Vacation, Day One: Dispatch from Room Cero Cero

Detail of the cathedral

I woke up very, very, very late. As late as I used to habitually wake up when I worked in a bar. It was wonderful, even though my feet were cold. This cheap hostel I’ve found, right in the middle of old Seville, does not have heat. My room is the size of a jail cell. I have a sink, but no toilet. That, and the shower (hot water, thank God), are down the hall. It suites my needs and actually reminds me of the circumstances I lived in while working in Antigua, Guatemala. This place smells better, however.

More detail on yesterday: the Americans I met immediately after disembarking my cab were two 20-year-old college girls. One turned 21 that night, hence me meeting all the friends showing up for the bash. I felt like the old guy in the club, but they were all very nice. The place we drank in has live traditional music and Flamenco dancing. It was packed. With Americans. Surprisingly, quite a number of locals decide to go there anyway. Maybe Seville isn’t as anti-American as I’d thought most of Spain has gradually turned, probably due to the revenue all the language students bring in.


North side of Cathedral

On to today: I went on a walkabout (once I got out of bed). Basically, I circumnavigated the old city, first looking for a place I’d heard had wireless, then walking back along the river once I found that said place did not open until the evening. While walking along the river (I must say, Southville’s is better), I met another American girl, jogging, who gave me some better advice in getting wired. This place is right across from the cathedral. Checked e-mail and Jabbered (inter-office instant messaging) with co-workers. It is amazing that stuff like that works instantly, even trans-Atlantic.


my hostel is the second down the row

(A note on walking in the old, old city of Seville: things are cramped. If you are claustrophopic, don’t come here. Many of these blocks are so closely spaced that you feel like you are in a large building, except the hallways have no roof, and cars and scooters occasionally drive through them. Oh, and the hallways don’t meet at right angles like they should.)

I returned to my hostel to shower. I could not do this before, as I had no soap or shampoo, which I bought on walkabout. There are no amenities here. It’s ok, I like being self-sufficient. I also fixed my shoe. Part of it had separated. Super-glue, bought with the cleaning products, fixed this. J. Crew, improve the quality of your materials.


Some King

I ate a dinner of tapas at a nearby establishment, then went to check e-mail again. After that I went to a grocery store. Met yet another American. As it was getting dark, I asked advice on where to go this evening. He told me. I’ll tell you later if the advice was good.

Back in my hostel room, I have a little one-man international party. I drink Russian vodka (Stoli), purchased in an Emirati airport duty-free, mixed with Spanish O.J. (Don Simon), and read a Brit current events mag (The Economist, best of the best). I am SO cosmopolitan. Now I write on a computer probably assembled in Asia somewhere. Tune in next time for the update on this evening’s adventures, and whether or not I actually decide to go anywhere else but Seville on my vacation.


Cathedral

P.S.
The Spanish is coming back. Feels good. I’ll need it for the fair in Madrid coming up.