First Day in Spain

Today is my first official day in Spain, but I will backtrack a few days.  Two days before my flight was supposed to leave I got a phone call saying my flight from Madrid to Seville was going to be cancelled due to a national strike that was going to be held in Spain.  Mom called Iberia and we were told that I could get a flight on the following day (which would have been this morning) and as we were figuring out the hotel situation, Iberia hung up on us!  The next day my mom called back and had a much nicer man help and I was going to be able to get on a flight to Seville on my original day, just in the evening. 

Both of my flights went well and on my long flight over from Chicago I had an aisle seat and no one was sitting next to me so that was even better, although I didn't really sleep that much.  My flight arrived in Madrid around eight and my next flight didn't leave until eight so I had a long time to wait.  The flight to Seville was a short one, only around an hour and it went by pretty fast since I was so tired.  I took a taxi to my hostel becaue I thought it would be easiest even though cars can't come down the street my hostel is on so I was dropped off a street or so down from it.  I probably looked funny dragging this large suitcase on the cobblestone streets, but a large suitcase was necessary.  It's extremely hard trying to pack eight months worth of things into one suitcase!  My hostel itself is a little outside the city center and the room is pretty small.  There are six beds and not much room for anything else!  I did meet two other girls who are auxiliares (people in the same program I am) who are very nice and they will be living in Sevilla. 

Today my goal was figuring out how I need to get to my school tomorrow.  I went to one of the bus stations with the two girls I met and found out I needed to go to the other station which is basically across town.  I got lost (my navigation skills aren't up to par with Jill's) and eventually found my way after walking across the town in the hot heat.  My town is rather small and I know what direction it is in from Sevilla so I went up to one of the counters and asked a lady if a bus went to Sevilla.  Either she didn't understand me or didn't have any idea where that was because she sent me to the information desk.  The lady there was somewhat helpful.  I did find out a bus went there at seven something in the morning.  I could hardly understand her and then I was dismissed.  I came back to the hostel and figured out that the bus leaves at 7:15 and gets to El Cuervo at 7:50 while the bus that goes back to Sevilla arrives in El Cuervo at 11:20.  That's not a whole lot of time and I'm not sure how long I'll need to be at my school and since it doesn't look like another bus goes to Sevilla from El Cuervo, I guess I'll have to figure something else out if I can't make that. 

I've been e-mailing someone who works at my school and I think I am going to leave my hostel early and go to Jerez de la Frontera, the city I plan on living in, on Saturday.  The girl and her friend are supposed to pick me up from the train station and then I can stay with a friend she knows until I find my own place.  My orientation is going to be in Sevilla, but I'll just take a train or bus on that day.  Hopefully I get to and from my school rather easily tomorrow and I hope I'll be able to find it!