If the State Department had a Dont Let This Happen to You section, my first international trip as an adult would have been the top entry in the Travel Follies category.Or maybe I could have sold the story to I Love Lucy.I went to Spain with Mary and Gerry, two college friends who spent six months and a year there, respectively, so I didnt feel the need to learn any Spanish or do any prepwork, which was a big mistake i didnt get to know any of the nice people we met but not the biggest.That was when I didnt write down the name and address of our hotel in Barcelona immediately on arrival.Gerry stayed with a local family at the previous stop so it was just Mary and me at that point.
We dropped off our bags and went exploring.Somehow we got separated.Ill never forget my panic.
Nor will I forget the expression on Marys face when she finally spotted me.I felt so terrible I apologized to her againthirty years later.Uh ohBut I redeemed myself the last few days of the trip, in Madrid.The hotel asked us to surrender our passports.
A few days before we had to leave, we asked for them.The Day Manager said the Night Manager had them.The Night Manager said the Day Manager had them.
Two days before our charter flight, they admitted they didnt have them anymore.We did a whirlwind tour of the American Embassy, a photo studio and finally the police station.The lady there told us to come back the next day Sunday to pick them up.That was when our charter flight was skedded to leave and we were running out of money (we didnt have credit cards).We went back to the police station and the cop there told us there was a mixup and to come back Monday.Mary pushed back and the cop wasnt budging on the schedule, apparently.
Mary relayed this to me in the cops office.And I thought If this guy is going to cause this catastrophe, hes going to feel bad about it.And I burst into tears.
Loud, heaving, sobbing, gasping tears that would have made Lucy McGillicuddy Ricardo proud.The cop got flustered, said he would see what he could do and to come back in an hour.He escorted us to the door and watched us leave.His office was at the end of a very long hallway lined with doors.
And as we walked to the exit with me sobbing all the way every single door opened and an officer saw these two pretty American girls, with one sobbing her heart out.Each of them turned to look at the officer who apparently made them so upset.Viva Espana!We went back an hour later and got our passports.I said the only Spanish I uttered during the entire trip Viva Espana.
We got to the flight just in time.During our trip we saw every fountain in Madrid, saw Gaudis trippy architecture and went to the Alhambra but Ill never forget the thrills, spills and chills of those last few days.YOUR TURNBut thats me.What was your most memorable travel experience? Share it in the comments!Virge Randall is Senior Planets Managing Editor.
She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers and blogs about New York City life.Send your Open Thread suggestions to [email protected].
Disclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Senior Savings Deals.
Publisher: Senior Planet ( Read More )
Publisher: Senior Planet ( Read More )
