h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

No school holidays in June, az.

Jez - who is thinking, maybe next year

No - the school holidays over here start half way through July..

Unless you're in Scotland - where they start in the last week of June.

Are we really going to need a taxi from the airport? Can we do it by train instead?

There don't seem to be any trains into the city - but there are buses.

http://www.andalucia.com/travel/airports/seville.htm

Train? Um, no. Well, that's because there is no train from the airport.

Taxi. If there's not too much luggage then you and B can probably share a taxi with the Teuchters to the centre.

Seems like the easiest and cheapest option.


az

I guess the taxi is only marginally more expensive between 4 of us. I'm really struggling not to be a backpacker here. Taking a taxi goes against all of my insticts -needless to say I won't have more than I can carry - because I never travel with more than I can carry.

I've just had a look at the map and Santa Justa Bus station seems like a fair hike away from El Arenal/Santa Cruz.

If I decide to wear silly shoes, rather than pack them - a taxi will be the best option for me personally.

I like the idea of getting into town fairly quickly and dumping stuff in the hotel, putting on my sensible shoes and then doing some walking around.

But we can agree to differ, do our own thang - and still be friends

Well, I vote for a taxi! My favourite line from Tombstone is when Wyatt Earp's girlfriend answers the question "What do you want out of life?" with the two word answer: "Room service"! So a taxi it is for me.

Az, it'd be lovely to meet with you at the Teuchter's hotel, but if it turns out you're busy at that time, then no harm done. I confess by then I'll be longing to get rid of my luggage and, like Z, I don't need any particular entertaining. In fact I plan to chill out for the few days I'm there, and probably delegate a lot of the sight-seeing too, so long as there's a cafe with umbrellas where I can sit outside and watch the world go by.

Ben

Okay, whatever you like.


az

I appreciate that.

Life has been a bit - um - tricky recently, and to be honest, if it wasn't a trip with friends I'd have ignored the sunk cost and skipped it altogether. At the moment I am sleeping 14 hours a day, so I really am not up to sight-seeing, no matter how fantabulous the sights. But since it is so much nicer to sleep in the sun, and since it IS a trip with friends, I am looking forward to it.

As I said - I appreciate the flexibility.

Ben

Well, frankly, it was only about meeting people at the hotel, not anything else terribly *structured*.

Anyhow, we can just leave the info stuff at the pensión and hotel - then everyone can just do whatever they like without feeling pressured.


az

It's always difficult to know how much to organise and how much not to organise. When I had my 40th birthday, I arranged a trip to an open farm on the Sunday, to give people something else to do the day after than just go home. (It had a very cool satanic-looking goat, which is an odd thing to see when you're hungover).

Some people joined in and some people didn't, and I really wasn't sure if I'd got the balance right or not. On balance I think I did. I had thought of arraning something to do on the Saturday before the party and was glad that I hadn't in the end.

I do think that you and Noggin are being heroic in the amount of effort you are putting in for what boils down to a bunch of strangers and internet wierdos.

Ben

What's the problem, Z?

Logistically the easiest solution is for the four of you to share a taxi to Teuchter's hotel, and for you and Ben to walk to the pensión from there (it's the same distance as from where the airport bus stops), but if you'd rather be independent az and I don't have to meet you at the hotel to show you the way.

I'm sure you can find your own way about, particularly with the help of the info that az went to a lot of time and trouble to prepare for you. Not heroic; just thoughtful and considerate.

Anyhow, you all have our phone number if you want to get in touch.

Noggin

As I said, Noggin, it would be lovely for you to meet us at the hotel and walk us to the pension. Heroic / thoughtful / considerate - absolutely. Az is all of those things, and has been a pattern of hospitality throughout all the preparations for this trip. It's hard to know how say nice things when the nice things I say are contradicted, but I haven't said anything here that I have not genuinely thought.

As I've also said - we really do appreciate the warmth of the welcome.

I'm aware that I may be giving out mixes messages, so I've been more open than I would otherwise be about the reason why I'm not as bouncy as I normally am about such things. I'm not as bouncy generally, and that's the long and the short of it.

Ben

for Ben. Hope the break in the sun does you good.

Az, how very efficient of you! I love to have maps and stuff to get my bearings, so that is very much appreciated.

We're in Malaga on the Wednesday night, so aiming for a train sometime in the afternoon of Thursday - sorry can't be more precise about a time, but I'll email you my mobile number so we can keep in touch. Happy to take a taxi from the station.

Dai and I are both looking forward enormously to the trip - it's been a hectic couple of weeks what with sickness and other family pressures, so we're aiming for some chill-out time

right back, Lucky. It's been too long since I've seen you and it sounds like you guys have been through the mill a bit too.

B

I'm awfully sorry if I came across as not wanting help. We're both very very grateful for it.

I was aware that this week was really busy for you work-wise and I didn't want you to feel that you *had* to help us. I was worried that our presence would put too much stress on you with the website launch coming up. I do remember you said that you were working that morning y'see and didn't want you to feel that you had to leave early or something.

Re-reading my posts I do come across as being in a real grump! I certainly didn't mean to be grumpy when I was typing it.

This is first time I've been abroad without being a student backpacker type. I'm so used to travelling on a budget that it's become an reflex... and things like getting taxis really go against that. Even though there's really only a few Euros in it...

I'm looking forward to going and we'll be awfully grateful for all your help and realy looking foward to meeting.

<>

Yes, mixed messages is what we've been getting. As I said, you have our phone number.

Noggin

Well, the Teuchters, or Z or I'll call you when we arrive, as already promised, and we'll see you then.

B