Trip 6: From Main Power Plant to Department of Industry and Energy Building
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Carrer de Thomas Edison (Thomas Edison Street), 1:05 p.m., 2th of June
I was called from the Central while wondering what was I going to eat for lunch today. I had to cross half a city to go to the Main Power Plant, that provides more than the 50% of the electricity consumed in Alarconia; placed very near the municipality border between Alarconia City and La Florida.
A thin man, wearing glasses and a black suit came into the taxi and I turned the radio down. He was carrying a big white piece of fabric.
"Good afternoon, sir! Where do we go?" I asked in English.
"Department of Industry and Energy, please." he replied in English too. "Tsvikurnov Street".
"OK." I know where the building stood, but driving in Barri del Trencat (Broken District) can sometimes be a hard experience, so I typed the adress in the GPS device and let her (because of the woman-like voice) guide me.
I started the taxi engine and came into the Intra-City Motorway, that runs east-west.
We were passing besides the Barri Sud (South District) Swimming Pools, when I thought that if the Intra-City didn't existed, we should have to drive in the Autopista (described in Travel 1) and it would increase the price a lot.
"Do you work in the Power Plant?" I asked.
"Yes. Well, no. In fact, I'm not an employee."
"So?"
"I work for the Department of Industry and Energy."
"As a civil servant?"
"Exactly. I'm safety inspector and consultant"
"So you protect our nation of an explosion..." he laughed.
"Yes, you can see it in this way." he paused "Could you turn up the conditioned air, please?"
"Of course!"
"It's hot in here."
I did what he told me, I understood why. He hadn't taken off his blazer although he had entightened his tie.
I kept straight, overpassing Carretera de l'Acer (Steel Road) and now we were running between Residencial Muntanya del Mar (Sea Mountain Residential) and Poble Alt (High Town).
Residencial Muntanya del Mar, at our left hand, had the perfect mix between a pleasant and a vibrant neighbourhood. It is trendy now and some night-clubs had established there lately but it still has a village-like character during the days.
High Town, at our right hand was a quiet neighbourhood built on a small plateau overlooking the rest of the city. It would be a nice neighbourhood if it wasn't because the former Soviet Embassy ruined the sights, as demonstrates this pic, taken from an independent angle.
Nowadays, the former Soviet Embassy is occupied by Russia and other ex-communist countries' embassies.
"The more I look at this building, the less it likes me." said the technician.
"Yes, it's really awful. But it's like things were done in the USSR."
"When was it built?"
"During the 50s, don't know the exact date." I answered, closing the topic.
Now we were on a light slope down, I let the taxi run without overpassing the 80 km/h limit. The building on our right hand, still in High Town, is Tiger Woods Building. I always wondered who had chosen this name.
We continued along the Intra-City Motorway 'till its end. It finishes abruptly, leading to a simple road; many people have crashed onto the adjacent buildings because they went too fast.
I turned left, taking Carretera dels Arquitectes (Architects' Road) and continued, leaving at our right hand the Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Architecture School, part of Universitat d'Alarcònia.
"How are responding the Pollution Catchers?" I asked, for curiosity. "You install them, right?"
"It's not in my bureau but as far as I know, they are having a great acceptance across the nation and across the world." he said "It has been a great discovery from Atlantic Tech."
"I've got one in front of my flat and I usually wonder if they really work".
"Oh, yes, don't have any doubt about it. I could show you lots of statistics demonstrating they work. I only have to ask for them to my fellows".
"No" I laughed "it isn't necessary.."
We kept straight on the same road, entering Fastway Industrial Park. It was called in this way because it bordered the Fastway, a kind of motorway running through a short stretch of the city in north-south direction.
"Why haven't you taken the Fastway?" asked my customer.
"I'm doing what the GPS is telling me. I always choose the shortest way rather than the faster way, for economical reasons."
"Sure, the shorter, the cheaper."
"We all win.."
We were now entering in Petit Hollywood (Little Hollywood), a popular district in Alarconia. There are lots of shops and boutiques, it is a popular place to go to have a walk in Saturday evening. We could see the AWFC from here.
I turned right in Plaça del Celuloide (Celluloid Square) and went along Carrer Universal (Universal Street).
"Do you usually come here?" my customer asked.
"I'm single, if I come, it is with friends, not family."
"I see..." he said "I'm divorced."
"I'm sorry" said through force of habit.
"Well, in fact now I'm better than before. My wife was a little bit... witch." he said, with lots of irony.
"Problems with her?"
"Lots of. Fortunately, we hadn't had time of having children together, they would have got a trauma or someting..."
I turned left to Carrer del Rebel (Rebel Street) and then right to Carretera de la Congestió (Congestion Road), in order to cross the Autopista.
"We are arriving now".
"I know."
"It's not the first time you take a taxi..." I guessed, while looking the Department of Industry and Energy blue building.
"You're right. I always take them, the Generalitat is paying."
"So I'm paying."
"Yes, I guess."
"Use wisely my part..." I joked, while crossing over the Autopista. I parked in the first place I could and stopped the taximeter.
"There will be 20.25 AL$, sir."
"Can you give me a receipt, please?"
"Sure." I pushed a couple of buttons and the machine printed a receipt. My customer paid me 20.25 AL$.
"I can't give you a tip, because my bosses are controlling my money, you know..."
"Yes, nothing happens."
"Have a nice day" he said, closing the door. I replied the same while taking Ronda del Turonet (Hill Beltway) and heading to the city center. In the radio it was news time and I turned the volume up.
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