There and back again on a Guagua

For the last several weeks I’ve been traveling and haven’t had access to my computer.  Before I left, I had set my blog to automatically display a new post once a week and have been ignoring my email even though I do have my tablet.  My phone was left back in the states – it’s been bliss.  However, today I was talking to someone and ended up getting invited to use her computer for an hour or two.  Okay fine, I’m going to post a new blog while I can.  Let me tell you about my 2 favorite things thus far on this trip.  #1 – Guaguas (pronounced wawa).  I’ve been in Spain and on this Spanish island I visited they have this great bus system called the Guagua.  Anywhere on the island you wanted to go, well the Guagua would get you there for a relatively small fee.  And I do mean anywhere.  I was told about a rastro in a small town in the mountains.  Great, hop on a Guagua and go.  However, in this case, the ride was a bit on the scary side. The road was only slightly wider than a one lane road and this wasn’t a one lane road.  The bus driver kept honking his horn to let drivers coming the other direction know he was coming so they would stop to let him by.  He scrapped the side of the mountain, the guardrail and the concrete barrier more than once.  Nothing like being an inch from the edge of a cliff for an hour.  Ah, but the rastro was worth it.  And rastros are my other favorite things.  Oh, and what's a rastro you might be asking at this point?  It’s a combination flea market, farmers market, craft show and talent show.  Absolutely wonderful – you can get almost everything there.  I found local cheese made from goat’s milk, salami, bread.  All of which I turned into a delicious sandwich for my lunch.  There was a group dressed in traditional costumes playing traditional music.  I found some great souvenirs, including some unusual clothing.  Yup, lots of fun.  Okay, now then, what do you get when you cross a Guagua and a rastro?  The one thing about this trip I’ve hated – Ryanair.  I found these cheap flights to get between places in Spain, great, more money for other things.  Turns out I should’ve used the money for a better flight.  This airplane lands, everyone is hustled off the plane, all the new passengers are rushed on and the plane takes off again – all in the space of about 20 minutes.  Trust me, the plane wasn’t cleaned, garbage was everywhere.  I was told the bathrooms weren’t working and I would have to wait until we landed in 2 hours (what!?).  I’m not sure anyone had taken the time to do a basic maintenance check or make sure the plane was gassed up.  After takeoff, the crew turned out not to be flight attendants.  Rather they were shop clerks hocking everything from water to perfume – nothing was free.  Given the bathroom situation, it probably was good there weren’t any free drinks.  Yep, this wasn’t an airline – it was a flying bus service with traveling salesmen.  So, word to the wise, if you’re ever in Europe, don’t fly Ryanair.  Well, I must go now, I’m craving a beach and the whole idea of being connecting to the internet again is giving me a rash.  I’ll be home in a few days and will write more then.