Rota, Spain

I've finally arrived in Rota, Spain. I managed to catch a C17 out of Norfolk after two days of waiting. It was an early morning showtime for the flight - 0200. Since I had checked out of my room on base at 1000, I wandered around base and hung out until showtime. By the time we took off around 0500, I was wiped out. Sitting in a jump seat isn't conducive to taking a nap, but somehow I managed to squeeze in a couple of hours of sleep during the 7.5 hour flight.

We landed around 6 p.m. After walking to the base main gate, I was informed by the Spanish Marines there that I needed to get a base pass if I wanted to return on base. While getting the pass, I was told that I also had to get my passport stamped at the police station the next day. There's a 90 day limit without a visa; I initially thought that it was 90 days per country, but it's actually a 90 day limit within the European Union. And that's 90 days within a 180 period, so I'll have to spend time in a non-EU country (England, Croatia, etc) if I plan to stay over here past 90 days. The timer will reset at the 180 day mark.

I ended up at a hostel in Old Rota, Hostal Sixto. It was more like a hotel than a hostel, and priced like one. Private room and bath cost me $58/night. I decided to stay for three nights so that I could catch up with some family here and recover from my jet lag.

I took a walk around town to grab a bite to eat and get re-familiarized; I had been out here with the family in 2004 to visit. I love the plazas and the narrow streets around here! Went to a tapas bar for a sandwich and beer, and attempted to brush up on my limited Spanish. I noticed that food and drinks are inexpensive compared to the States; although the beers are smaller (around 8 oz), they were only 1.20 euros ($1.60).

I headed back to the hostel and chatted with the owner, who is Italian. She doesn't speak much English, but her Spanish is excellent. Her parents live in the hostel too, and her mom had baked some panna de nonna, which she explained is "grandmother's cake". Delicious with coffee!