A Trip to Spain
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and me and my friend Sam were hanging out at some coffee place enjoying each other’s company. Sam and I have been friends since we were about five years old making our bond stronger than any of my other friends. I glanced at him and suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.
Spring break was just around the corner and we both love traveling. I told him that I want to go to Italy since I have been interested in the Italian culture for the longest time. I have read a lot about the country, and even tried to learn the language for some time. I also love to watch Italian football.
However, Sam indicated that he preferred going to Spain. He had a lot of Spanish friends and wanted to know more about the country. After arguing for a while, we decided to check the travel agencies in the area and take the cheapest package for a trip to Spain. This is how my friendship with Sam goes. We both have different opinions and points of view but we try to compromise to be able to decide on things.
When we arrived at the travel agency, a crowd of people wanting to book flights for their vacations welcomed us inside. Luckily, there was one available agent at the corner of the office. We approached her and stated that we were planning take a trip to either Spain or Italy for one week and we would prefer to take the cheapest offer.
After a few minutes of checking their system on the computer, she related that the cheapest flight was to Malaga, which is the capital of Costa del Sol, in the south region of Spain. The package would also come along with a hotel accommodation. This was good news for us and we took the offer without hesitation.
The flight to Spain was not until after a few days and I spent those days trying to prepare for the trip. I made a checklist of what I was supposed to bring. I thought very carefully of the clothes and shoes that I would bring. I also made sure that my camera was fully charged. I even did my research about Spain in the Internet.
The day of the flight to Spain came quickly. I arrived at the airport at six o’clock in the morning and found Sam waiting for me. He looked slightly annoyed because I was a bit late but I explained that did not go off and apologized for this.
I am grateful because Sam is very understanding. If this had been some other person, he or she would not have understood and would not have accepted my apology quickly, since this was an important day for both of us. But it was Sam and this is how he really is and I am glad for this. We were lucky because our flight was delayed.
At 7:30 a.m., the airplane took off the airport. The plane was full of tourists. We found our way to our assigned seats. We placed our carry-ons inside the compartment overhead and took our seats. We got comfortable and Sam began talking to the young lady next to him. I did not realize that I have fallen fast asleep. The thing I knew was Sam was waking me up because the plane was about to land.
The Malaga airport was small and there were no English signs. We did not know where to go and the place was crowded with people speaking only in Spanish. Sam looked around to see if he recognized anyone from our flight. We were so relieved when we heard some English words calling those from our flight to gather around.
We walked to the voice and there was a young man who looked like he was Spanish and an one old man whom I recognized from the flight. The old man asked us which city we were headed to and we indicated that we were planning to go to Malaga. They then led us to the bus that would take us to Malaga. The ride took 30 minutes before we arrived at the hotel.
We approached the front desk and checked in our room. Sam was feeling tired and wanted to rest for a while but I was feeling like a tourist and wanted to explore the city at that moment. However, Sam was really persistent on resting first so I told him that I would go out alone and would come back for him after a few hours. It was sunny and warm and I had no idea where to go first.
I decided to take a walk on the beach because I found the sea view amazing with the sand having no traces of trash or any unpleasant things. Walking around trying to explore the area, I sensed that someone was cooking fish and the aroma made me realize that I had not eaten except for the food, which was served in the airplane. I felt my stomach growling when I saw the restaurants lined up along the beach. I picked one that looked new from its designs and interior.
The menu was written in Spanish and I only knew a few words in Spanish and found that this would be harder than I thought. I tried telling the waiter that I wanted a meal with shrimps but unfortunately, the waiter only knew a few words in English.
Another waiter was called whom I presumed knew how to speak in English better. I repeated my order, which he took, and surveyed the view of the beach. While waiting for my food, I got into thinking that differences in languages can really become a barrier of communication not only in Spain but everywhere. After I finished my meal, I continued walking by the beach and tried to shop for souvenirs from the gift shops along the way.
The beach was very long and I believe I walked for three to four miles before noticing that the sun was beginning to set. I went back to the hotel to wake up Sam but when I entered the room, I saw that Sam was already awake and looked like he just finished a meal.
Sam was not bothered that he missed walking on the beach and simply stated that he could go the next day. This is what I liked about him. He is not someone who considers things as a big deal, which can make things complicated.
At around 10:00 p.m., we decided to go to a night club, which was not too far from the hotel. The club was too big and there were a lot of people inside. I heard group of people talking in English so I felt comfortable enough to approach them. Meanwhile, Sam went to buy some drinks from the bar. The group consisted of three girls and two boys.
After introducing ourselves and getting to know their names, we found out that they have arrived two days ago and experienced the same problem with the language. We all sat together in an area where the music was lower and we were able to hear each other better.
We talked about numerous things but it was mostly about Spain and its culture. After the discussions, we managed to get into the center of dance floor and danced until we were too exhausted. Sam and I came back to the hotel with too much to drink.
The next day, I woke up with a hangover. I looked over to Sam’s bed and saw that he was awake too. We laughed as we tried to recollect what had happened the night before. Sam related that I fell asleep on the table at the club and he had to carry me all the way back to the hotel. I was shocked to hear about this because this has never happened to me before.
I apologized to Sam and blamed the alcohol for my behavior. I was relieved when he said that it was okay since he also had a good time at the club. Sam is such a good a friend. I can always rely on him to look out for me and he does not mind this. After making more fun of me, we decided to have some breakfast.
Later in the day, in the heart of Malaga, Sam and I sat in a French café, which was full of people from different parts of the world. The weather was beautiful that day so we sat outside the cafe observing the people walking by. I lit my cigarette and started drinking my cappuccino when the group we met last night approached us.
The girl with the dark hair commented that it was a crazy night. I was a bit embarrassed when I remembered what happened but I agreed with what she said. We talked some more about the night before and had a good laugh. Then, I mentioned that there was a soccer game tomorrow where Barcelona would be playing against Malaga. I invited them to come with us and they quickly agreed since they had no plans for that particular day.
