Si, si, todo recto...

What in the world is she saying??!!! I need a dictionary! Fast!

OK.It started off like this.


"Umm, hi, could u please tell me how I cud get to Royal Costa Hotel?", I asked.

"Si, si, todo recto, derecho bla bla bla bla izquierdo", she says with her hands flying up in the air in many directions, in which not even one of it I understood. Honestly, I understood nothing.


Nada.


So repeating my question again, thinking she might have heard me speak Spanish earlier when I asked, I asked the same question in English again. Only this time, she was speed talking and her hands flying even faster.

All I could say.."Ermm, GRACIAS"

She smiled, seeming very pleased that this non speaking Spanish girl said thank you. Well at least one of us understood what the other was saying!

So as a result of the micro-only-two-words Spanish understanding I have, we ended up driving an extra hour, only to find ourselves back at the same place where we asked the lady. And guess what, she was still there, saw us, smiled and put her thumbs up. My reply, thumbs up, dumbfounded and extremely tired. Did I tell you that not only did I not understand a word of Spanish, I also didnt understand how the road system works. I mean, every five minutes there'd be a roundabout with a signboard Torremolinos(the place where I found the hotel eventually), and then just ahead of it, was another signboard saying Torremolinos! So tell me people, which roundabout should I be taking!!!

So once at the hotel, I cried relief because the reception guy could actually speak pleasant-to-the-ears English. I ran for the room, the bathroom, and the BED.

Next day, breakfast. The hotel fees included breakfast and dinner, so we went for breakfast. We went through the food provided, and found out that we couldnt eat any one of it except boiled eggs and bread. Good enough. We're ok. Thats what you get when you go to a secular country.

Speaking about secular, I dont think Spain is secular at all. I dont know if its my eyes, but I cant help but notice that these Spanish people adore my headscarf. Im saying adore just so it sounds nice for my ears. I mean, everytime I walk or pass them in anyway possible, be it crawling, running, jumping, or which ever way, they always seem to stare at my head gear. Its like their mouth opens wide, literally gawping, and they never blink. And considering Spain and its Islamic history, you should think they'd be accustomed to such head gear, but instead its like they've never seen such a thing before. So, just to make myself feel good, and also to bring Islam's cloth of pride to the limelight, I wore different types of head gears with colourful patterns, some patterns being so nice that their eyes bulge out when they see it. Im satisfied. Good Job Alia!

The rest of the days, I spent most of the time staring, not at headgears, but at the beautiful scenery and landscape. God really is an exceptionally good artist. Its like each and every mountain coincides with each other, not a single flaw in the arrangement. Magnificient, Enchanting. Masha Allah.

Spain was great!!!Awesome!