Back in Spain!

We finally made it to Spain! Following a two-hour flight to Newark, a four-hour layover there and then a seven-hour flight across the Atlantic, we landed in Madrid around 10 a.m. Spain time (4 a.m. Indiana time). The plane ride was a little bumpy for the first two hours but most everyone caught a couple hours of sleep following dinner and a movie.

We made our way through customs with no problem. In fact, it was probably the easiest "border" crossing of my life, as we didn't even have to fill out papers. The customs agent looked at our passports, stamped them and welcomed us to Spain.

We did have one hiccup when we claimed our luggage. A student's suitcase didn't make it, or so we thought. We waited until all of the bags had made it through but he didn't see his suitcase. We spoke with one of the agents, who took down all of his information. We also gave her our contact information but it appeared the suitcase might not arrive until Tuesday, which was going to be a problem because we are leaving here Tuesday for Avila. But, we were hopeful it would arrive ... and several of the guys volunteered to loan the student some clothes until his suitcase made it to us.

We exited the baggage area and met one of our guides. She escorted us to the bus and we loaded all of the luggage on board and prepared for a driving and walking tour of Madrid. Everyone was a little tired as we drove away from the airport, but the excitement of being in a new country always gives most travelers an adrenaline kick!

Our first stop was at the Plaza de Toros (Bullfighting ring). There, we met up with our Madrid guide, Mauricio. We walked around the perimeter of the ring but didn't go in. There are bullfights in Madrid every Sunday from March to October. When Madrid celebrates the Fiesta de San Isidro in mid-May, there is even a bull fight every day. Built in 1929, the bull fighting ring's exterior is made of bricks and has ceramic titles. It's a Moorish edifice. When it's not being used for bull fighting, we learned they use it for concerts and the circus.

Afterward, we drove through the north part of the city, where the homes are very expensive. Speaking of homes, in most Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain, most people prefer to live close to the heart of the city. Home are more expensive as you get closer to the plaza. In the United States, this isn't true for the most part, as most people prefer to live in the suburbs and the prices of homes are usually more expensive in the suburbs than in the downtown area.

As we were driving around the city, my phone rang. It was the agent from United calling to say that they had found the bag. According to her, it had been on the belt the entire time ... but we are confident we didn't miss it as we looked for it. The good news: The bag was safe. The bad news: They wouldn't be able to deliver it until tomorrow, which wasn't going to work with our schedule. We only had about one hour left on the city tour, so we decided to finish seeing Madrid and then go back for the suitcase.

We stopped to see the Royal Palace from the outside, as well as a monument dedicated to Don Quijote and Cervantes. Spain's Royal Family actually lives someplace else today and only uses the palace for royal ceremonies and dinners. We also walked through the Plaza Mayor, Madrid's most famous plaza. Two sides of the plaza house offices and government (city hall) offices; the other space is used for apartments ... but it is some of Madrid's most expensive real estate. Our guide said it costs some 7,000 euros per square meter ... ouch! But, the plaza is so beautiful!

Afterward, we headed to the hotel to check in. We arrived around 2:15 p.m. and the group had to be back downstairs at 3:45 p.m. to head to the Prado Museum for a guided tour. Everyone decided to shower and grab a quick snack before heading to the museum. Two students and I, however, needed to return to the airport to pick up the suitcase. Madrid has the best metro system in Spain and probably one of the best in Europe. I used it several times a day last summer when I was here, so the three of us decided to take the metro to the airport in search of the missing piece of luggage. It was about a 30 minute ride and we had to change lines one time but we arrived without a problem. Finding the bag, however, turned out to be an adventure!

The agent had told me on the phone to go to the United counter in Terminal 1, which we eventually found after several minutes of walking and stopping to ask directions. Once we arrived, however, it was closed. The agent told me we needed to be there before 5 p.m. and it was only 3:30 p.m., so we were surprised to see no one at the counter. We then spent the next 30 minutes telling our story to several airport employees and we finally found one person who knew where we needed to go. We had to cross back into the security area where baggage claim is located. We arrived at the area but, in order to keep the area secure, the door only opens when someone exits. We shouted out "hola" and "bueno" once and heard a voice on the other side. The security guard quickly came out and we told him our story. I didn't know if we would be allowed back in but he ushered us in and we were soon back at the exact counter where we had first reported the luggage missing. The bad news: There was no one there. The good news: The bag was sitting behind the counter with our name waiting for us! We spoke with someone at the counter next door, told her the story and she told us to take the bag and that she would let the agent know we had arrived. It was much more of an adventure than the three of us anticipated ... but it was fun to use Spanish to talk with so many people as we went in pursuit of the missing bag. After a "chocala" (high five) we were back on the metro and on our way back to the hotel.

The rest of the group was just finishing the tour of the Prado as we returned to the hotel, so we all met back up at the hotel and went to dinner around 8 p.m. We had a buffet dinner at the hotel and afterward everyone decided to call it a night early to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

I couldn't end without sharing a few cultural tidbits I had forgotten. In Spain, the first floor of a building is actually labeled as "0," not "1." So we have to push "0" in the elevator when we want to come down to the hotel lobby.

And then there is the electricity. Two of the students came to me and said they didn't have any power in their room. We decided to investigate after we came back but then I remembered that in many hotels here you have to insert the room key into a slot inside the room to activate the power. Once the key is inserted, you have power. When you take it out and leave the room, there is no power. So, we did a quick test run and that  solved their problem.

On a language note ... I had forgotten how much people in Spain like to use the phrase "No pasa nada." It esentially means "It's OK ... no worries" but I've only heard it used so much here and not in other Spanish-speaking countries. Today, for example, we were on the metro when a little kid bumped into an older woman. The boy's mom looked at the older lady and said "lo siento" (I'm sorry) and the woman just responded with a smile and "No pasa nada." It's one of my favorite sayings from here but one I don't use a lot since the Spanish I learned is from Latin America. These little differences make travel abroad so fun and interesting. And this is just Day 1.

Thanks for reading and I'll update again as soon as I can. Day 1 was great and we're all excited to see what tomorrow brings!

Take care ... cuidate,
--Justin

Plaza de Toros in Madrid

Plaza Mayor in Madrid