Through Spain

December 20, 2011

Hitchhiking from Toulouse, France, I arrived in Valencia, Spain on December 15, 2011.

Valencia is a truly beautiful town, among many truly beautiful towns on and near Spain's eastern coast.

registering at a hotel in Valencia, Spain

I had been sick with a cold for about 8 days. Because I was exhausted, I didn't spend any energy searching for a cheap hotel or a hostel. I registered at the first hotel I found, which happened to be a 3-star hotel. Fortunately, in Valencia in the non-tourist season, a 3-star hotel costs only 50-something euros.

view from the window of my hotel room

Gale-force winds the next day inspired me to take a bus south for 37.33 euros.

bus ticket receipt

bus arrival spot (#21)

passengers going to Almeria and other locations

We traveled 400 kilometers, or so, to the south-coast town of Almeria, stopping at 12 other towns along the way. The bus was almost blown off the road a number of times, but after 8 1/2 hours, we arrived in Almeria safe and in relatively placid weather.

Still sick, I again chose the closest hotel (a tad more expensive than the one in Valencia, at 60 euros). I allowed myself to be pampered by various amenities and cleaned up the room, as I always do after sleeping in a hotel room, thinking that maids in general work harder for less pay than is humane.

The next morning, I walked three kilometers to the outskirts of town and began hitching with my "Cadiz" sign, which sported deep-sea-blue letters on a cardboard background.

My artist friend Ben, in Toulouse, had provided the blue crayon to make the sign -- and he had also added the accent over the "i." I thought, "How wonderful that he knows this detail." I found out a few days later that the accent actually goes over the "a":

Cádiz

waiting for Godot, or at least a ride, outside Almeria, Spain

the view from my first hitchhiking location on the outskirts of Almeria

After three hours of no rides, I walked a bit farther outside the city to a new location. Just before dark, some kids in a van picked me up and took me about 30 kilometers west and dropped me basically in the middle of nowhere. An hour or so after dark, I got a ride from a man who took me another 20 kilometers, or so, to a busier on-ramp. I hitched in the dark, for a while, then headed into a field to sleep.

waking up in some field, somewhere.

I walked back to the same location and stood for 8 hours without getting a ride.

no horses, tractors, bicycles, or bad dancers allowed.

sunset

After two more days of hitching, I made it to Granada, then to Cadiz. On the way, three people offered me money. One of the drivers who offered me money also gave me a hug. Al least I thought it was a hug. What she was actually trying to do was begin the Spanish ritual of the two-cheek kiss. I clumsily completed this ritual, once I realized what was expected, smearing a cold nose-drip on her cheek for her trouble. She had picked me up at night (untypical) in a fancy SUV (untypical) and was around 30 years of age (unheard of; the only women who have ever picked me up in 34 years of hitchhiking have been students or matrons).

Also, in 34 years of hitchhiking, only one other person has offered me money, and that was an American. 

I knew the ferry to the Canary Islands left every Tuesday from Cadiz, on the southwest coast of Spain. I had two days to get to Cadiz, but I wouldn't make it in time. I would arrive on Wednesday, a day late, by train.

the strangely unpopulated Cadiz train station, December 21, 2011

nowhere to nowhere?

luggage from inside bathroom stall at Cadiz train station

I don't have a cell phone, so I made a lot of friends asking for them to call a number for me, on my trip through Spain. One more excellent reason not to own a phone.

I called a young student named Clement, a member of couchsurfing.org, and he said to meet him on Caleta Beach. I headed off to find the beach.

Cadiz, Spain

nice girl

 

a Spanish seagull

Clement (left) and family on the roof in Cadiz, Spain

Clement lives with several other students in an apartment near Caleta Beach, in Cadiz.

I stayed with Clement and his roommates for two day.

Brittany

One of Clement's roommates, Brittany, said, "You look relaxed. I guess it's possible to live a stress-free life." She spoke of how her parents always yelled at each other, and how this wasn't a good way to solve problems. I agreed with her. I did not mention that hitchhiking is not exactly a stress-free lifestyle. :)

On December 23, 2011, I took the train to Sevilla, got a shuttle to the airport, and flew to Tenerife, Canary Islands.