Alhaurin el Grande

Yesterday I went to my town. It wasn't the best first impression. When I woke up, it looked like rain. But it always looks like rain and turns sunny so I thought nothing of it. It started to rain on the way to the bus stop. I knew it was going to. Everyone was carrying their umbrellas. I bought an umbrella before I got on the bus just in case. Good thing I did.

Shortly after I arrived it started sprinkling, and then raining. I had no map and no idea where I was. I walked all over this place, mostly in circles because I thought I was in the right area. I eventually saw signs for a government building so I went in and asked for a map. On it was marked the cultural center and turism office. Ok good, the tourism office will have a better map.

The tourist office is at the north of town. I thought I was at the top of town because I kept running into construction and no more houses. Important lesson of the day: the incline of a slope does not indicate the direction of the slope. I was walking up and down hills thinking I was at the north of town. It was raining. My umbrella was turning inside out. The construction workers and old men standing outside were staring at me. People in their cars stared at me as they drove by. I saw several people several times as I walked in circles before I realized that I read the town was situated on the North side of the mountain...which means the South side of the town is on the mountain.

After that things went better. I found where I was on the map. Found the tourism office. They didn't have a map. Silly me. I checked with the cultural center. She gave me a map, slightly less detailed than the other one I had. I asked where the bus was because I was done. I was hungry, wet, and cold and had been wondering around like this for 3-4 hours. I had what I came for. The brochure of Alhaurin el Grande says they're dedicated to getting visitors to come there, but you don't have maps?? weird.

I sat at the bus stop for over an hour waiting for the bus. It was covered. I ate my lunch. My legs and calves hurt from the hills. I asked the guy beside me about my bus ticket. The bus arrived. When I got back, I easily found the electronics store to buy a converter. Cha-ching. They had one. And there was a bus stop that takes me where I need to go right outside the mall, because I saw it on the way to the bus station this morning!

When I got back I was planning on going to the beach. The sun was shining, but I was mad at it for not being here earlier so I stayed in the hostel and did stuff. I'm tired of walking. I have 2-3 blisters on each foot, but I chalked the day up as a success because I accomplished everything I set out to do!

I took some pictures, but like I said. It was raining most of the day so the sky is foggy. But it will still be a gorgeous place to live!