Jet Lagged Gianna

I want to preface this chapter by reminding you that I really do not like to complain. Every city in the world is wonderful, and has great aspects. However, I PERSONALLY was not a fan of Malaga. I’m not saying don’t go — I think everyone should visit everywhere. But if you have limited time in Spain, I would not recommend going here above the other cities I’ve written about.

Reasons you should go to Malaga: To gamble, to party, to have a bachelorette party, to shop for designer clothes, to go clubbing.

Reasons you should avoid Malaga: Dirty beaches, way too many tourists, overpriced, traffic

I just don’t think it’s a good location for solo travelers. I wasn’t interested in going clubbing or gambling. It reminded me of an overrated Atlantic City. But again, that’s just me. I know tons of people that have went to Malaga and had a great time. 

I spent less than 24 hours in Malaga. I mainly went there because of the airport. It was almost time for my next country 🙂

I also think I didn’t like Malaga because at this point I’d realized I had bed bugs. Bad. I’m pretty sure I picked them up at the hostel in Cordoba. Red bumps were appearing all over my body. So gross. I needed to find a laundromat stat.

I located one near my hostel. I stuffed every article of clothing except the ones I had on my back into the washer, and selected the option with the hottest water possible. I’m a vegan, but I’m not afraid to kill parasites. 

Altogether, it cost me $10 to do ONE LOAD of laundry! $10!!!! For a backpacker on a budget, this was just a tad annoying. And the dryer didn’t even completely dry my clothes. I’m still mad about that. But at least they were bed bug free. 

I went to dinner with a Canadian French girl named Marie from my hostel who had just completed time studying abroad in Seville. She spoke perfect English, Spanish, and French. I felt like a slacker. We chose a restaurant nearby and the only vegan option was a giant plate of fried potatoes. We tried explaining to the waiter that I didn’t eat animals and he basically snorted and said “good luck here.” So I ate a giant plate of french fries for dinner. I’m not complaining 😉

Marie talked to me about the romance she’d had with one of the boys in her program, and how bad she felt about cheating on the boyfriend she had back home. I sometimes wonder what ever happened to her, and how the boyfriend is doing today. 

The next day, I redeemed my health by eating a hummus wrap from a vegan restaurant and then tried to catch a bus to the airport. The traffic was TERRIBLE! And I couldn’t figure out what side of the street to catch the bus on. I think I let the first bus drive right past me. So much confusion!!! I tried calling an uber, but he couldn’t figure out where I was either. I tried asking other people about the bus, but they were American and equally as confused as me. 

Finally, a bus drove up with the words “aeropuerto” on the side. I asked the bus driver and he nodded  quickly and then yelled at me to pay. I gave him the money and sat down, relieved to finally be on my way. Missing a flight is a big fear of mine. I always arrive at the airport way too early. But luck was on my side. The bus ride was short and I got to the airport with time to spare. 

I scratched at my bug bites and stared out the RyanAir airplane window, watching the city disappear beneath me. I felt finished with Spain (for now) and ready for a change of scenery.

Up Next –> My 3 Day Layover in Brussels