Man i am waking up like a zombie today. It's not a hangover, i had a very pleasant evening. Two small beers, some Moroccan food, and a delicious pot of sweet mint tea. I chatted to the waiter who spoke by far the best English of anyone i have met here. He helped me practice my Spanish slowly, and said Morocco is beautiful, just not the part on the other side of Melilla. After the chat i read online and Melilla really is not a recommended spot unless you are using it as a pit-stop on the way to Fes. Reason being, it's a 6 hour boat ride, so you lose a day traveling, only to lose another day traveling back. Meanwhile, D (a flamenco friend of mine) is saying to get in touch if i get to Sevilla, and literally everyone has said Granada is the most amazing city in Spain. Blah. I should not care. I think back to my conversation with the waiter and saying where i travel next "es libre". He replied that the best thing you can do is wake up in the morning, have a coffee, and then go wherever you feel like. He is right. Today i go to Cabo de Gata.
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I sadly just had to break off a conversation with a local - my first one that lasted longer than 5 minutes. I got to the bus station and realized i had 1.5 hours to burn, so i walked away from the town center and discovered a long beach with the typical Mediterranean resort highrises you would expect. Lots of Europeans sizzling on the sand. After a short paddle i sat down for a coffee and struck up a conversation with an old guy whose name i already forget. It was extremely hard for us to understand each other, but we both smiled and enjoyed what little we understood. And then i did the backpacker exit - my bus is leaving and the next one is in 5 hours... más tarde... So here i am, sitting on a bus waiting to take me to San José.
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Well, i'm at that little seaside town i wanted to be. It's quiet. It's warm. It's beautiful. It's dead. Though, admittedly, that is likely because i arrived right at the beginning of siesta. Frustratingly, i sat down at a restaurant and couldn't order half the menu because it's all for couples. Fuck couples! I actually had plucked up the courage to order paella, even though i don't like seafood, because it is a local specialty. Sorry, you gotta have an eating partner, pff... Maybe later i'll find a tapas place. I can't walk 10 feet here without tripping over a seafood restaurant or an Italian restaurant. Ugh. Resort town fail. At least it's beautiful.
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Earlier i was thinking i might have made a mistake coming here. I did not. I asked the hotel clerk for directions where i could walk, then headed out of the village and found myself in straight-up wild west. I had no idea there was scenery like this in Europe. Scrub, grass, and cacti heading out in every direction. I walked through the desert till i found a somewhat secluded beach, then climbed some mini-mountains, kept walking and slid down a cliff to a completely secluded beach. Amazing peace and quiet, just watching the waves.
After the break i clambered back up and headed to the next peak. Of course after that one, i saw another - even higher! I wanted to keep climbing, but it was late and i knew i had about an hour walk back into town, so i did. And now? Sweaty and dirty drinking a caipiriña, listening to a Spanish cover of Crosstown Traffic. Fuck yes. Come to San José but forget the town, just walk. Holy shit. If i had a lighter pack i'd consider hiking around this whole park looking for places to sleep all over. It's like my favorite part of America, except only a couple hours flight away, way cheaper and you don't need a car to get around.
Though, i must admit, it seems everyone here does have a car. The only people on the bus were farm workers getting off at bus stops but nothing but tomato fields for miles around. Meh. The bus was 3 fucking euros. And i'm in the wild west. Awesome.
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A couple of caipis and i get a fucking half liter of sangría. I feel like this tapas thing is making me drink a lot more than i eat. So. Nothing really new then.
Incidentally, psychedelic Spanish music is the greatest thing in the world.
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Is it low season? This is the second bar on this trip where i have been the only one here. I feel kinda bad to keep drinking in case the owners want to go home. I can't imagine what i drink is worth keeping the lights on. But this bar is great. Spanish psychedelia, bizarre lounge covers and smooth jazz. Everything is primary-colored, like in México. Cocktails. Tapas. And no one around. It's made for me.
