Backpacking Spain

  We had to change trains i think two or three times and weren´t going to get to Barcelona until 8pm.  At the border of France and Spain, we had to go through border control who asked us for our passports about three different times.  We had to wait quite a bit for the train to begin going again.  Finally we got to Barcelona around 8pm.  We waited at the Franco train station for one of the girls´friends but she didnt come meet us so we jumped on a bus to go to the hostel.  We found the hostel, it was called Urbany Hostel.  It was really nice.  It was like a little hotel.  It had a dining floor with free internet and a bar, a laundry area (of course you had to pay though) and a really nice staff.  The rooms were pretty cramped but it was clean and modern.  Since we got there so late, i just went to get some food and then went to bed.  The hostel didn´t have room for me the next night since i didnt make a reservation and it was busy so i had to find a different hostel, or catch a train somewhere else.  I didnt get to see any of Barcelona yet so i didnt really want to leave yet.  The hostel had a free breakfast until 10am so i went to get something to eat.  I ate so much because i knew that i would be walking a lot around Barcelona that day, and it´s free food! i had five bowls of oatmeal and yogurt and six cups of hot chocolate! :)  Since i had to find a new hostel, checked out and asked the front desk where nearby would have space for me.  They told me about a place about five blocks away called Graffitti Hostel.  I got a little lost trying to find it because the streets change names so quickly and there are so many diagonal streets but then, an older spanish lady came to help me.  I told her where i was trying to go and she took me all the way there.  She took me to the front desk upstairs and waited for them to say that they had room for me.  I was so gracious for her help, she was really sweet.  Im glad that im finally in a country where i can communicate, besides for the U.S of course.  This hostel was even cheaper than the other hostel which was nice, and the staff was really nice too.  After checking in, i put my things in my room and asked the front desk for a map and what to go see.  I walked around Barcelona for about 5 hours.  I walked to the top of Parc Guell which was sooo high up and took forever and was on such a steep hill that most people take a bus to get up there.  Then i walked to see La Familia Segrada by Gaudi, then to the Barcelona Harbor, then to Las Ramblas which is where the little shops are and then all the way back to the hostel.  I liked Barcelona a lot because the buildings by Gaudi were really cool, the hostels were nice and there was a lot to see, and it was pretty cheap but, i didn´t like Las Ramblas because there were too many people.  I was exhausted after all the walking so i went to get food to make at the hostel and relaxed.  The owners of the hostel were having a little barbeque so if you paid five euros, it was all you can eat.  I wanted to make my own food but later on, there was enough food left over that the owners wanted everyone to eat, so i had some free food too.  Usually everyone goes out really really late in Spain but i wasn´t going out.  Most people in the hostel were too tired so we all just hung out.  Later on, the owner put on a movie for everyone to watch.  Me and the girls in my room just hung out and talked.  The next morning i checked out and headed for the train station.  It was quite a ways away so i left early.  After walking for about an hour, i got to the train station.  I was planning on going to Valencia for the next day and night but then i figured i should just go to Madrid because i was going to have to pay for a reservation for both then, and i really wanted to go to Madrid.  So, i got my reservation and waited two hours for the train.

My train left at around 3pm and i wasnt going to get to Madrid until 6pm.  The train ride was okay.  The train was really nice and it had a movie for us to watch so they gave us headphones to have.  The train stations in Spain are a bit more strict than some others, you have to put your stuff through security scanners and you cant get to the platforms until 20 minutes before departure and until you show your tickets.  Most train stations, you can just go to the platforms whenever you want.  Once in Madrid, it was getting dark so i wanted to find a hostel quickly.  I took the metro to the center of the city where there were hostels.  I went to a few of them and they were all full but, finally i found a International Youth Hostel called Posadas de Huertas.  It was pouring rain outside and the streets were completely crowded with people.  I was glad to be at the hostel.  It only costed 20 euros and it had free internet and a free breakfast, which is always good.  After checking in, i put my things in my room and then came to the kitchen area to eat and to use the internet.  I wanted to get to bed fairly early because i was so tired, and wet.  I didnt get to sleep very well because there were some foreign girls in my room who kept coming and going and turning the lights on and being offly loud, and then they left really early so they had the lights on again.  I was on the top bunk so the light was right above me.  The next morning, i took a shower and got ready to go eat breakfast.  I wanted to get to the kitchen earlier because usually people come later so the earlier you get to breakfast, the better.  They didnt have much of a variety to eat though.  After eating as much as i could, i went to got all of my stuff and checked out.  The front desk gave me a map of Madrid and i was on my way to sight-see.  I walked all over, for a really long time.  The streets of Madrid are so packed with people, i didnt like that.  Also, it kept raining heavily off and on, so that got annoying.  After a while, i realized that i had way too much time until my overnight train leaves to Portugal so i went back to the hostel.  Here, i ate and am using the internet until i think i should head to the train station, which is quite a bit away.  There are three train stations in Madrid and the one that i have to go to is the furthest away.  I have to catch an overnight train to Lisbon, Portugal at 10:25pm tonight.

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When i arrived back in Madrid from Lisbon, Portugal, me and the American girl that i met in Lisbon exchanged contact information and parted ways.  I had to find the ticket windows to get a reservation right away to Barcelona.  When i was at the window, it was the same lady who helped me when i was going to Lisbon from Madrid.  She was a nice lady.  She recognized me and asked how my time in Portugal was.  I asked for a reservation to Barcelona.  She got me my ticket but she failed to tell me that i had to catch the metro train to the other Madrid station, so i missed the train that i was suppose to catch.  I went back to the window of the lady and asked her why she didn't tell me, she said that she thought i already knew that i had to change stations.  At first she said that i was going to have to pay for another reservation which i told her that i was not going to do because it was not my fault.  But, then, she found a way to cancel my other reservation and book me a new one.  I right away jumped on the metro train and got to the other train station.  I then found my where my train to Barcelona was at.  The train ride into Barcelona was good. It was the train that played a movie.  Once i got to Barcelona, i had to to find the window where i could book my reservation to Beziers, France on December 11th for my flight.  It took me a long time to finally get my reservation because they sent me back and forth between different windows and no one seemed to know what they were doing.  I was worried that the train was going to be booked.  Luckily, it wasn't and i got my reservation.  Then, i had to jump on the metro train to get to my hostel that i stayed in before.  I took the metro to Gaudi's La Segrada Familia because i knew how to get to my hostel from there.  I got to my hostel around 4pm.  They had plenty of space for me.  I just rested up for the next two days before the 11th. 

On December 11th, i woke up around 5am and got ready to walk to the train station.  I left really early in the morning, it was still dark out.  My train was leaving at 8am but i wanted to give myself enough time to walk to the train station.  I thought that i knew exactly how to get there but i got a bit lost.  I asked a few people along the way where i was and i got there with enough time to spare.  I waited for a while and then walked across the street and bought a really small coffee to go.  It was gross and not cheap, kinda wish i didn't buy it.  Oh well.  Then i got onto the train and headed to the south of France.  Goodbye Spain.