1/1/05
Happy 2005!
...8am
We gathered our extreamly hungover selves together and raggedly woeked our way to the train station in madrid. Upon arriving in the main station, Atocha, we had a little trouble figuring out how to get a train ticket to Toledo. We were directed to a second ticket office. You were directed to get a number and wait until your turn(like the DMV). However the numbers on the ticket screen didnt change in 15 minutes. Finally the man selling tickets called for those with destination of toledo. Caleb rushed up to the counter and pusehd his way to the front(thats how they do it in spain) All the man handed caleb was a piece of paper with 2 stamps and some typing on it and he said hurry! The train was leaving in 4 minutes! So we ran through the train station to our gate and get up to the bottom of the stairs just as the train pulls up. TONS of people are waiting to get into it(not in a line but in just a large mob) So we push our way through and get on the train and of course there is no seats within the first couple of cars so we start moving through the train with our packs that wack both sides of the seat. When a train first starts moving there are people that walk in both directions(bathroom, looking for seats) so we had to practally sit on peoples laps for others to get around us. but we ended up finding 2 seats together where we could fit our stuff and once she hit the seat Angie crashed. She was so tired that it was comfortable for her to lay on her own lap! The countryside was wonderful, rolling hills with little villages on the hilltops. The tall grass is brown and it sort of looks like new mexico. It looks like it would be very warm out but it is about 40 degrees F.
Once we reached the end of the line(in the middle of nowhere spain) we looked at each other confused. I asked a young woman "Toledo aqui" and she says "Si! Toledo a autobuseo!" So we had to get onto a bus to take us to Toledo the rest of the way. After a 10-15 min bus ride we were dropped off across the river from the center of toledo. We decided that since we didnt know what bus to take or where it would take us that we would walk to the hotel since it was only 2 blocks from the cathedral, and we were sure that we could see where that was.
2 hours and 15 minutes later we find the hostel with a warm greeting from the refreshed Rick.
We were so happy to put our packs down and Rick asked us "what do you want to do first" and we both replied "eat!" After the meal we went sightseeing. We walked down to the Puente de san Martin and back. It is a really cool bridge first built in the 8th century-rebuilt in the 13th century after a flood washed it out. Rick and I(caleb) walked to find a market for some supper. We didnt find any open markets but we did find a falafel place that was only 3€. Angie slept right after eating and Rick and I stayed up and played cards until 11.
...8am
We gathered our extreamly hungover selves together and raggedly woeked our way to the train station in madrid. Upon arriving in the main station, Atocha, we had a little trouble figuring out how to get a train ticket to Toledo. We were directed to a second ticket office. You were directed to get a number and wait until your turn(like the DMV). However the numbers on the ticket screen didnt change in 15 minutes. Finally the man selling tickets called for those with destination of toledo. Caleb rushed up to the counter and pusehd his way to the front(thats how they do it in spain) All the man handed caleb was a piece of paper with 2 stamps and some typing on it and he said hurry! The train was leaving in 4 minutes! So we ran through the train station to our gate and get up to the bottom of the stairs just as the train pulls up. TONS of people are waiting to get into it(not in a line but in just a large mob) So we push our way through and get on the train and of course there is no seats within the first couple of cars so we start moving through the train with our packs that wack both sides of the seat. When a train first starts moving there are people that walk in both directions(bathroom, looking for seats) so we had to practally sit on peoples laps for others to get around us. but we ended up finding 2 seats together where we could fit our stuff and once she hit the seat Angie crashed. She was so tired that it was comfortable for her to lay on her own lap! The countryside was wonderful, rolling hills with little villages on the hilltops. The tall grass is brown and it sort of looks like new mexico. It looks like it would be very warm out but it is about 40 degrees F.
Once we reached the end of the line(in the middle of nowhere spain) we looked at each other confused. I asked a young woman "Toledo aqui" and she says "Si! Toledo a autobuseo!" So we had to get onto a bus to take us to Toledo the rest of the way. After a 10-15 min bus ride we were dropped off across the river from the center of toledo. We decided that since we didnt know what bus to take or where it would take us that we would walk to the hotel since it was only 2 blocks from the cathedral, and we were sure that we could see where that was.
2 hours and 15 minutes later we find the hostel with a warm greeting from the refreshed Rick.
We were so happy to put our packs down and Rick asked us "what do you want to do first" and we both replied "eat!" After the meal we went sightseeing. We walked down to the Puente de san Martin and back. It is a really cool bridge first built in the 8th century-rebuilt in the 13th century after a flood washed it out. Rick and I(caleb) walked to find a market for some supper. We didnt find any open markets but we did find a falafel place that was only 3€. Angie slept right after eating and Rick and I stayed up and played cards until 11.
posted by caleb at 9:44 AM
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