Guillena to Amardillo

11/2/2012 

Ah, out of guillena and onto the road. Lucky for me the sun is kept at bay by some very welcomed clouds. To the next town of castilloblanco lies some more demanding, but kinda fun dirt track, and a lot of it. You'll defiantly think it's more than 20 ks. But the albergue is pretty nice with free Internet in the lower level. Out of Castillo, its All road riding for about 15 ks. More or less peaceful but then the real treat. About 15 is through the Sierra Norte parque natural or so they call it. Very nice until of course the uber steep climb right before the pleasant town of almeden.  Again the albergue is pretty good, no complaints here, especially cause I've got it almost entirely to mua.  I did however manage to get locked out, and before 9!  No worries, it's nothing buzzer the bell and hammering on the door for 10 minutes can't fix. "oh I'm sorry. Did I wake you up at 8:45 to open the door u never souldve locked in the first place!?  Why out so late I hear u ask? I had the fortunate oppurtunity to stay in this pueblo during their what would seem to be first trick o treat.  Yes,

I saw little kids dressed up knocking on doors only to have the residents turn them away empty handed. Ha, not on my watch I declare. So to the shop I go ready and willing to buy the biggest bag of Halloween candy I can find. Humm, looks like I'll have to settle for two bags of unfrozen bag Popsicles. And I have to say it wasn't easy finding 24 worthy candidates to enjoy the splendor of sugary goodness. I have to enjoy 8 of then my self and that's after chasing every person who even slightly resembled displaying a little Halloween spirit. What are you? A Spanish farmer!?  Great! Here's a Popsicle. You'll have to freeze it first.

On to Lisbon, and the start of El Camino Portugues!

From Granada and about 8 hours later I´m in Lisbon.  After arriving at night around 23 hundred hours.  I go to a hostel and want to make a reservation online because its cheaper, but the helpful desk fella refuses to hand over the internet code.  I try to explane to him that Im trying to give his company business and that they only gain and not lose anything.  He tells he that the code is only for the clients of the hostal. well, I tell him that I will be a client in 5 minutes. All he has to do is hand over that code so I can access the booking page.  Too long story short and 30 minutes later walking around the back alleys of Lisbon searching for that internet icon without the lock next to it, I luckily find a McDonalds and expecting another fight for the code, the pleasant cashier lady takes my ipod, types in some magic, and ive got access.  Yippie, but unfortunatly its way too late to make any money saving reservations.   Oh well, at least theres an indian store still selling chocolatey cereals at the wee hours of the night. 

We all need a little terrier in us.

This dog had an uncanny knack of frisbee relentlessness. These boys had been tryin to relieve this dog of his toy for a good while utilizing techniques such as light whacking, jumping towards it in a threatening fashion, fur pulling, etc.   Nothing. Just as I was thinking to myself " geesh, this dog is determined!" I pull out my bag of chocolate puff cereal and .. What s this? The animal stops, turns, slowly walks my direction, stops, and low and behold the disk falls.  Ah yes. Like so many others this dog too has a weakness for delicious sugary choco goodness. But as we all know chocolate is bad for dogs so sorry pooch. 

Wandering about the narrow streets.

Thoughts created 9/12/2012.

Is it normal for priests or monks or who ever it is that walks around in those robes to stuff or hide newspapers under their clothes as if they weren't allowed to have them? Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm telling!!

With bike bags on shoulders equipped with tire, I take to the streets after a relatively pleasant night at the all too convenient Bologna train station. Thanks Bologna! I began early on to realize that I was getting some rather odd looks (more so than usual) from the Bologneses.  So now I decided that an odd look deserves a bit of cereal. Yes indeed. If you're along my path and you give me said look, I give you some cereal. Or at least stick the bag out in front of your face. As of yet, there's been no takers, but the day is young. 

Who´s the weird guy shouting to no one across the plaza? Just that, the weird guy. 

Almaden to Jara

11/3/2012

Rain all night had me thinking of just how trying the trip would be the following morning. However at around 10 or so the rain ceased and made for a very enjoyable ride to jara. Dirt roads  Through forests with plenty of hills and gates in between. The mist provided for that oh how mystic and medevil Ora.  I thought I was a knight for about 2 hours. After the ride throat the river, there's a big steep climb, not cyclable if your not lance.  So far the best riding.   On to Montessori!  10 ks are good fun pretty dirt road riding through the country side, and 10 aren't.   I take that back, there is a section of sort o single track that runs parrarel to the road for a while and that actually is a good time. I pass under a bridge, his the trail and then it stars pouring. Ain't that just how it goes. Oh here's a little puddle I'll just roll right over. I'm rolled over something alright, my handle bars. That was a little deep puddle.   The city didn't captivate me much but I have to say that the part  immediately after is probably one of the most beautiful sections of any camino I have encountered. Its the scenery tolkien based his books on. Rolling green hills, stone fences, scattered rugged trees and of course cows. A sort of perfect fantasy land. After that came one of the most epic bike journeys I have taken. Now we're rolling through Spanish farm land all the while getting a crash course on flash flooding.  Don't even think about trying to skirt the wetness. Not happening. I seriously have never seen so much water pouring over land before save Biafra falls. It was like class five rapids everywhere. I'm sure half of Spain right now is flowing into the meditereanian. I kept fording rivers thinking that that particular one had to be the biggest, widest and fastest. Of course till I ran into the next one. The whole scene couldn't be well documented as my fingers didn't work properly, cold was taking over and my camera doesn't like water (as I thought but now I well know. Ya, it's now broke). Finally I came to one that just couldn't be passed so I tried to skirt it. Nope. After walking it's bank for about 30 minutes I noticed the water noise intencity had diminished. Aha!  It's draining.  15 minutes later with bike on shoulder, one more rapid crossed.  And onward. Finally, town in sight and a few more measly crossings where one comes to learn that narrow fast water may very well mean deep fast water. To my dismay the river of all rivers is met and all hope of advancement vanishes. But what's this!? A local Shepard calling my way?  Oh yes, an older fella speaking a language, which Might be some distant Spanish relative beckons me.  Appear toughs river is to dangerous to cross and he knows my intention. Instead he helps me back to his Shepard shack where there a fire fueled by plastic bags that burn pretty well I might add and a surprising amount of girls mags and posters and a not so surprising vast amount of alcohol. Of everything he saying I'll really only understanding that the river is too dangerous to cross and the amount of water is surprising even to him. So I guess I should consider myself lucky to witness such a spectacul. A fello coworker of his shows up who appears fly knows the same language and 20 minutes later we take off in search of a way out. Drudgin through mud and water, he helps me with my bike and handles it in a surprisingly I've done this for years sort of ease. I'm impressed.  Finally the road and after two ks, finally the town. My plan was oringally to go to the next but hey what the heck. That night I made the bestest spagettgie i hunk I've ever had.   Noodles. Fried tomatoe. Corn. Tuna in sunflower oil. Black pepper. 

Guillena to Los Santos de Mainmona

11/4/2012

Yes another raíny, but this time also windy day. The other fella there , a pretty cool Romanian human geography professor from Bucurest, opted to stay another night. I took notice that although dreary and windy, it actually wasn't that cold. So figuring 30 ks were better than nothing I took to the road. I was warned about taking the dirt roads again as there would be temporal rivers due to the rains, but it's hard stay away from them. Well I took that advice... For a while. Then the country side got the best of me.  The road pointed straight, the camino to the right. Which way to go which say to go?  Ahhh,  I shouldnt but I just can't help it.  On the camino I go of companied by those yellow arrows. All went well until, yup , a river.  There were also 2 Dutch fellas at that same stop up river a bit trying to find a crossing. None to be found. One makes the and to to cross. One step, two, three. All is going well then comes the forth. And a plummet and down he goes. Nope not today, I've had my soaking for the week. Back to the raid and on to zafra.  Nice enough town with a really nice albergue, laundry for a euro and all. Two cyclists staying there. I know they're French in an instant. I cycled here. How did YOU get here?   Onto Los santos de maimona. And the rain starts. Perfect. Once there I find, after taking the normal city sight seeing tour, the local police station where I acquire the keys to the albergue which happens to be a bit out of the city, up a small mountain. I'm thinking I'll be the only one there.  Up to the round about, take a left, at the gas station, take the right up the hill. Would be nicer if the toilets worked but really not too shabby.  There's also abuch of stuff that looks like its from a bum. Later I found the owner. A strange old German guy so I suppose it's all legit.  Point to ponder. Just because you make the whole bag of spaghetti doesnt mean you have to eat it all, right? 

Santos De Montes to Merida

11/5/2012

I wake up to a cool chill morning, but this time not a cloud in sight. And my shoes are almost half dry. Times are good. Cruise down to the city center, drip off the keys and low and behold who´s there? Why it's the same guy I asked yesterday about a supermarket in Zafra. And he's a guardia civil!! Wow small world here in puebloville Spain. Back to the camino. Pretty and pleasant leaving Los santos. Just enough potholes and puddles to make the ride interesting. One rule to live by. If its vineyard country and it's wet; don't even think about riding through its muck of mud, mostly because you won't be riding. Yuoll be lugging your bike by force shouting choice words to those who directed the path through such cursed earth.  Other than that, pretty nice riding all the way to Merida. Enetering this capital city I thought to myself where is all the traffic? So naturally, I like this place.  It seemed as though I was riding through a park every 5 minutes. Traffic was not even an issue and there's a bunch of pedestrian walkways. Needless to say, Merida holds a special spot in my heart.