We arrived early in the morning from Sitges. Since we need to return the car soon, we braved the morning traffic and raced up among ithe heavy trucks and motorbike dudes. These people started their day early and the pre sunrise vibes were chaotic. I dragged the luggage through the dark alley of this camping ground to make sure we were on time. At the toll booth our car was stuck in the automated lane but you know ,made them realised you are tourist ;blurred and confused, the honking stopped and the bar was eventually raised. Well shit happened and you just continued your journey as planned. Never let little mishaps ruined your day.
The city roads were full of twists and turns, a dedicated bicycle lanes were a nightmare. A good idea but definitely not easy to manoeuvre for car drivers; add to that two little bikes tagged along with their father and you better watch out.
The fascinating thing about this city is the old buildings that survived all this time. Most of them preserved their old traditional design and architecture. Some people just come here only to see them. I joined the crowd looking at this one building ; it was unique but I failed to appreciate the beauty in it.
I hung on to my wallet and got on the metro and the bus. Nothing spectacular just similar to any transportation in any city I went to including our own lrt. So I sat there facing a young guy clinging to his bag as well. This world must be scary to everyone.
This city however rich with beautiful art and design not only for the buildings but everything else like parks, benches, metro, esplanade and such. They took beauty seriously. Cosmetic shops are everywhere and that lured my wife and I as well to find something for souvenirs.
The weather warning was suddenly screaming out of my phone. Apparently the rain is coming but I am from Malaysia that rain is our life so not so alarmed by it. Our rented apartment is on the fifth floor so we can sleep tight tonight. At this point and time weather is very unpredictable but we moved forward and prepare for the rain and cold. I used to live in this kind of weather for quite a while (as a student in UK) so the memories started to feel in the bones. Driving around in wet and cold weather doing groceries and picking up my daughters from school and what not. The days were short and dark skies came even before nightfall. It was a nightmare and this brutal experience stays within me.
By Zuhr the next day ,we packed up and dragged our luggage to the bus station. We will travel north to Toulouse, France.
