My
head turned toward the source of the scratchy falsetto. A guy in
camouflage cargo-pants strummed Radiohead on an acoustic guitar. He
lacked Thom Yorke’s tune and range, but the harried commuters rewarded
the performer’s sincerity by tossing coins into a dusty cap at his feet.
I
looked for an exit but saw only more frazzled faces, belonging to
people who scurried up and down stairs, toward the metro entrance or
into a bright bar with a glass windowpane. The chaotic scene spun my
head to an acoustic rendition of the song Karma Police until my eyes latched onto a bronze sign that said, “Las Ramblas.”
As
an escalator took me above ground, sunlight moved from my hand to my
forearm, resting on the moving handrail. The jolt that preceded a grand
entrance pulsed through my veins when the murky subterranean light
lifted in its entirety. A steady stream of conversations in different
foreign languages grew from a murmur to a cacophony. By the time I
reached street level and stepped off the mechanical stairs, I couldn’t
even hear the deep breath I took. But I could still see and my neck
craned as I gazed at elegant stone buildings with black iron balconies,
glistening in the late morning sun.
The
glare stung my eyes. I blinked and lowered my sights.
Camouflage-colored tree trunks with spindly branches and green leaves
shaded a pedestrian promenade. One-way streets on either side buzzed as
if they were avenues from the volume of scooters, buses and cars. The
sandy pavement beneath my feet was solid, but gave the optical illusion
of walking on waves, which was appropriate, because it was the only word
to describe the situation.
The
first wave of tourists crashed into my shoulders on their way to the
metro station’s escalators and steps. Other visitors knocked into my
back as they rushed to join the sea of people, stretching as far as the
horizon. Unable to get my bearings, I felt the undertow of the crowd
sweep me away, taking my flailing body down one of the 100-places you
had to visit before you died, according to a popular Facebook app.
The
drowning sensation ebbed and I caught my first breath as I passed a man
covered in thick white paint. He sat completely motionless on a toilet
atop a wooden box. The humidity leaked through my clothes and latched to
my skin, like droplet-sized leeches which fed on life energy, not
blood. How the hell was he not sweating enough for his costume to melt?
I
had no time to stop and ponder whether the locals might have a heat
resistant gene. A new tide of people carried me forward. Chirps and
whistles from the blue stands selling caged animals pierced the blend of
babbling conversations and stop-and-go traffic. My nose wiggled to
sooth an itch from the pollen of blooming flowers on florists’ shelves
while my eyes watched artists sketch cartoon faces and celebrity
portraits.
Amid
this medley of sights, smells and sounds, I spotted a familiar image.
In the window of a red kiosk was a poster of a black and white donkey. I
wondered whether the animal’s popularity had anything to do with the
locals preferring Democrats to Republicans. The more I thought about it
the more I didn’t like that theory. Why would Barcelona’s residents
publicly support a US political party? They had their own, right? There
had to be another reason behind the ass’s importance to the Spanish.
I
needed to pause and slow my overstimulated, jet-lagged mind. I stood on
my toes to see where Las Ramblas ended. It didn’t. There was nothing
but wavy lines of tourists, vendor stands, human statues and trees, for
what seemed like miles into the distance. To my left, past the one-way
street flanking the promenade, I spied a sign in a restaurant window,
pitching typical Spanish food and air-conditioning.
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