The Process of Departure

 I looked out the window at a Ryanair plane and wondered why everything looked so dark, briefly thinking the windows were shaded.  But no, it is still night. I was rushing at the end to get out of the hotel, repacking, etc, to get to airport on time (how many flights have I managed to miss vs how many trips I've ever taken?  Let's just say the percentage is high.) I'd set an alarm for 1:30 am, and then of course didn't want to get up.  But once I got here, the people I encountered were very awake, and the line moved slow, so somehow t forgot it was the middle of the night.

Walking to the gate, once past check-in of course, I heard snoring, and continued to pass all the sleeping travelers, passed out in corners or making use of the closed eating areas to camp out. It's very quiet. Everything is shut.

The hotel was about a five minute cab ride from the airport. 20 Euros.  That hour-long ride to Leon was a steal in retrospect, considering he had to drive the hour back; it was 100 Euros.  A woman with a bike told me she paid a similar amount when she hurt her foot, and needed to transport self and bike.

The neighborhood was interesting, reminded me more of Latin America than Europe. I wouldn't think it was Madrid. I went for a walk in the heat. I was looking for a cafe or grocery store, there was actually a huge grocery store next to hotel, but I didn't see it because I went in the other direction.  What I did encounter was a weird sound coming from the trees.  An almost metallic chirp; I think it was some sorta insect, do they have cicadas here?  The few I caught a glimpse of looked like mutant crickets.  They blended in with the bark and were hard to see.

Later I walked toward a park, stopped at a cafe.  More birds than flies, the birds were landing on people, I think many were fledglings. They were panting in the heat.  Under the covered terrace water would spray down periodically to help cool things down, and I think they liked that, too.  In the park there was a small flock of green parrots.

It's a quiet area. Reminds me of visiting my grandma in El Paso: location, landscape, heat, and quality of light.

This was the first hotel I stayed in that was staffed 24 hours.  Also, had a restaurant (where I forced myself to get up and go eat at around 10:30 last night), offered laundry service, room service, especially if you are feeling sick, and had taxis waiting outside 24/7.  Also, pretty wide clientele, now that I'm off the Camino circuit (though plenty of peregrinos, too. My cab driver to the airport asked me about it, since I had a backpack.) I think it was less expensive than where I stayed in Santiago.  That was nice enough, though the bathroom wasn't particularly clean. It was a good location, mix of hotels and locals, just outside the historic area.

The room was remarkably cold. Outside the temp said 45, but that was in the direct sun, I think it was only high 90's...arrive and leave in a heatwave.