Day one recap

I'm currently writing this from the rooftop of our current hotel in downtown Madrid.  From my vantage point in the south of the city I can see almost all that the city has to offer.  The wind is blowing strong and I'm starting to enjoy the city more after my first harrowing day in Europe.

As I boarded my plane at Detroit Metro I just knew there would be a problem with my luggage.  Call it intuition, call it not trusting the French (I flew with Northwest to Paris, then connected using Air France), but my luggage did not arrive.  After talking to the lost luggage people in a foreign language, I really saw how my Spanish skills would be put to the test.  I finally left the airport at 1800 (5 PM) after arrive at 1500 (3 PM) local time with the understanding that my luggage would arrive on the 2030 (8:30 PM) flight coming from Paris.  After paying 20 euro for a shitty salad at my hotel, I hopped back on the shuttle for the airport.  I was told to go to three different places to reclaim my lost luggage, which contained all of my clothing for the next three months.  After getting lost and turned around in the Madrid airport for an hour I finally decided to work up the courage to just sneak back through security to the baggage claim area.  After committing which was most likely a felony, I was told that my luggage would not be arriving until 2220 on a flight from Paris.  I busied my self in the airport by reading a copy of El Mundo (the national Spanish newspaper, think USA Today).  Finally around 2300 (11PM) I was rejoined with my luggage and ventured back to the hotel.  In short, yesterday was a Hell involving airports and trying to describe luggage in a foreign language.  Hopefully this isn't a precursor for the rest of my trip.

So far today has been much better as I joined up with my group around noon.  I awoke at 1000, checked out and caught a cab to my current hotel (I was staying at the airport Hilton before, check Facebook for pictures).  They all seem like good people and one of the other guys is even an Rx Bandits fan.  We went to lunch at a restaraunt called Gingers (no it's not owned by the half human freaks) and now we are back at the hotel.  Since everyone else arrived today, they have not had time to adjust to the time difference and enjoying their first siesta.  

The programs that CIEE (the organizing program) has set up seem really interesting and I can wait to immerse myself in Spanish culture.  Noche Blanco is coming up (all night street festival) so I will be sure to post pictures.  I miss all of you and be good to eachother.