Antonio woke me up at 3:45 from my sleep on the balcony of the hotel. I had 15 minutes to pack my bag and quickly exit the room. Everyone from the group was downstairs, groggy from lack of sleep. We were handed white lunch boxes with some bread and juice and told to put our bags on the bus. Leaving the hotel to the Cairo airport, we were given directions of how to make it thorugh secuirty and get to our flight on time.
The security at the airport wasn't that strict, just annoying as there were two distinct checkpoints. I checked in my big green backpack and then went with the group to sit down in the cafe. Melissa and I spoke with the couple from Peru who were waiting by the gate.
We were supposed to board the plane, but it was delayed a half an hour as there was something wrong with the electronics. On the flight back to Barcelona, I mostly slept, waking up for a mediocre breakfast. The landing was a little rocky, but like that we had made it safely back to Barcelona.
We passed through Spanish security and picked up our bags very quickly with the exception of Jennifer. She had lost her passport somewhere between Egypt and Spain. I called Alex and Vanessa and coordinated to meet up with them later. We waited in the airport as Jenny tried to find her passport. Antonio and Chupi hadn't bought return tickets back to Granada and after looking at the expensive airline tickets during Semana Santa, they decided to take the cheaper but tedious 12 hour bus back.
I went with the group to the train station where we would be parting ways. It was a tough saying goodbye to everyone especially after such an unbelievable trip. Veronica and Melissa would be spending the night in Barcelona and heading to Milan the next day to begin a second week long trip through Italy (crazy) and Jenny, Antonio and Chupi would be heading back to Granada on the bus. I would be spending the evening withe Alex and Vanessa and then trying to find a flight back to Granada tomorrow. I gave everyone a big hug and left the train station looking for a taxi. I was sad to leave such an incredible trip behind, but happy to return to Spain and continue with my year abroad.
The taxi ride took a long route through sunny Barcelona. It was a culture shock to be in a country that had traffic laws. The mere fact that this taxi had seat belts was a huge difference from Cairo.
Arriving at the guest apartment/office, I was greeted by Alex and Vanessa who were busy at work. I got settled into my little guest room and ate some food that they had saved for me for lunch. I was feeling tired and sick. I talked to Vanessa while checking my email and buying an airline ticket to return home the next day. I then took a much needed siesta.
At 7:30 Vanessa woke me up to go to martial arts training. Just recently completed since my last visit to Barcelona the month before, Alex's dojo was incredible. Decorated with all of his photos and artifacts from Japan, the dojo had a great feel. Open and spacious, the dojo could be converted to give lectures and classes. He had had the tatami mats shipped over form Japan. I borrowed one of Alex's suits and used it for training. I am always rusty, considering I don't train in Granada, and feeling a little sick didn't help. Still, I managed to do OK.
Training lasted until 10:00pm. Alex and Vanessa drove me back to their house for a quick dinner. They have been so kind to me this whole year. Alex drove me back to the guest apartment after dinner. He told me to study hard and get ready for more trips. I went upstairs to the piso and immediately fell asleep.
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