Hitchin' A Ride

It was only 8:00 but I decided I should head back to the hotel in case I had any problems. I was told that the last bus arrives at the hotel at 10:30; with a 7 minute ride I figured I would not have a problem catching a bus. After walking the way I went to the hotel, I realized that was not the route of the bus and had to turn around. I found a bus stop and waited. Three minutes before the bus came, a family drove up and rolled down their window. They said something but all I could really assume and make out is that the bus was not stopping here today. I got that idea from a poster that was hanging up and what sounded like “no autobus ici” (no bus here). I thanked them and began to walk to where I figured the next stop would be. About one minute later, my bus drove past me. To say I was upset, is not even close to correct. I now had 15 minutes to find the next stop and wait.

I found the next stop and some delivery guy on a motorcycle came up to me and said something. He repeated it for me and I still had no idea. He waved his arm and drove off. I figured it was not that important. Five minutes before my new bus should come another car stopped to tell me something. I mean what else am I to assume other than the buses will not stop here, but where? The center of town did NOT have a #6 bus stop, I know because I walked around twice and looked at the bus route map thrice. I gathered that he was offering me a ride and I took him up on it, now that it was about 9:45 at night and getting dark. I got into the car and we began to drive, I realized in the wrong direction and told him where I was going. He had no idea and I pulled out my map. His name was Michel, I am guessing around 40. Nice guy, passed some gas during the trip but he rolled down the window. I told him that I was on vacation in France until December and that I wanted to stay in the center of Aix, but my hotel is far away (okay I did not say all of that, but I wanted to and may have in small bits and pieces). I told him I just ate but did not know the name of the place. He kept talking about eating at Magdaline’s and I had no idea. I got to the hotel, thanked him profusely as now it was very dark and left. (Michel, if you ever happen to come across this and read it, and you understand any of it...merci merci merci beaucoup!!)

I got to the room and was no longer pissed, but happy to be back in the room to end the day. I got an email about having the phone interview for my kibbutz stay and decided to put my Skype phone number that I just bought to work. I called Justin, my sister, Justin…Justin picked up…nothing. I called my sister again but Justin called me back! I picked up…nothing. My sister called me back…nothing! A waste of time. Justin went online and we tried to figure out how to make it work but to no avail. I am worried about Wednesday’s interview and not being able to hear/talk to her. I may need to get a phone – waste of money this Skype thing!

I put on my flip flops, which the bottoms are stained with chicken poop and got some of my items in order for tonight. As I was trying to make sense of the day, I realized that Michel was not saying Magdaline’s (a place I thought was in the center of town) he was saying McDonald’s. I am not sure why, but I just can never make that out when people with accents say it!! Although I was getting nervous about missing the bus, I felt completely safe in the city. Not once did I feel that I was in the wrong part of town, everyone was nice (nobody could speak English, which is good) but the safety thing is awesome. I saw no lavender or places where I could imagine lavender to be, so I will have to look into that in the future. It has been a ridiculously long say and I am so happy for it to be over!!