Walking the Spanish El Camino De Santiago: Part 3

Off the plane and on the train.

We were in the airport terminal at 9:25 and my box came through the plastic flaps at 10:00. With backpack on and box in hand, I made my way through the crowd and waited in line for my turn to get a taxi. The driver didn't speak English but my Spanish got us, 35 euros later, to the train station. Some time later James told me it cost him 15 euro for the taxi from plane to train.

We wound our way through the freeway traffic to Atocha station. The same station where the terrorists set off the bombs. This was all new and somewhat confusing but it was also an adventure. At the information booth the girl spoke some English and with my, some, Spanish we managed to get me headed in the right direction to catch a train to Pamplona.

I bought a 6 euro phone card and tried to contact James to no avail. A lady came up and when I couldn't get the phone to work she tried. It didn't work for her either and she tried to see if the old, bang it down a couple of times on the hanger-upper part, would work. Apparently it didn't and didn't on the next 2 phones either. I was afraid to try for fear someone would come along and arrest me or something. My objective was the Camino, not the cooler.

I'd changed dollars to euros in Atlanta but with 35 euro for the taxi, 46.50 euro for the train and 6 euro for a phone card that didn't work, the stash was already getting low. I could have put the train ticket on the visa card but hadn't thought about it.

Total immersion in order to learn a language seems to be the best way for me, if I have a few of the more often used words beforehand. Es dificil cuando ud. habla pocito Espanol and los otros no hablan Ingles. Nosotros salidamos Astocha a 14;10 Y llegado a Pamplona a 17:38. I was glad I knew enough Spanish to at least get me por la puerta.