Yeah... big fat welcome... I'm here, but my luggage isn't!!!
Friday, the day I flew out was going pretty well... I had shit sleep as I always do the night before I am travelling alone. But, I got up, took a long, hot shower, had a cup of tea, and tried to wake up. Got everything packed, even made a last minute trip to the bookstore to pick up a notebook and a folder for school (if I'll need it, who knows!).
Joel was going to escort me to the airport, and thank goodness he did. We took the bus (30 santimes vs the 7Ls cab ride), and really thought we were leaving early enough for the small Riga airport. Well, must be because it was a Friday or something, but the airport was packed!! Air Baltic had a line that wrapped and weaved and surpassed all the other lines.... and they only had 3 windows open!!! HELLOO?????? The KLM counter had three windows open for the ONE FLIGHT they were checking in. Grrr... anyway... after standing in line for about an hour, we get to the counter, and the guy just gets on the phone, won't tell me anything about what is going on, but isn't handing me any boarding passes either. Finally, the guy who was behind us in line (who had already gone to a different window, and was done) said that the flight was overbooked, and he was being bumped. I was hoping that this wouldn't be the case with me, because Munich was not my final desitnation. So, the guy manages to squeeze me onto the flight, putting me in "first class". Mind you, on Air Baltic, first class just means the first rows of the plane... the seats aren't any bigger, and you only get the preferential treatment if you've actually paid for the seat. So I was glad that Joel was with me through all of this, cause he kept his cool, and helped me keep my cool. If he hadn't been there I would have probably already been crying in line. Unfortunatley, because the line took so long, when I was finally checked in, I had to run to security and passport control, and had about two seconds to say goodbye to Joel. One quick kiss later, I was on the plane.
So, I tried to sleep on the plane. There was a kind of crazy Spanish lady (CSL) sitting next to me, and she started freaking out to the stewardess about not being able to make her connection to Madrid, because the flight from Riga to Munich had departed late. I said I was on the same flight. The stewardess took my ticket and went to talk to the captain. The Spanish lady insisted that SHE be allowed to talk to captain, but the stewardess turned her down. Anyway, she finally came back, told us which gate we had to go to, and told us to go straight there on landing, that we would get boarding passes at the gate.
Of course, the flight to Madrid was in a different terminal, from the one we landed in. Of course. So we walked as fast as we could. Got stuck with ornery security people. I abandoned crazy Spanish lady, because her bag got searched, and I wasn't sticking around for it. Finally made it to the right gate, and got on the plane. Breathe.
At this point I realized that I was STARVING. Usually you have some time at some airport to get a bite, a water, ANYTHING. Well, because I had run at the Riga airport and through Munich, I had had nothing more than a piece of toast and a cup of tea to eat that day. I haven't been very hungry lately in general, but, at this point in this particular day, it felt like my stomach was eating itself. I was HUNGRY!!!
Thank the goddess for Lufthansa. They served a proper meal, and it was vegetarian!!! I ate the whole damn thing and didn't leave a crumb. Oh, it felt so good to eat.
So, I thought things would be ok then... but then I got to the baggage claim, and me and crazy Spanish lady end up the last two just sitting there, watching an abandoned sleeping bag go around and around on the belt. Thankfully, CSL ended up being quite helpful, and taking me to the lost baggage people, and telling me what to do. So, I filed the lost baggage papers, and went to find the person who was supposed to be picking me up.
I had all the directions on where to go depending on which terminal I was in, but, then I realized that I didn't know which terminal I was in!! Thankfully, I heard some very obvious American being spoken up ahead, and speeded up to ask some girls if they knew. Turns out I was in terminal 1. And I was right where I was supposed to be to meet the Endicott person. It was a young woman, probably my age. She must have been Spanish, but her English was very good. She was obviously in a big hurry though, maybe she had to meet other arriving students or something, but she basically handed over some maps, and threw me in a cab. She didn't even ask why I didn't have bags. Ah well. Nothing against her, but I didn't feel very taken care of.
The cabbie took me to the hotel though, and I got in fine. I rested for a while....told Joel everything that had happened over text messages...and then finally, when I could no longer play solitaire on the computer or watch Spanish tv or Sky news, I went for a walk. I wasn't hungry, but I wanted some water. Going into the shop, and dealing with the guy, I totally understood everything... he asked how I was, asked if I wanted a cold water (since I had picked up a warm one), and then told me what I owed him, etc. I understood it all... but did I have the vocab to answer him? No. :( I've spent ever since then trying to recall some Spanish that I know, but I keep getting confused...is that French? Was that Italian? Am I making this shit up?
Now, it's Saturday... I'm still waiting for my luggage. And of course, I gave the luggage people my mobile phone number as a contact, and now the battery is dead. So I just called them, and they said to call back around 5 when another flight will come in from Munich, and maybe (but they don't know!) my bags will be on it. MAYBE??? Ah well, I gave them my hotel phone number. Hopefully, I will have clean clothes, soap, make-up, lotion, and did I mention CLEAN CLOTHES soon.
Tonight I'm supposed to be meeting some people from the program for a walking tour through central Madrid...we're supposed to meet at 6:30...I hope that I can call the airport at 5, and figure everything out with them, and then get to the place I'm supposed to meet them by 6:30. Cause, I don't have a phone to call anyone anymore!!! :(
It's 1:30 here now... I've washed myself, and my shirt, so hopefully I won't smell too bad. I'm not hungry, otherwise I would go out and find some food. Maybe it's better this way. Oh yeah, cause I forgot to say that last night when I was just walking around trying to stay very close to the hotel, I got lost anyway. I had to pull out the map, and figure out where I was. I was headed in the right direction, but hadn't gone far enough. Madrid's streets are crazy... they are small, and they go in all directions, I mean, they are not on like a grid at all, so far as I can tell. So anyway... trying to get to the city centre tonight has me freaked out... but I will try.
If this is the last you ever hear from me, know that I was kind of lonely and stinky on my last day. :) Ok, I'm just kidding... but seriously, I'm fine, but I am kind of lonely and stinky. What can you do?
Welcome to Madrid. It can only get better from here on out...
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