So my intention was to head straight to Madrid in order to catch an interconnecting bus to Toulouse and spend the weekend there. Once in Toulouse i would be staying with french friends whom i met up with in Barcelona. Ofcourse I did not factor in that the French would be consumed in their upcoming Presedential elections all weekend. This translates into my friend Steff being unable to take me in for the weekend as she intended to visit her parents when casting her vote. Instead I found myself referred to another Frenchie for boarding and lodging in Madrid for the next few days.
I spent that time mostly recuperating and eating home cooked meals which proved to be an incredibly diverse distraction at times, when the dinner guests included a Dutch girl, Frenchman, Spaniard and myself. The quiet routine was broken again when I felt the urge to rush around Madrid to see some sights on my last day. There was one Spanish delicacy I had seen everywhere and had every intention of trying before I left - Chocolate con churros. You can get churros at your local Vida E, though not entirely authentic, but you would have an extremely difficult time tracking down the thick dark chocolate with which to dip.
The event was made even more delightful when a elderly french canadian man introduced himself and started a stimulating discussion about french, local and South African politics. Undoubtedly a keen intelectual, he seemed to have an informed perception of the conditions in South Africa and was very curious about its uncertain future as an emerging democracy. I remarked that South Africans seem more likely to have forgotten their past than come to terms with it and he drew a comparison with the forced amnesia in Ancient Athens after years of warefare with Sparta. Any mention of the previous conditions was punishable by death. Ofcourse nothing neqrly as extreme exists back home but it seems to me that while South Africa is progressive, at times it is diseased with a momentous optimism despite its obvious socio-economic problems, and that only the future would reveal whether this is a strength or weakness.
I then made my way to secure my bus ticket booking for later that evening only to be informed that there would be no Sunday bus this Sunday. I have been travelling for two weeks now and even in that short period of time one quickly becomes adjusted to the realities of travelling. Some things won't go your way but don't waste your time feeling disheartened because even blunders present oppurtunity and other things may exceed your expectations. With that I spent the evening walking through a Park with a friend I met on my previous stay in Madrid as the sun only sets at around 10pm. He was a civil engineer aiming to specialise in Sustaniable development in order to pursue his interest in the environment.
We struck an unusual point of mutual interest when he informed me that his mother was a Sai Baba devotee and as a result they had made many trips to his Asharam in Putthapahti in India. My family has at times followed the teachings of Sai Baba who is a renowned miracle man in India with a masive global following. In fact as it turns outh our families were there at the same time for Baba's 70th birthday celebrations. His most recent trip to India was in 2002 at which time his family was granted a much coveted interview with the holy man. He described the sensations, materialisations and Baba's ability to read your mind. So it was that we spent the evening discussing our mutual spiritual experiences and ideas about the world and its future. Later I wold ponder on the conversation and realise it had left me feeling more positive and energised and effectively confirmed my theory that mishaps can often turn into miracles if you are open to them.
