madrid!

Well! I finally made it to Spain. There were times on this trip that I admit I doubted myself a little, and my ability to get myself here unscathed. But I made it. After 2 cancelled flights and one that was obnoxiously late, I arrived in Madrid about 1am this morning. Easyjet are lucky they hired ridiculously good looking flight attendants, Juan and Miguel, and they pacified my rage at the stupid little things that turn into huge dramas when you´ve spent most of the day fucking around with flights.

But I arrived safely, had a hilarious taxi driver who´s english was really funny. He kept asking for my number, and I was so confused until he told me his number was Esteban - he meant name. He was pretty animated and he got me to my hotel for a little under 20 euros, which is a complete miracle. Not only that, but he helped me lug my luggage up 2 flights of stairs and wouldn´t accept a tip when I offered it. As usual, Spain astounds me with the hospitality of their people. Not only that, but the hostel I´m staying at got up especially to let me in. How nice is that¿! Yes. Funny upside down spanish question mark because this keyboard is whack, like the one in Rome.

So, this hostel has some amazing personality. It´s one street away from the booming centre of the town, Puerto De Sol and for 6 euro a night, I didn´t understand how they kept the place running. After being handed some clean white sheets and a pillow case I made my way up in the see-through, rickety elevator to the 1st floor. I ran into some cool English girls on the stairs, Jade and Elaine, and we realised we were all staying in the same room. Not really knowing what to expect, we headed quietly in, as it was 2am in Madrid by now - and I think we were all a litle shocked.

In the tiny little dorm room, there are 4 sets of bunk beds pushed close together and the room was  definitely over 40 degrees. Awkwardly shoving our suitcases into holes in the wall, we managed to find some beds that were unoccupied. I chose the top bunk near the window and tore it open, desperate for some unstale air - and was instantly berated by some crazy angry Spanish chick with a bad case of the flu. Despite her protests, and loud coughing and sneezing - I waited until she fell asleep again and I opened the window. Luckily for us, there was a great breeze - but also a massive storm coming. Didn´t get much sleep, due to excitement of being in Spain, the incredible thunder an dlightning and the heavy, laboured breathing of my sick room mate.

Jade, Elaine and I got up about 8 and headed down to breakfast. This is where things start to get a little strange. No towels, no shower curtains, no blankets (just sheets) and 4 condom machines - 2 on each level. They have super cheap vending machines which is an absolute god0send though. 45 euro cents for a can of coke  - does it honestly get any better than that¿ Anyway, breakfast. So we head downstairs to the bowels of the place and enjoyed a free bread roll or two and some nice lipton green tea (also a huge bonus). This is when we realise that, as the entirety of the hostel is gathered, we are by far the youngest, and only non0spanish residents. I´t´s comprised mostly of families rendered homeless, runaway teens and a lot fo awkward and miserable middle0aged men going through divorce.

I tell you what, this place has some serious personality. I love how it can remain so charming while at the same time reminding me simultaneously of camp and prison.

Anyway, I spent the whole day with these English girls. They were so so so so so so nice, and fun and yeah - awesome. We went to the art gallery, and trekked all around Madrid to find them a "cheap but nice tapas place with ambience and vegan options". Not surprisingly, it took us about 5 hours to find something to their liking - but fuck, was it worth it. Best gespacho of my life, some free appetisers, organic coke (which honestly had the distinct taste and smell of urine), some kick-ass green tea and these organic chocolate nut things. Jade and Elaine spent most of the day telling me all about where they had just come from. They had spent the past week in southern Spain working in an eco-village in the middle of nowhere.

It´s about 45 minutes inland, into the desert, and it´s an oasis of sorts. They showed me pictures and explained just how amazing it was. Natural pools are around the place that you can swim in, they grow their own food, and run all off eco-friendly electricity. For 10 euros a night you can stay, and just work for 5-6 hours a day on a community project ( for the next 6 months it´s helping to build a local school and building a massive garden for the hospital ) and the rest of the time is free for you to do what you want. Honestly¿ I´m looking into it first thing tomorrow, it sounds like an amazing experience.

Unfortunately, the girls left for Paris this afternoon, so I´m the only english'speaking resident in the hostel and it´s honestly getting a tiny bit lonely. I had a nana nap this afternoon for a few hours ( seriously getting into this siesta thing. Australia needs to adopt it ASAP ) and then decided to get up and go out for dinner. I asked downstairs, and he pointed me in the direction of a nice place, but upon arrival it wa ssimilar to an upscale McDonalds. So, I did a bit fo searching around and managed to fnd a really cool, quirky little bar with tapas.

I looked at the menu, sitting by myself in the corner like some strange film noir wannabe, and thought I would be a little adventurous. My Spanish teacher told me I have to try Spanish seafood along the coast. And perhaps it´s because óf this strange tummy bug I´ve picked up, or the fact I´ve been running on about 10 hours sleep for 2 days, but for some reason I thought I was in Barcelona, coastal, so seafood was the way to go. Only after I ordered it and had eaten half of it did I realise, HOLA, I´m in Madrid. It´s about a 6 hour train ride to any sort of coast. Great, great help with teh tummy bug - but it put me in tears I was laughing so hard at myself.

Schoolboy geographical error.

So far everyone outside of the hostel has been great. The Spanish are such an awesome race of people, I love all of them. Tomorrow I´m heading off to the local pub to watch the football match between Athletico Madrid and FC Barcelona, because unfotunately the tickets have been sold out for quite some time. But I figure the atmosphere will still be amazing. Then, on Sunday I´m off to the markets, and then on a train to Barcelona once more!

From there, depending on Eban and Marco´s enthusiasm on seeing me or not, I will head on over to Valencia, San Sebastian, Grenada, (hopefully that little eco-village), and then down to Gibraltar maybe.

Hah.

I hav eto share this. So, the dryness in Europe at the moment has been death for my hair and it´s been dry and frizzy for ages and I ran out of shampoo and conditioner about a week ago. So my hair has been all gross ever since, and then, at this organic place today - I bought Jesus in a bottle for my hair. Seriously, it´s a miracle. It´s like silk, I don´t think I have ever been more excited to wash my hair before. It smells like magic. I know it´s very trivial, but I nearly cried I was so happy. Frizzy, dry and dirty hair is just no fun to deal with. But now¿ It´s like a herbal essences add or sometthing.

And on that note, I´m going to head off. It´s 11pm and the internet cafe is getting a little too full of old men watching porn.