1 comment May 7th, 2005
It would be hard not to like life down this end of the world. Twenty eight degrees every day, clear blue skies and a light breeze, orange trees in bloom everywhere and sparkling seas; it beats the hell out of freezing on the meseta.
So one really has no right to complain at the fact that we are walking an extra one hundred and fifty kilometres of it – right?
We had debated for some time about whether to stick on the coast, or cut inland under Seville. We have been really anxious to get some ground covered, as for one reason or another we have had a very slow few weeks, and the coastal route was the quicker by over one hundred kilometres. Unfortunately, there seemed a very large national park in the way, with a rather scary looking river crossing at the end. Given some recent daunting encounters with rivers, we were reluctant to chance it; but in a tourist office not long back, we were let in on the little secret that in fact there was a unique festival happening in the small town of El Rocio – the annual gathering of a particular religious clan – and that participants arrived on foot. This, we were told, meant that rather than being closed as per normal, the way through the national park and across the river would in fact be open. We were pretty happy about this piece of news, especially considering that the coastline is beautiful and there seemed plenty of camping open all the way down there.
So. Can you see what is coming?
I´ll cut it fairly short, and just say that after a few days walking in the general direction and complimenting ourselves both on our brilliance in discovering this marvellous alternative, and our good luck in walking at such a time – we came to the closed gates of the national park, and discovered that we had Buckley´s or none of getting across the river. which has meant a rather long backtrack inland, because the only other crossing is right up under Seville; we have gone from being one week 
from catching the boat to Morocco, to about three. But hey. As I said: it´s too beautiful to complain.
Meanwhile, despite my initial misgivings, the new tent arrangement has proved suprisingly bearable – not to mention a vast deal lighter. To say it attracts the odd bit of attention when we put it up amongst the plastic fantastic motorhomes of Spain´s flash camping grounds, would be an understatement; Molly and Harold from Manchester literally pause halfway through their steak, egg, and chips, and gape in unabashed 
amazement at our Ma and Pa kettle arrangement. But it´s amazing what you can do with a tarp, mozzie net, and a few clothes pegs.
Now that the weather is warmer, it is bliss to have an open tarp for the 
breeze to blow through at night. I also love being able to look out through the mozzie net at the bottom and see the stars, which are beautiful here – although I´ve still to work out what all the constellations are on this upside down side of the world. Of course, the arrangement also has the added advantage of affording me three hundred and sixty degree vies of any advancing serial killers, which, as you all know, is highly important to my mental health.
On the downside it has taken us some time to organise the whole mozzie net construction. In the beginning, there were some ugly midnight scenes, involving mouthfuls of net and frantically waving arms and hands in an effort to extricate oneself from it´s somewhat claustrophobic embrace. But liberal use of clothes pegs seem to have sorted that little issue; it is just important not to leave going to the toilet until the last minute. Sometimes it can take quite a series of precise maneuvres to unwrap the whole contraption.
I have to say that given the entire lot is under one kilo, it affords us a great deal more space than the tiny hiking tents which were the alternative. Whilst the weather is warm, it is a good set up. Don´t know how enamoured I would be of the idea in the middle of winter. But – oh, sweet hallelujah – cold weather is not something which will be bothering us for a while. And that, my friends, is a GOOD thing.
We are very happy also to be back using the Spanish phone system – at last we can afford to call our families and say more than "hello, we are still alive". 
Although, I´m not sure my Mum needed this two hour long ramble…
We are not going into Seville, as we really would like to reach Morocco some time this century. I know I said we didn´t want to rush, but really, this food and wine haven is getting a little out of hand. Another month here and we won´t be going anywhere except rehab.