I’m sitting here in Cangas of the Galician region on a sandy golden beach just across from Vigo port. The water is clear, cool, and crisp. I am alone as Jorge went home after we traveled all around Vigo, Ourense, and various little towns looking for his grandfather’s birth city. Im resting. I need it, Im tired, and Im in a cute hostel 50 feet from the water for just $38 bucks a night. Not bad for a private room and bathroom. 

My trigger finger has been a good digit. Funny how it stops twitching when Im not emotionally needing to escape somewhere. But the reality is that my trigger finger has gotten me into trouble. And I haven’t told my accountant yet.

It seems I have spent over 15K since I got here on travel, medication and apartment horror issues. And I’ve definitely gained 15 pounds. I think that means every pound has cost me $1000. What’s wrong with that? Something. And it ain’t good. But the accountant won’t care about my waistline.

So…obviously, some things have to come down; my spending and my weight. Which one can happen faster? Money honey.

And to top it I  have not taken one Spanish class so I can at least learn how to swear about it in Spanish. So…my goal now is to spend under $70 a night on hotels and eat $25 or less on food and see only free stuff wherever I go.I now have 4 months off as of 12 days ago since school is out and school ended May 31st, so I was on a train to Galicia on June 1st.

So  Jorge was with me for a few days to see a couple cities then went home. So im traveling solo which I really like actually. So for this trip, I decided to see a few cities including one with a world heritage site. Lugo. A city with the largest and most intact Roman wall in Roman history. It surrounds the city and you can walk the whole length of it on top. Plus there were to be chariot races there as there was a huge fiesta reenacting the roman games all weekend there which sounded fun.

So I arrived in Lugo on the train. I thought I could walk to the hotel as Jorge had me walking everywhere like him and I thought I could do it too. Well, I discovered Lugo had all hills. I got a half-mile up one hill with my 40 lb backpack in the searing heat and pissed off not one, but both sciatic nerves in my back.

I had to stop and call a taxi to get me to my first stop-the-trigger-finger budget hotel,  which won’t be named here. The hotel looked cool on the net: It was an old monastery turned spa hotel built right by the Roman wall on the river. And it was built over a hot spring hence the spa name. It was a tad over my budget at $75 a night but ok, it was by the wall so I figured I could walk to the old town with ease and nothing else was cheaper when I looked.

Well, it looked ok on the web. Surprise surprise.

The taxi guy drove down this busy road, turned left on an elbow curve at the river and there it was. A three-story old building with a porch and drapes of white cloth on all the windows in honor of the Roman festivities. 

I walked in and there were several elderly folks sitting on the front porch like an old folks’ home. Inside at the front desk, there was a disinterested middle-aged pudgy guy wearing a white toga. He acted annoyed that I bothered him to check-in. Maybe because the robe was too tight around his roman belly. Hmm.. Anyway, after the usual paperwork, he told me that neither the spa or the hot spring was free and that all needed reservations. Really?

This place was built over a hot spring and as a guest, I get charged? I’m not the public off the street. I’m paying my new budget price of $75 a night damn it!

So after checking in I went to my room and saw the first shock: no AC,  the balcony faced the back wall where the trash bins were, not the river as promised. The furniture was beat up with chipped paint and there was a hole in the cabinet where the refrigerator was that I specifically requested to keep my medication in. 

It sucked. Across from my window, there was a building in front of me that faced the river. I could see people in their rooms leaning out their balconies directly opposite me. At least no one was naked. In the grassy area below were people in togas chanting something. Ok, whatever. Maybe it was Spanish for this place sucks leave while you can.

Staying calm I thought ok I’ll ask for another room or someone to bring me a fridge. I walk downstairs and wait patiently for the Toga man to look at me and ask me what I need. Instead he just kept his head down behind the plexiglass barrier oblivious to my presence. I timed how long it would take to see who would speak first, seeing how customer service is not a requirement here.

 After a very long minute, I cleared my throat.  He looked up unsmiling. I noted he had hair that looked like he colored it himself and badly. Maybe he thought his toga wasn’t enough to attract the ladies. 

So I spoke first. UM, I don’t have a room facing the river and there is no fridge in my room I said. Öh we don’t have them he replied and all-balcony rooms are booked. He looked back down at his papers assuming I would go away. I said ¨I have to have a fridge, I have medication¨ blah blah.  He looked up again and said oh you can use the bar. What? Yes, go see the bartender. You can use that fridge. I backed up like are you for real?

I went to the bar and it looked like a nursing home cafeteria. There were scattered old lifeless brown wood chairs and tables and a TV playing Spanish Jack Benny songs. The bartender lady came up to me and I explained the issue. She went to toga guy and came back and said she could store my meds no problem. Will they be stored in the beer or wine fridge? I asked. She just looked at me. I was trying to make light of the situation. She had no sense of humor and then said ¨no hablas English”. Sure honey.

Anyway, I asked can I get to them at night? As I take the drops at night time on a timer. She said oh no ¨we close at 9 pm. Of course with my luck;….in a country of night owls, I stumble on the one bar that isn’t open half the night cause everyone here is just waiting to die.

My temper was getting hot. I was tired and as Jorge has discovered when  chif is hot, tired, and hungry shit won’t fly well. I stayed calm anyway and went outside to see if there was at least a sitting area on the river, anything to make me stay despite the issues.  Nope. Nada.

I then went to find the spa and hot spring area to see if there was anything spectacular enough to make me stay. I walked down a dark hall past toga man looking for it.  Around the corner near the elevator, I saw two younger ladies in togas at the entrance to the spa who turned and looked at me with disdain. That was it. I had enough.

 As usual, no customer service which after nearly a year here I’m used to but, not today in this hot dark nursing home called a hotel spa. Not today. Stick a fork in me I was done.

I turned, checked my phone, and googled hotels in the area. I called one and asked if they had a room and a fridge. Yup, 7 minutes away by car. And cheaper; only $50 a night. 

So I did what I’ve never done before: I walked to toga guy and said I’m sorry but your advertisement didn’t match the reservation. I can’t stay here and I won’t give the bartender my medication unless I get free wine. Just joking, but not really.

He looked at me over his reading glasses and said what?

In slow English and Spanish, I said it again. No quiero quedada aqui. I’m NOT STAYING HERE.

He shrugged his shoulders. No, I’m sorry, can I help you, nothing…..

Ok. I said no charge right? He said no charge.  I had booked through booking.com, so I wondered if I’d get hit with the $150 for the two nights. But I was prepared for a fight because the reservation promised did not match and I was in the right. I was sure of it. But he never fought me on it. I think he was glad to see me go. One less piece of paper he might have to staple between lack of caring and not giving a shit. 

He asked did you leave the room already? No Im carrying my 40-pound backpack for fun I wanted to snap.

I turned, hoisted my backpack up, and walked out. The elders on the porch all turned at once and watched me leave like ẅhoś grandmother belongs to her? look

.

I left the old folks home, sat on the bench by the parking lot and called a taxi. The next hotel was outside the town in a residential area but was clean, newer, and air-conditioned with a fridge and a free heated pool. When I walked in the receptionist smiled and greeted me with hola.  Well, there you go; greeted like a paying customer not someone with a rash.

As it turned out, there was a 65-cent bus just outside to get me to the town and the Roman wall too, so I had a way and was still within my budget. Woohoo score.

Anyway so much for my first ẗravel on a budget schedule. But sometimes pictures lie. It was too good to be true. And it was too bad too, they were in a great location by the Roman wall and the river. But if I’m not getting my meds with free beer then it’s time to go. 

Toga or no toga

When in Rome…… well play that by ear.

Somewhere in Spain