cowcatcher tapas

So we got into Madrid two hours late because our train hit a sheep and a mule. I don´t know if you´ve ever seen a fight between a train and a meat-based organism, but the smart money is on the train. Around 5:45 we heard a disturbing *crunch* from the front, followed by a squealing metal and tearing noises. The lights and AC went out. Some people thought we hit a car. Others thought we hit a pile of rocks. The conductor announces, "We met a shepherd, he has gone for help. It is unsafe to leave the train." Reassuring.

An hour later, after the help arrived (one bus, only for people with connecting flights), everyone got off the train. It was then that we learned the awful truth. The front of the engine was splattered with blood and gore. Bits of mule skin and sheep giblets were hanging from the wheel housings. One of the animals had slid under the train and torn loose essential cables. Many people stopped to take pictures. Strangely, they all spoke english.

We eventually flagged down a passing regional train. It was a jovial time: our train, unhappy about the delay, packs itself onto another train whose passengers are getting delayed just for us. Luckily, we met a New Yorker and a beautiful half-Dutch Madrileño who studies in London (got that?).

In conclusion, that sheep and that mule may have lost against the mighty iron horse, but they sure did fuck a lot of people in the process. Good show, animal kingdom.