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1st January 2008: We drove back into Spain to the same site as before to take advantage of the free WiFi at Campsite Giralda. The weather greeting us at Isla Christina was chilly and damp. We
quickly set up camp and proceeded to sweep half the Sahara desert out of the van.
We had a lovely pitch this time under trees full of beautiful blue tinged
Jays and also saw a
Hoopoe hopping around in the dappled sunlight under the trees – all birds identified
with thanks to our RSPCB Book of Birds that Alison had smuggled aboard Nel
along with her many other paperbacks. Once settled in we cycled to the local supermarket
to fill our rucksacks with as much as we could carry so as to stock up. We have discovered that the huge sandy beach here is
covered in sea shells every time the tide comes and goes. Saturday 5th January: Bikes off the rack, rucksacks on and off we went with mini Mr Choc Peanut-Choco bars (new found favourite from Lidl, similar to Snickers) ham rolls, water, pistachios, oh and kags just in case! Turning right out of the entrance to follow the fence around the perimeter of this large site, we rode along a sandy path and straight up to a beautiful cemetery and a dead (!) end. Turning round we rode along a pathway under trees that fringed the seemingly endless sandy beach, what a wonderful path. We ate our lunch on a deserted stretch of beach then carried on (and on) and came upon a "New Town" at La Antilla, apartment blocks, landscaped gardens, swimming pools, this huge new "Golfing" complex almost completely deserted, we saw a cat – the only occupant. Cycled along the newly laid polished stone esplanade as if we owned the joint before returning to the campsite having ridden for fifteen miles! The next day we walked into Isla Cristina following a path made from railway sleepers that stretched right along the top of the beach. We walked for miles eventually entering the Town Square where we stumbled across all of the towns Parents and Children queuing up to see the Three Wise Men, what a wonderful sight, each child came away with a gift. It was later explained to us that the 6th January is Epiphany or Three Kings Day and celebrated more than Christmas Day by the Spanish. 8th January: Packed up and ready to roll. Rota here we come! Camping - Player Aquadulce - Rota ….fabulous site, on a grass pitch at the top of the beach, I had trouble sleeping the first night, being kept awake by the waves of the Atlantic ocean crashing up on the shore........
We didn’t hook up to the electric to see how long we could last with out
it! We really put Nel's Solar system & inverter to the test by using the kettle, toaster,
microwave and even Alison's hair dryer!.
Click here to download Video (8.5MB)
12th January: Headed south towards Tarifa checking out campsites en route....
Drove through Conil de la Frontera as there are at least eight campsites listed in the area. Unfortunately the one that looked best to us we found to be closed at this time of year, so we kept moving. Further on we took a wrong turn while looking for a campsite at Veja de la Frontera only to find ourselves climbing up a very steep winding road to the hill top town of Veja itself. We drove up tiny streets ending at the beautiful small marble town square at the top - very narrow, twisting roads - Nel only just made it. Drove round, down, and back out again!
(Note to self - must come back here again without Nel at some time in
the future)
Booked into Camping Tarifa.
Camping Tarifa is a lovely small site set under pine trees with a flight
of steps that lead to a huge sandy beach stretching on forever where the
Atlantic ocean crashes in with a clear view of North Africa.
We walked about five miles along the awesome sandy beach that arcs round to Isla de Tarifa the most southerly point of Spain, having to take shoes and socks off to ford the Rio Jara, a river that carves its way through the beach to the ocean. As we sat eating our packed lunch on the golden sand we were enthralled and entertained by the many kite surfers that have claimed Tarifa as their own.
Isla de
Tarifa juts out toward North Africa between two oceans, the Atlantic to
the west and the Mediterranean to the east. I have found a dive centre
in the town (Yellow Sub Tarifa)
but unfortunately they are currently relocating their shop down to the
port and are not diving again until a little later in the year - I hope to return
to dive Tarifa Island in the spring!
Click
here to download Video (7.54 MB) Thursday 17th January: Up good time, de camped and ready to roll!
As we drove towards Gibraltar we sat in silence as awesome panoramic views
filled Nel's windows. With Tarifa behind us there were rolling hills
and mountains on our left,
the Atlantic ocean and North Africa to our right; What a view. Stunning….. During the night we can hear the Mediterranean waves gently lapping on the sand.
Wednesday 23rd January: Decided to move on before we were moved on!....Headed the short journey along to Marbella for Paul to find Happy Divers Dive Centre......we found the very accurate directions, printed from their website at an Internet cafe in Estepona Marina to be most valuable.
This bit is for you divers out there!
Happy Divers operate two centres, one at Marbella Port (that we tried to drive Nel into without success due to low height restrictions on the Port car park entrance) and the other at Playa Atalaya close to San Pedro. The Centre at Playa Atalaya is right on the beach and is part of the Atalaya Park Hotel complex.
We parked Nel in the Hotel car park and walked through Hotel reception and out towards the beach, behind where we found the "Happy Team" being given a lesson on how to rebuild a compressor by the centres owner, as I later found out, called Peter.
Some of Peters staff explained that being a stereo typical German Peter
does everything to a very high standard! and expects the same from all of
his staff. It is to his credit that Happy Divers is the highest rated PADI
dive centre in Spain – it is the only PADI 5* Career Development Centre
and PADI Gold Palm 5* IDC Centre. It is also the first ever NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC dive centre in Spain and therefore joins the PADI – NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC VIP dive centre club as its first member. Divers are taught
from beginner level to instructor level and beyond. Having introduced myself I explained that we were travelling through Europe and that I hoped to dive wherever and whenever I could along the way. One of our first questions was if Peter could direct us to a campsite close to the dive centre? - "over there" was his immediate answer as he pointed to a small white house behind an old Moorish lookout tower right on the beach beside the Centre. Within minutes Carl (one of the English staff there on a Internship training to be a PADI Instructor) was aboard Nel, guiding us to yet another free beachside pitch! You could say that I was in my element!
The following day it was planned that I would dive the nearby Barco
Antiguo (antique ship).
I am very keen to compare this old wreck to the Normans Bay site as it is of a similar age and in the same depth of water.
Accompanied by Carl & Tina we drove to the nearby beach and kitted up - unfortunately it was not meant to be; the winds picked up and heavy surf battered us as we attempted to enter the water. Carl aborted the dive and we all went back to base - at least I had got my dive kit wet! With it's sheltered bays, the next day a two-dive-trip to Gibraltar had been arranged for myself and two other Holidaying Divers. That morning Alison and I jumped in the dive van with Carl and the flamboyant Cedric - an oh so cool young French Dive Instructor (that wears shiny gold pants!). The two other Divers made their own way to Gibraltar with wives and one small child in tow to visit the Rock and do some shopping.
The hour long van ride back along the coast to "Gib" enabled me to take in scenery that I had previously missed along the way being Nel's Driver and the hour soon flew by. After a minor discrepancy with a very jobs-worth Spanish Customs officer and we were parked up at Camp Cove the location of our two shore dives.
With very little persuasion Alison went off with the other Girls to see the shops! Cedric and Carl gave the Dive plan briefing and moments later I was at last diving "The Rock".
The first dive was to the "Three Barges" and although I only saw two of the three (due to a strong surface current pulling Carl with his surface marker buoy off course as we finned across the bay) I enjoyed a very easy first dive of 2008. One of the barges lies on its side and where I presume the lower hull has either been removed or has broken away creates a huge square swim through, both the wrecks had much marine life and are very colourful.
After an hours surface interval, we entered the water for the second dive of the day to "Batty's Barge" and "The 482" (They should call this site Barge Bay!) Carl led me straight out in the bay following some discarded cables on the sea bed that lead toward the starboard side of "Batty's Barge" I had a good look around this wreck and then swam across the top to drop into the gully created between this and the second wreck, the "482". Both barges were teaming with fish and various marine creatures, a beautiful Flying Gurnard, an Octopus, a large Stonefish, a huge Spider Crab, a Conger Eel (still with stainless steel fishing wire trace & swivel attached!) a bright blue & yellow Nudibranch and a large spiky yellow Starfish to name but a few seen on my dive. (See Photo Gallery 4)
Both of my dives were no deeper than fifteen metres and with a visibility of five to eight metres the water temperature was a cool 16°C; I was just starting to feel the cold in my 5mm wetsuit after the second dive as we stood by the van chatting about the dives etc as you do, in a fairly strong and chilling breeze.
Happy Divers offer many courses and guided dives. I was very impressed with their set up and professionalism and plan to return and dive the "Barco Antiguo" wreck among maybe some others later in the year when sea and weather conditions have improved as we return along the coast toward Portugal.
If that's enough for you and you wish to make your ascent to the Photo Galleries Click here! otherwise it's back to Alison and Ronda!..................
During one of our walks around Ronda I stood at a view point to look down at the remains of the 13th-14th Century Baños Àrabes (Arab Baths) and the two other famous old bridges that span the gorge below; a well dressed elderly gentleman leaning on the railing, looked at me and smiled, I smiled back at which point he started to point out all of the famous buildings and landmarks around us. I could not understand a word of what he said as he jabbered on in Spanish smiling and pointing in all directions "Hola usted estúpido Inglés turístico, allá es un bin, allí es donde yo vivo, allí es una antigua pila de basura y usted no entiende una sola palabra sangrienta de lo que estoy diciendo eh? Ha ha ha! Usted loco idiota!” - what a lovely nice helpful old man I thought, just at that point I noticed Alison slowly backing away and trying to beckon me discretely, O.K. O.K, I nodded, presuming she must need the loo or something, so I said “muchas gracias señor” and firmly shook his soft, wrinkled and darkly tanned hand, by this time Alison was holding back her tears and her shoulders were starting to shake uncontrollably as the old Man gave me the familiar stunned look I had seen somewhere before and said "Dinero! Usted da a mi uno Euro!” O.K. I’d been had again! - I paid the old man two Euros and with a red face quickly walked around the corner to find Alison in fits of laughter!
Wednesday 30th January: Left site 11.45 am. Drove back down through the mountains with possibly an even better view on the return journey from Ronda, stopping for lunch in Nel on the way down to be able to soak up the fantastic scenery. Headed back down towards Marbella and a site east of Malaga (on the coast) could have gone inland but I wanted to drive through Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Malaga to see what they look like! Couldn’t believe how built up they all are. After the enormity of Malaga we carried on along the coast road, through empty spaces with views of the mountains and the rough sea below. Detoured along seafront to small town called Lagos and stocked up in Lidl (popular with motor homers as no height restrictions in their car parks, universal shop lay-out and their cheap prices may have something to do with it). …..Torrox! set up camp at El Pino, Torrox a quietly located site 1km from the beach with many avocado trees so the book says. Settled in on this large busy site and caught up on emails using the free wifi, did the washing and housework etc. (The House Work is great– it doesn’t take long!!!) Lots of English, Spanish and Dutch here with many of them being long termers, A friendly well run site with a small bar, a restaurant and supermacado all reasonably priced. We spoilt ourselves having freshly baked baguettes most days. Warm weather and sunshine at last! and beautiful bird song that I have missed having lived in the tree less environment of Sovereign Harbour for five years.
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