Almeria

As usual, on Andalucia time, we depart a bit later then expected. We pass through a desert like hilly landscape that in fact has been used in the past as a cheaper double for hollywood westerns! (as opposed to the US’s west) When we reach Almeria we see rows and rows of plastic green houses, inside of which are growing delicious fruit we cant wait to try. Well, we means the three of us not Nisarga since he decides to go on yet another fast!

No problem, more fruit for me!!!!!!!!!! I ended up eatting several kilos of scrumptous figs over those two days!

So the plan is to park, swim, and hope for the best as far as lodging is concerned for that night. We do just that. The hike to their favorite beach is taxing under the mid-day sun but we are assured of heaven on earth at the end so we chearfully march on carrying all provisions for the day on our backs. The parking lot inside this national park, where the beach is located, is full so we have to park outside and this adds to the walk. Pedro explains to us that there are two kinds of beaches here. The nudist ones, and the domingueros ones. The dominguero is, according to the explanation, someone who wants to go to the beach and feel like he or she is still in the comforts of their living room. So you find everything there, including mobs of people, tons of noise, etc. The nudist beaches on the other hand are a bit further out, and have no facilities. They are in fact… nude! Naked, natural, bare, however you want to call it… the beach and the people are made for each other.

So we reach and yes, it is worth it!!! Big time. The water is crystal clear. In the middle of August and less than 10 people on the beach! It’s black sand, and the towering rocks behind us are what is left of the volcano times this area has lived through. The sun is hot and the water is inviting!

And then Nisarga says, “I feel shy”. What a darling!!! It’s his first time at a nude beach, and as with everything, the first steps are the toughest. But as soon as those shorts come off there is no looking back, he’s as free as a bird in the big blue sky! Yeah!

So we are lucky, and since we all know there is no such thing as luck, we are simply meant to be there. Because when Pedro starts calling again about rooms, before sunset, the first call he makes is a done deal! They have one place left, it’s an apartment with two bedrooms, and it’s available only for tonight. We’ll take it!!! When we get there we see that it’s a wonderfully taken care of apartment with a balcony overlooking the port! We are so centrally located. The restaurants are overflowing with clients, people are buzzing in the streets everywhere, the moon is shining bright and is almost full. We get our food to go and eat on the balcony, except Nisarga who just has wine… he’s fasting afterall.

That night Pedro and Pilar present us with a lovely present. A bracelet for each of us representing the colors of the different chakras. How sweet!!! How beautiful!!! We feel soooo special, not that

their amazing hospitality didn’t already make us feel that way. So feel extra special!

In the morning I wake up around 630 and see such a precious almost full moon straight ahead of me, over the port. It is magnificent. As I wait for the sun to rise the white washed houses surrounding the port turn seppia, golden, and then bright white. I hate to make comparisons but this absolutely feels like a sunrise on a greek island, it feels so familiar and nice.

We head back to the beach…

for the picassa album on almeria: http://picasaweb.google.com/nisargaanddeepa/Almeria?authkey=M-Hu8-Gl1z0#

for more on almeria in english: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almeria

for almeria in polish: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almer%C3%ADa