My Spanish airport mission

The Airport Mission

I should expand a little on my experience at Madrid airport, because I find it quite funny and it is a perfect example of being in Spain.

So after I was interviewed in Porto airport by Timeout Porto (random) I jumped onto my (late) flight to Madrid and when I get there, I see two signs pointing opposite directions to baggage claim. I choose right. Walking almost 10 minutes with my somewhat heavy hand luggage (I had to take some weight off my backpack for it to be checked in), I come out to a cafeteria area. No baggage.

Scratching my head, I turn back and finally figure that it's downstairs. Baggage claim. Empty. Had it been windy down there I would've seen a hay bail. I try to explain to the lone staffer down there I'd just come from Porto and needed my baggage. He points to follow these other guys out and says '1' - I realise I've walked almost to Terminal 3 and it's back at Terminal 1. Where is the signage?? For fuck's sake.

I walk back to T1 and when I get there, I see everyone from my flight coming out from arrivals - the guy downstairs had sent me to collect my friend from a flight and I was stuck outside, with my luggage inside. Great. The lost & found lady says I need to knock on the door next to arrivals but I get no answer. Luckily, being useless in one area usually means you're useless in others, so I was able to walk back into arrivals undetected by security (because there was none) to get my bags from the carousel. The same guys followed me and got their bags too - phew, at least I wasn't the only one!!

THEN... just when I thought my nightmare was over... Wizz Air, the delightful cheap airline that it is, couldn't actually start the plane and got us all the disembark while they ran around flailing their arms and we walked I swear the entire length of the airport (3x) before being told to go back to the gate and re-board. I've never been told 'welcome back' on a plane before!

Anyway, long story short (well, it's still long but hey youj're still reading) I finally got to Budapest just before 3am. The poor Couchsurfer I had organised a bed with had to get up to let me in about 4 in, but after he kinda woke up, we had a not normal cigarette, he opened a bottle of champers, we tucked into that and then retired... kinda................. Needless to say, I'm still quite tired today.