6. /Wonder/ 
Seville, Spain

Having hung around for about 6 hours at Madrid’s T4 terminal waiting for the 5am train out of there connecting to Seville, I am already over this trip. Like what is the point, yaaarrr? I’m so way off my itinerary that I might as well go home now.

Sighing-ly – yes, practicing gratitude of actually being under the skies of Iberia is a wee bit difficult when you’re agonisingly aware that the savings you put up for this trip instead of doing something adult with it (like putting it in a FD to earn interest – quote unquote my father) has gone down the waste chute with 7 days of this trip already gone by.

It once used to be, now lugging your suitcase around through throngs of people in a new town looking for your hotel is no.longer.fun even if your hostel does happen to be right across the beautiful Plaza Neuva. Even sampling some new tapas in the narrow street bars of Barrio Santa Cruz like the black rice and calamari didn’t make it all any better.

Early next morning, I lay in bed trying to give myself a pep talk to start over and make the best of what was ahead but failed miserably. My swollen foot, angry head and heavy heart all said fuck off and went back to sleep for another 2 hours.

Later in the morning, I stood at a coffee bar trying to breathe in the caffeine. With my ticket to the Reales Alcázares de Sevilla in my pocket which I had 30 minutes to enter, I wolfed down a turkey and cheese roll and hobbled to the gates.

The Andalusian sun was already scorching by now but in the palace’s front courtyard, it was quite cool. I remember looking up and the strangest, most wonderful sensation running down me. With goosebumps all over, I stood still in wonder.

As if years of history in the beautiful intricate tiles and patterns on the walls were swirlingly whispering “…it’s been a while, Shyamni…”

Jardin after jardin, room after room, the Alcázares is a mesmerising structure built in the Mudéjar period, when taken over by the Castilian court, added their own elements. Every corner has so much detail, depth and beauty.

The walls whispered “..and you Shyamni, why aren’t you as beautiful – after all we’re merely a reflection of you in your eyes….”

Isn’t this what being on the road is about? To find your sense of wonder again. To be reminded that wonder dwells in the eyes of the beholder.

And sometimes travel just takes you through the roughest roads to jolt you out of it. To remind you that it’s not the places, food or the people really – it’s the moments that you find yourself in sheer wonder of it all.

Shyamni. xx

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