Apartment Found

Today I moved into my new shared apartment. It´s quite far from the center, but very close to a metro station (Batan) that gets me there in about 10 minutes. It´s the same metro stop that people use for the amusement park Parque de Atracciones, so the metro is always overrun with families and teenagers. Fortunately, they need to walk underground for a while to get to the park, so there´s very little overflow into the neighborhood.

Checking Out the New Metro Station

The apartment is very basic, with 3 bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and a bathroom. There is only one other roommate, a 23-year-old student from Barcelona named Manuel. He´s very mellow and doesn´t work, so he´s usually closed in his room studying or in the living room watching T.V. on a study break. I´m glad to be living with a native Spanish speaker. I´ve been speaking so much English, and I really need to get into the Spanish stream of thought. I am still looking for a better place, though, and there´s a chance I´ll move in with the American girls I met a couple of weeks ago. At least then I would have a great location in the center and internet access IN MY HOME. I know, radical concept, huh?

So, when I first came to see the apartment, Manuel told me that the neighborhood was really safe and quiet. Strange, because whenever I tell a native resident of Madrid where I live, they tell me that it´s where all the prostitutes troll for tricks. I think (hope?!) that the prostitutes actually work at the next metro stop out - Casa de Campos. I´m sure that all the teenagers and families would interfere with their negotiations, right? Or maybe they hook up some extra kinky deals for them ;-)

Today, I went to the locutorio (a combination copy, phone call, and internet shop) to check my email and try to find free wifi hotspots (again). While I was in the middle of my search, an attractive younger woman sat down next to me and started using the computer. Pardon the vulgarity, but as soon as she sat down, I noticed a really strong odor that smelled a lot like cum. I kept telling my self that it had to be the bleach she used on her clothes or something, but it really just smelled like one thing. Then, a few minutes later, she got a call on her cell phone, and she said in Spanish, "Two guys? No, I only do singles and couples." Hmmm, I guess maybe the prostitutes live in my neighborhood and work in Casa de Campos, with an occasional visit to Parque de Atracciones for amusement...

Anyway, I cannot express how happy I am to finally be able to unpack my bags and have a consistently quiet place to stay for a while. My final hostel stay was last weekend at a place called MAD that was recommended to me by a friend in the U.S. (Thank you Sam!!!) It was the most efficient and well-designed hostel that I´ve ever encountered (not to mention the very cute clientele). When you check in, you receive a bracelet with an electronic key that´s the key to your room and also gives you access to all the public areas. You also use the same key to lock and unlock a locker that comes with your bed, where you can store your valuables. The only problem with the place is that they don´t have single rooms. All rooms have 4 or 6 other people and everyone sleeps bunk beds. The rooms are coed, so there is a fair amount of hooking up going on, as well. They also have a bar and lounge with free internet access available 6 a.m. to 3 a.m (thank you God). The place seems like a really great place to socialize, have a lot of fun, and maybe some hot casual sex, but not really the place to get much rest. It was the perfect way to end a month of living in hostels... still in the throes of some sort of stomach bug, with a constant stream of background noise interrupting my sleep. At least now I truly appreciate my new pad, regardless of the neighborhood activities.