arrived at 9 and got some good photos,
though I was kicked out before I saw everything. At 9:30, they kick everyone out so at 10 am
they can start charging people. I
wandered the streets for a few hours then picked up my luggage and headed to
the bus station. I was too exhausted to
potentially save 4 Euros by stressing over blablacar and walking with all my
luggage to a meet point. I waited 45
minutes or so for a bus, but that was just fine with me. There I saw a popcorn machine for the first
time and had to indulge.
The
bus ride was nice, and I was caught between needing to sleep and needing to
take in views of the countryside. I had
walked for 6 or so hours on Friday (half of which with luggage,) gotten 4 hours
of sleep, and walked about 4 hours so far Saturday. I didn’t sleep on the bus, and I felt guilty
for even resting my eyes. As we made our
way south, mountains started happening.
It was glorious. All of a sudden
there was the ocean and a city. Malaga.
The Feel Soho Hostel is 15 minutes
walking from the bus station. It’s right
on a perfect road…it really is the perfect location. I put my things down and continued down that
same road in search of the ocean. I
found it after a short walk down that same street and I looked around at all
the shops at the port. The hostel was
giving free sangrias at 8:30, so I decided to check it out. The desk clerk was super friendly when I
checked in, and we talked about Malaga and other cities. At the mixer, I chatted with a couple people
around a table, but I had no sangria and was unwilling to spend 6 euro on
paella. I now regret that decision. Afterward, I went out in search of the beach,
but a Couchsurfer wanted to hang out. As
I passed KFC, even went inside, I decided I needed Spanish food. I walked 30 minutes to meet the couchsurfer
for food, but when I got there, he and another couchsurfer were going to a
party. I declined and headed for 1-euro
tapas at Babi’s near the plaza de la Merced.
I had one mini chicken/veggie burger.
Then I went back to the hostel.
In my way, I was approached by a certain Bafa who insisted I go out with
him the next day. I said, “I don’t
know,” got his number, and headed into the hostel for sleep. I still hadn’t made it to the beach. I had been to the port twice but not the
beach.
I
slept well Saturday and woke up before my alarm Sunday. I need to mention that this is the coolest
hostel I’ve ever been to and I want to go back to Malaga just so I can stay
there. I told the friendly clerk that
and he gave me his number. I look
forward to meeting up with him next time.
After church Sunday, I went to the beach. It was warm and sunny and there were swimmers
and sunbathers. I was sad to leave.
In
Seville the Hostel Dona Pepa is a place I will never return to. They aren’t friendly at all, there’s one full
bath for 18 people to share, and they charge for luggage storage. OK maybe it wasn’t that bad because it was
very empty, but I wouldn’t want to be there when it’s crowded. Sunday night I went to the international
festival for Greek food, then I slept. I
shopped all day Monday then returned to Montellano all sorts of exhausted.
I
learned a lot about traveling this weekend.
First and foremost, bad planning wastes time and money and causes
stress. From now on, I want to at least
have transportation and accommodation secured before leaving my house, the
sooner the better because of prices and availability. The second most important thing is to
remember to keep my devices charged always.
When lost in the city, google maps is great, but the screen drains
battery. I will remember to keep the
screen as dim as possible when energy conservation is a concern. The third issue was budget. I did not have much of a budget, just a total
number and some ideas of what lodging would cost. Food also costs money. Don’t forget that. And don’t expect to survive on that bag of
fruit and bread you brought. 4 days of
walking and no real meals?
Doubtful. You’re going to eat;
budget for it. Another thing about
travel: staying 2 nights in a row is infinitely better than moving around a
lot. It’s so chill. So nice to have a place to go for
siesta. My trip would have been much
better with more sleep. And it goes
without saying that traveling from city to city takes up time and money. Also, restrooms are scarce, and toilet paper
also. Plan accordingly. Always know where the closest McDonald’s is
and be prepared to either buy something to get the access code to the restroom,
or sneak in with other customers like I did.
Good luck with the toilet paper though.
Carry tissues. Another thing:
Pack light. I packed my things, then I
re-packed to save space and still I could have cut back. I no longer feel shame for wearing the same
outfit for two or three days (depending on circumstances) as long as my
underthings are clean. For a weekend I
really need only two sets of clothes—one I’m wearing and one I pack—shower
stuff, hair brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, make-up, garments, scriptures,
journal, chargers, and my purse (cash, cards, passport, phone, and camera.) I like to have 2 pairs of shoes (my flip
flops are only good for 5-8 miles a day, then I need to switch to something
more athletic.) Other than that,
medication and deodorant, I should keep my pack free. The reason is that Spain has endless stairs
and few elevators. Suitcases are fine to
wheel around, but not so fun to lug up 4 flights of stairs. I take both a backpack and suitcase—I like
having the backpack with me for shorter trips to and from the hostel. I need to buy a smaller towel. And finally, hostel selection is
important. I like being near bus
stations; they are in popular parts of town and more accessible when it comes
to long-distance transportation. Also
the bathroom situation is important.
Feel hostel in Malaga was perfect because the bathroom had an outside
vanity with a sink and mirror, there was a toilet room on one side, and a
shower room on the other side. This was
only shared between six people. There
was never a wait because things were separated out. That hostel also had a blow-dryer which is
somewhat important. I didn’t use it, but
the option is nice. I won’t travel with
my blow-dryer again; I’ll risk weird hair.
Now for the update on
Andalucia. Driving to Cordoba, I learned
that Spain was a dictatorship until 1985.
I already knew that the north and the south of the country are very
different from one another. Apparently,
the people I rode with are of the opinion that Spaniards hate Spain and claim
loyalty to their provinces first and foremost.
In Andalucia, you are not wearing enough bracelets, ever. Or lipstick.
I have yet to see a Spaniard apply lip gloss, but lipstick, lipstick,
lipstick! Blotting is not a thing. Also, a person can be judged as casual or
dressy not by their clothes but by their shoes.
Jeans and hells trumps dress with pumps.
And yes it’s totally fine to wear Nikes with a sundress, as long as the
colors match. Heels are a big thing and
are worn by all women at night, but during the day it’s a little more toned
down. Plus I walk a lot during the day;
so do the others.
They wash the streets here. I guess they’re streets. Or sidewalks?
I have yet to discover the difference in some places. Pedestrians have the right of way always. Traffic laws only apply if there are other
cars nearby to be affected by the lane change, turn wrong direction, park in
the street, etc. Even then, it’s subject
to interpretation. I’ve seen many people
stop in the streets in Montellano to chat with friends at the bar. Children get in and out of cars that are
still moving a little and kiss aunties before returning to the bar with their
parents. The aunties drive away, the honking
stops, and traffic resumes. Totally
normal. I have strong nerves when it
comes to crazy traffic, but Spain gets me sometimes. I see roundabouts and think about my
mom. Her experience with roundabouts is
that you never stop in them. Haha,
unless you’re in Europe, in which case a roundabout can easily have 5 lanes, 7
exits, 4 lights, and in heavy traffic a Spaniard will cut across three lanes of
traffic at the same time without signaling.
If you come close to hitting someone, they’ll honk at you. Otherwise you’re golden. “No Parking?”
No problem! There are already 10
cars parked in front of the “no parking” sign.
And parking stalls don’t really exist here, so if you plan to rent a
car, your ability to park in the city may depend on the size of the car you
choose. Parking in the city center is
impossible. Take a bus or walk.
