June 15, 2008.
Hola chicos!
We are finally all safe and sound in Spain. After a long adventure at the airport and a ride on `el metro` and a bus we finally arrived ´a los apartamentos´ at four this morning. After a struggle with the sleepy watchman we were finally ´home´.
Home consists of a brand new suite-style, two-bedroom apartment, with a kitchenette complete with laundry facilities and a living room. We have a lovely view of the construction and the desert behind it, with wind-powered generators, manufactured parks and more apartment buildings. So much for sustainable - green lawns in a desert!
Being here in Spain is surreal. Everything is the same but different. In the Madrid airport there was a McDonalds (they call it “McAuto” here). Same generic burgers and preserved apple slices, but much smaller! The Americanization is very clear. On the other hand, in the old part of Zaragoza which we explored today people walk on the same cobblestones as the Romans did in the time of Caesar Augustus!
It felt like we were in a movie when we drove from Madrid to Zaragoza. There was nothing but highway and desert until we met the occasional tiny road-side gas station community. Everything was beautiful, and when we got out of the bus for a quick stopover the air was crisp clear and chilly - perfect desert air. When we walked into the bus stop we saw old couples sitting and watching the TV together, and an old-fashioned convenience store, all attached to what seems to be the community centre. It was quaint and familiar yet foreign.
We slept for a greater part of the day, and then made our way to the city centre, where we had dinner and coffee at a nearby cafe next to a tall statue of Caesar Augustus. All in all, today was a great day for exploring and experiencing Spain and I can’t wait for more adventures to come!
- Christine Moon
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