The ROAD Trip

Not a big deal, we got an upgrade into the European Ultimate Driving Machine. The EUDM was a SEAT Ibiza, a gem of a little four door hatch-back thing. It "comfortably" fit the three of us and our luggage and consumed vary little gas during our trip. We drove over a thousand KM and only had to fill up twice.

All of the things you take for granted EVERDAY when driving in America: one way signs with a big arrow, parking spots, streets wide enough for vehicles, they have now gained my total appreciation and respect.

This is your typical highway signage. The 80 with the red around it is the speed limit, and all the stuff in Spanish is the exit and what highway is associated with that exit, not too bad, right? I actually would agree with that statement. The highways (besides the fact that I was going 140) were actually BETTER than those in the USA. People actually know how to drive on the highways here, it was brilliant! Drivers actually drive in the right lane, and, when wanting to pass someone, they speed up and do it in the left lane. Is that really so hard? There weren't any ignorant, road-hogging truckers or anything! Oh, yeah, that was 140 KM/HR, not miles per hour...

The city´s and parking garages are where the real challenged lied. First of all, there are no street signs. The streets are labled by tiny signs on the buildings on those streets, if there are any, and they are illegible unless you are right up on the street. This made driving/navigating a quite difficult task. To Aaron's credit (the navigator), we only got turned around a couple times. Twice in Madrid, once leaving and once coming back, and when we were coming into Malaga at 12:30 on Thursday night (or Friday morning, either way).

There is a rumor going around that I may have backed into another vehicle, this is completely false. When we were trying to get out of the parking garage at the train station, the butt of a car completely jumped from out of nowhere while I was backing up to get out of the way of a truck that didn't fit in this so called garage. The car that appeared out of thin air may have hit me, I really don't know. That is all I have to say about that (AVIS is on my side, they didn't charge me anything extra after I passed the eyeball check from the car return guy with flying colors).

Web of lies. Me and the EUDM bonded and were practically one on the road. Although he was a little upset with me when I practically broke the front passenger side axle when going down a one-way road the WRONG way. If the guy that was going the right way would have just moved there wouldn't have been a problem. Don't worry, me and EUDM made up and had a moment whenever I dropped him off.

Crazy Spanish Drivers.