“Learn how to live well as a poor man and you’ll be fine during all other times too.” – Old Sean
A Poor Man Visiting Granada
After leaving Seville, I ran into a small hurdle of finances. I hopped on my pre-booked bus to Granada, expecting to spend some time exploring the city, with an eye geared towards visiting the Alhambra.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be.
The reason I’m currently traveling is to finish interviews, photos and storyboards for brochures which will appeal to Chinese tourists. I generally receive monthly funds through direct deposits which contain my reimbursed expenses and actual pay.
Unfortunately, my company is having a lot of trouble moving money at the moment. Due to some financial shuffles regarding Brexit, my company has funneled money odd directions, and it’s arriving late.
Very late.
By the time I finally made it to Granada, I was juggling a few coins and Euros and very little else. I had a credit card and insurance to fall back on, but the only cards I have that are from the US, rather than my old home in China, have steep withdraw rates and rather poor interest.
So I’m stretching out my coins and limiting travel expenses until my funds come through.
Sadly, this meant my time in Granada rotated around “free-access” attractions. The Alhambra was off the table.
An Evening in Granada
Granada is a solidly cool city. Most of the lower streets are filled with Spanish-styled buildings and large park spaces. The Alhambra stands, imposing, Moorish and magnificent on the nearby hills.
Budgeting my money solely for food, I made a point of doing a slow loop through several parks. My hostel’s WIFI wasn’t the best, so I ended up lingering outside a McDonald’s to better email my company to figure out the payment situation.
In the end, I sat on a bench in Parque Federico García Lorca, a leafy area with immaculately trimmed hedges. The sun was sinking in the west, razing the sky a deep and potent orange.
I ended up sitting nearby a rather jacked Canadian man named Jay. We ended up swapping travel stories for a while before wandering off to explore a few portions of town.
We saw the Plaza Romanilla and Plaza de la Trinidad, where we made slow loops through the busy streets, ducking under gradually closing shops. Other streets began coming alive as night fell, the cooler air signaling recreation.
The rest of our evening was spent gradually winding towards the riverside, passing by Fuente de las Granadas and an old stone bridge, Puente Romano. Afterwards, Jay and I went our separate ways. Underfunded and reasonably full, I went back to my hostel to snooze.
Sleep and Elsewhere
The following morning, I was due to explore the vast complexes of the Alhambra.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be. With no funds, I opted to simply sleep in, snoozing until it was time for my next pre-booked bus to Valencia.
Hopefully, sometime today, my travel funds and monthly pay will arrive. But until then, I’m back to traveling on a shoestring.
Wish me luck and random food findings.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written August 9th, 2018
Read more about visiting Granada and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Destination Information
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