Till now, I was making use of the content found on Internet, and was thinking from a long time to contribute back to it. Finally Here, I would like to share my various experiences.
Firstly I would like to write about our recent trip to Spain- Andalucia.
Always be attentive through out your trip in Spain to take care of your belongings and never ever leave any valuables inside the locked car!
We were very excited about our Spain trip, which we planned and booked everything just around 1week before.The best way to book flights is by using Google flights, as it shows the cheapest flights available to various destinations.
We packed and started at around 8 am in the morning to take our flight at 10.30 to Zurich. As they were low lost airlines, allowing only hand luggage, we got 2 tickets for the higher fare so that we can check-in 2 suitcases.
We then took a flight to Malaga from Zurich with about 50min in between and landed in Malaga at 3.30 in the afternoon.
As, we already booked a car – “RecordGo”, we took the car in the airport for our entire trip. We even carried car seat for our six year old son. Then we drove to the Hotel “NaturSun” in Torremolinos,which was just 15 min away from the airport. We were very excited to see the Mediterranean Sea view from our hotel room. Just got fresh up and went for a walk to the Beach through the town-center. It was very pleasant walk. Just got into a shop and found a Bangladesi and he was very happy to see us and told us the summer would be very nice time to visit the place as there would be lot of tourists and there are some festivals celebrated by Hindus in some temples nearby. The way leading to the beach was totally decorated with lights and variety of shops. We went to a store called “Deals” and got the ear- covers(head –phones shape) which we used throughout the trip to protect ears from cold. We saw a Nepali – Khatmandu Indian Restaurant and had our dinner.Could eat Samosa, Alu paratha even in Spain.
After dinner, went down the road, lot of steps leading to the beach and walked along it and then finally came back to the hotel.
Very eager to start our trip, got ready, packed up and had breakfast at the hotel and started our journey to Tarifa. On the way, we first stopped at Mihas, a small town on hills. The route was very beautiful. We went around the town for some time and then got into a lady driven “Tuc- Tuk”, some thing like our van, which was a 30min guided trip for 28 euro taking us around the town and showing bull ring and the top most point to which vehicle can go. After the trip, we started our journey again and we stopped at Marbella beach at the Marbella beach restaurant. It was very very pleasant without any tourists and very beautiful dock!! Took some snaps, spent some time and started again to Tarifa. After almost 24 hrs of taking the car, our son realized that the Car has a sun roof!!. Reached Tarifa in the evening around 5.As the hotel was a apartment type, had stove and microwave, we had tortillas with dal makhani!!After dinner, went around the village. It was a nice evening. We could see the tradition of arranging JESUS's birth place – stable with palm tree leafs in front of every one’s house. We could see the port there and as it was off season, couldn’t go for “whale- watching”.
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Already 3rd day of the trip..:-)
We started from Tarifa to Sevilla. On the way, stopped at “Valdevaqueros” The beach again. Never felt bored just seeing the beach again and again without getting drenched, kids were waiting for their turn to get wet, which we kept to the last halt, to get wet, to play with beach sets etc. My son accidentally fell down into the water, while trying to escape from wave, running backward and so changed his dress after going to the car. Then immediately stopped at a near by place, where they were collecting all the sand coming from the Sea. Could spot “Morocco” from there, as Tarifa was the tip of Spain. Reached Hotel “Dona Blanca” in Sevilla by evening. We parked the car in the parking platz, next to the hotel for which we paid 42 Euro for 1 and ½ day parking. So, just be aware of high parking costs all over Spain.
Got freshened up and then went out to look the new place. Went till the center and as there was a stall carrying out craft work by children, our kids too did some coloring and helped them making the craft and they were placed around the “Krippe”, - the so called Jesus birth place setting in the city center. Felt proud seeing them!. Spotted Jaipur Restaurant and thus had our dinner there, though thought of going to hotel Tajmahal, but as it was far away, went to Hotel Jaipur.Ate very tasty naans, alu parata, samosa, pakodi, gulab jaamoon, kulfi!!! These doesn’t sound like we are in Spain.! Got a Flamenco(The famous dance from Spain) frock for my daughter.
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We were ready for a free guided walking tour after breakfast at 10. The guide took us all over. We saw – Plaza de Espana, where some film shooting was going on,Torre del Oro, Seville Cathedral, La Giralda. The guide initially said that “free guided walking tour” doesn’t mean it is for free, it is up to us to pay as much as we want..:-), so paid him 20Euro.Had lunch in "The Great Burger" and "Dunkin Donuts" and went to Alcazar of Seville, another guided tour to the Muslim fort built around 16th century. At around 5 in the evening, my sister made a conference call with my mother to my husband's phone to share the news about my brother's baby boy birth. Finally!, as they tried calling me from afternoon.And after that,later in the evening went for a walk on Metropol Parasol, from where we could see the entire Sevilla. The ticket was 3 Euro per adult to go on to the top for the walk and it included a free post card and a free drink, which was definitely worth. As we walked more than 17000 steps that day, my son was very tired and had no energy to go to any other hotel, other than Jaipur Hotel, which was just next to the Metropol Parasol., from which we even could smell some Indian cuisine :-). Returned back to hotel.Later felt excited seeings all those places in the movie "Akhil".
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Started our journey to Granada via Ronda. Beautiful site-seeing locations, Spent around 3 hrs , had pizza for lunch and started to Granada. Reached hotel in the evening. Had dinner in a French vegetarian hotel Allaurel. Ordered 1 drink, as wanted to taste the so called Spanish special “Tapas”, which the lady said, would be given as free only with a drink. It was just boiled carrot kept in small heaps. And as per her recommendation, ordered 1 vegetable burger, ricotta, and kebab sticks with soya and other grilled vegetables. She even gave some complimentary dark chocolates as tapas desert. :-)
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Had B’fast at hotel paying 3euro per person and went to Alhambra taking a taxi. It was pretty cheap, as it costed only 7-8 euros. As we took the tickets already through internet, we paid 12 euros, 6 each for 2 audio guides and we wanted both the kids to listen to those audio commentary and learn some thing. Later almost before ending the tour, our son realized that as the device was a “mi” phone, instead of connecting the earpiece and a single person listening to it, which was very tiring actually, we could have removed the earphones and just heard that audio directly from the phone, which could have saved 6Euro :-).
Granada is known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra. This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty,as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens.Spent till afternoon and came back by taxi to the hotel. My daughter was unwell from morning, later realized that she even had fever, but she cooperated without troubling us. Gave her medicine, took some rest, relaxed for a while and later went to the center. Got lot of nice soveneirs. And then to the Indian restaurant “Mughal” this time.Later realized that the person working there was from Pakisthan. Met a family from India over there. Was quite impressed seeing them as he was a shoe-business man and his wife was fitness trainer, none of them being from software, planned their own trip with a teenage daughter and they were making a 16 day round trip from Madrid covering entire Spain.
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Never knew then that this day would be the worst day of our trip!!
As almost the trip was coming to an end, we were pretty tired and relaxed and started to complete our round trip by coming back to Malaga, this time BenalMadena. On the way first, we wanted to go to Nerja beach, but we missed it and had to fill the petrol, so after filling it up, we went back and stopped at Nerja beach, parking our car on a main road, public car parking and went to the beach -10min walk, spent some time, had lunch – pizza at a restaurant near beach. My husband went to car and even got Water in between. We ordered 2 veg pizzas without mushrooms. And the lady took good enough time and bought 1 pizza with and 1 without mushrooms. We were shocked, and my husband said, it is ok, I will eat removing those and you people eat the other. Kids then came into form., She said..”Dad, it is ok if it is a guided tour, it will be for a limited time, don’t let others command you, it will become, guided life, which will be for unlimited time”, :-).As they went and told the lady, took the pizza off and got other one without mushrooms. Had pizza and as the free wifi speed was good, sent some 30 pics to family group and then came back to our car!. My husband said, the handle has come out when he tried to open, I thought he pulled it out strongly as the side handle was already open(steel was visible) when we took the car for rent., I foolishly tried to fix that though this time we took full insurance for the car. When I was trying to fix that, there was a small beep beep sound coming in, anyway as it was getting late, My husband said we could fix that after going to the hotel.
Then we went to Malaga Alcazaba, parked our car in the underground basement parking, went around the palace and then to the Cathedral and came back and took our way to Benalmadena.
After reaching the 4* hotel about which kids were excited about the pool and the beach, my husband went and confirmed about the reservation and enquired about the car parking. He came back, while we three were still sitting inside the car, he opened the trunk to take off the luggage and then he said “where are the other suitcases?”, we all were shocked and got down and realized that 1 big suitcase and 1 small suitcase were not there. Just for a second, was blank and later realized about all the valuables packed in the suitcases. I along with the kids started crying even and my legs were shivering too!!. We immediately realized that something happened in Nerja beach and because of that incident, the car remote key is not recognized properly after that, as it took some time to open/close using the key and after starting the car it said – “Unrecognized key”. Went and told the people in reception, they gave the police station address and thus immediately went over there. But unfortunately there was only 1 police man and he was not knowing English, he just gave us a phone number to which we can call and complain in English, that number was continuously engaged and we could not talk, so came back to the Hotel and told them about it. Helplessly ate dinner and slept. Kids were very scared, My daughter asked my son to hold the phone and he was holding it while sleeping, when I asked him why, he was saying that it might even go..:-(
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Kids were very upset as much as we were. As their Swimming dresses, rings, goggles, beach sets etc.. all were gone. Finally the receptionist was able to connect to the Police complain number- English and my husband explained everything. After that, they asked us to go the local police station to sign the FIR, as the police to whom we talked was from Madrid. As even I wanted to accompany him to the police station and then to the rental car company at the airport , left kids at the Hotel – kids play area, giving them the room keys and my cell phone. Left my daughter alone in the room as she was in the restroom, she took bath and weared the same clothes as before-thermal pant and a full hand shirt. As all the unused clothes were there in the lost suitcase, none of us had any good clothes. So washed 1 round of clothes using washing machine and kept them in dryer taking the tokens from Reception. My daughter managed her brother when he wanted to go to restroom and take bath. We had to wait for some time in the police station and after signing it, went to rental car company at airport. They were very cool and offered us a replacement car and the key problem never occurred after reaching there, I felt there is some thing fishy over there. Having no other option returned back. Took all the clothes from dryer and as they got wet because they were left inside that for a long time, dried them up again in the balcony and later inside the room with temperature set around 30deg and finally ironed few of them. Had lunch and went to the beach for some time and came back to the Hotel. At 7.30pm went to Kids disco, later dinner and slept off!
Spain being making economy mostly on tourism, expected a better support from the Police.It was very hard to get the complaint registered. We had to sign the FIR written in spanish without even understanding what was written over there.Felt miserable!
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With half the luggage missing, very much disappointed to pack back.! Had breakfast and packed every thing and started at 12.30 to the airport. Returned the car and checked in the luggage. In the first flight, my son suddenly vomited may be because of some food poison, his father sitting next to him, cleaned up the mess in the seat, down etc, and I changed his clothes, as luckily the clothes which I washed, dryed and ironed the day before were there along with us in a cabin suitcase. He then vomited again and again and he became totally sick. He was having stomach pain and was not even able to walk, unfortunately we couldn’t even get wheel chair as they said that it would require 40min to come and we had to catch up our connecting flight. Some how he managed to walk. The next flight we were all ready with the vomiting covers and even then he vomited 1-2 times and he was almost sleeping. After getting down, he had no energy to walk and he was sitting on the escalator, and finally on the baggage trolley. My daughter was equally tired and seeing him, even she sat on the baggage trolley. After coming near the taxi, realized that her new skirt was torn because of the trolley.
Finally came back to our third Home !!. My son took bath and barely ate something and slept off. He was much better the next morning.
Lost most of the souvenirs, our much valuable items both cost vise and of sentimental values but got a FIR from Spain.
Here ends our trip, but we all are still waiting for some one from Spain to call us saying that our suitcases are found!!
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