Hi,
We left Valencia, and the chalice of the holy grail, the bones of St Thomas and St Vincents arm, too the Grand Prix boys on Friday 21/08/09, the camp-site was charging over inflated prices, so we moved on to the mecca of the costa's, Benidorm !, Land of the high rise, neon signs, Karaoke (sing along a northern person) and shops selling lilo's and other crap, Benidorm has everything for a package holiday, a huge beach, even water sking on a mono rail ( surpose its green). after 3 days we left.
El Portus, outside of Cartegena, the complete opposite a one donkey village, (even the donkey didn't have a name, just called " the donkey"), to be honest, we wouldn't recommend it, there is absolutely nothing, one extreme to another, Walking round the headland, chief navigator broke not one, but both his flipflops half way round a mountain, Sherpa struggled to contain herself, as he whinged about getting a medical team on standby and the lord must hate his feet. On return to the campsite they had turned just our electric off, that was just to much for someone, his words " its a sign", so we were off. arriving in Mojacar at 8.30 pm.
By wednesday Dale was happy, new flipflops (which gave him blisters, maybe there is something about the lord and his feet), we watched a beach bar/ restaurant on fire, local bomberos in attendance, "you don't want to do like that", a full commentary from his sunbed, then he smiled as he remembered that he's a pensioner now.
Thursday Carchuna more excitement, arrived just as a yatch was sinking, coastguard in attendance, cranes, winches, and more "i wouldn't have done it like that", but at least there were two hunky sailors off the boat, so someone was happy to watch. This area is the greenhouse of Europe polythene as far as the eye can see,( no one seem's to know what is grown in them though)
Saturday Torre del Mar, another noisey camp-site in a small costa town. Sunday 30/08/09 Cabopino 3 miles from Marbella, leaves on the tree's are now changing colour, there is a slight nip in the air of an evening, peak season is over so the prices are dropping, camp-sites are nearly empty as the Spanish kids have gone back to school, the sea is becoming refreshing, But it's still 30 degree's by 10am, This is a purpose built area, Posh marina, surrounded by apartments, we are the otherside of the main road where expats live on site all year, in static homes and winnebago's. Monday we took the bus to Marbella, then walked to Peurto Banus along the coast (about an hour) loads of designer shops, massive yatch's and €3.20 a scoop ice creams, its another world. The roads are far to dangerous for the bikes. Wednesday, AQUALAND Torremolinos, we regressed into children, Oonagh did the 75ft Kamikaze death slide , the highest in Europe 7 times and the twister 6, we played all day, Shute's and black holes, we did the lot several times Dale must have been the oldest on the rides (who cares, we had a great day)
Stange thing about expats, never speak Spanish ( "don't have to"), shop in the English shops, drink in the English bars, and moan about the imagration policy of the UK, and how everyone who settles in the UK "should be able to speak English", (kettle and pot come to mind)
Adios the Chaffers