So I´m finally in Granada. I am safe and sound, but what I´ve gone through in the last 2 days have been utter madness. Read on and hold on to your seat…
First, my Thai Airways flight from KL to Bangkok was delayed (because of some dumb plane problems), which would result in me missing my Bangkok-Madrid flight, so the people in the airport changed my flight from KL to Paris using Malaysia Airlines (MAS), and then, from Paris to Madrid using Air France. I had to run so fast from one gate to another in KLIA in less than 15 minutes because if I was late, I would miss the MAS flight. So guess what? My luggage was not with me on the plane, which means that I do not have my suitcase with me now. That´s only the first problem. One good thing was that I met a Spanish couple who were in the same dilemma as me, so I at least had some friends to share the misery. (They were honeymooning in Malaysia, and were on their way back home to Madrid.)
The second problem came up in Paris´ Charles de Gaulle airport where the authorities at first would not allow the three of us to fly from Paris to Madrid because the Thai Airways people did not inform them about our change of flights. We were all upset and tired, and Carolina y yo created a fuss, but thank God things were settled, so we flew to Madrid. When we arrived at Barajas Airport, we faced Problem #1 again – our suitcases were not there, as we expected. So we made a report at the Baggage Reclaim counter. By that time, I was on the verge of tears. I was so far away from my family, without my suitcase, without a phone, and any way to contact them. Thank God that Carolina, the lady, and Cesar, the husband, were so kind to lend me their mobile phones, and I contacted Janice (whom I´ve not seen at all because we were supposed to meet in Bangkok) and my dad. When I called my dad, I broke down. I realised how much I missed home.
After we made our reports (and I gave the people there my temporary address in Granada as well as Carolina´s mobile number), Carolina and Cesar were once again so helpful. I owe a lot to them, and also their friend Jorge who drove us – they brought me to buy a Spanish mobile number (Vodafone) at a mall, and then sent me to the bus station. Cesar and Jorge helped me to buy a ticket to Granada, then they left me. It was then I also realised that I was sooooooooooo alone, and that I was pretty much dead coz my Español is so freakin´ bad. Not many Spanish people can speak English!
I took the bus to Granada, and while in the bus, I met two Japanese chicas – Yuko y Maiko. They are very sweet girls who were going to Granada for two nights to visit the Alhambra. Thank God for their company while in the 5-hour long bus journey.
When I arrived in Granada at 10pm local time absolutely exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and afraid, I took a cab to my hostel in Calle Navas, called Hostal Penelope. I got lost, but after I called the hostel, and a very friendly guy who is working in the hostel (and who speaks English, THANK GOD!) came to my rescue. His name is Luna, a Brazilian, and he´s my first friend in Granada. I checked in, ate one tapa hungrily for a late dinner. Then I took a long-needed bath, and fell straight asleep. I had to make do with so few things – absolutely no toiletries, and only a few clothes. I prayed and thank God for everything, though admittedly, I cried too.
I woke up at 6am, still not used to the time change in España, and went down to meet Luna. He took me to my school, Centro de Lenguas Modernas, and I registered. Then he showed me to a mall where I did some shopping. I almost died with all the expensive prices, but I had to get my essentials. Thank God for my tarjeta de credit and mi papa´s understanding of me having to shop. I didn´t buy a lot, of course. I couldn´t!
After that I went back to my school and they told me the families that I could live with (they gave me three names and a map), and I chose to live with a family that the lady in my school recommended. So I went to see her and her house (after walking for about an hour coz I kept getting lost), which is so very far away from my school, but she was so nice even though her English is so bad and mi Español is as bad. Now, at the time of typing, I am at a cybercafe near her house. After this I will be walking back to my hostel even though it is quite far away.
To end, here are some of my thoughts and experiences in Granada for the first two days – I feel like an alien here because everyone looks at me weirdly, except Luna. I cannot hold a proper conversation in Spanish even though I can type it so well when I talk in Español with my Spanish friends on MSN. I find Spain so beautiful, and I like being here because of that, but I am finding it difficult for now. Please, do keep me in your prayers. I need all the prayers I can get, because things have gone so badly the past few days. Muchas gracias, amigos.
