European desert on foot – Peš prek evropske puščave

I bowed to take water from a long brown puddle. Thanks to a recent storm this source was available! We continued crossing European desert with a muddy taste in our mouth towards San Jose.

Sklonil sem se in iz dolge rjave luže zajel vodo. Hvala nedavnemu neurju za ta vir! Prečkanje evropske puščave nadaljujeva z mivkastim okusom v ustih proti mestu San Jose.

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In the Almeria region, where the rainfall is especially low with an average annual precipitation of 381 mm (in a geographical definition a desert is an area with less than 250 mm), is a natural jewel: national park Cabo de Gata (‘Cape of the Cat’). Hilly shores with cliffs are stretched into the sea in the form of clawed paws of the cat.

V regiji Almeria, kjer je nebo izredno skromno s padavinami, na leto jih v povprečju zapade 381 mm (po geografski definiciji prejme prava puščava manj kot 250 mm), se skriva naravni dragulj: narodni park Cabo de Gata (‘Mačji rt’). Hribovit obmorski svet se z mnogimi klifi steguje v morje v obliki krempljastih mačjih tačk.

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We got the idea to walk around the entire peninsula for about 80 km, more or less following the coast on foot, with a backpack and (repaired) tent. Part of the planned route is marked (more information about hiking Cabo de Gata), but walking on the low traffic roads is necessary too. However, this is not one of the commonly walked routes.

Zamislila sva si prečenje polotoka v dolžini 80 km, več ali manj ob obali, peš, z nahrbtnikom in (popravljenim) šotorom. Del načrtovane poti poteka po označenih stezah (več informacij o poteh), a nekaj hoje po neprometnih cestah nama ne uide. Skratka, ne gre za nobeno standardno in oblegano pot.

We parked the car in front of the school in the village Cabo de Gata. First steps were made on the long plain between the shore and saltpans Las salinas.  Air in the distance was twinkling because of the heat. In the shoals of the saltpans flamingos were diving their heads. They spread their pink wings and flied in the straight line to the next shoal. Meanwhile in the wooden observatory we were warming up a tortilla with a diameter three times bigger than a pan. This is possible too.

Parkirala sva pred šolo v mestu Cabo de Gata. Prve korake sva napravila po dolgi ravnini med obalo in solinami (Las Salinas). Daljave so migotale v vročinskih meglicah. V plitvinah solin so se z glavami v vodi prestopali flamingi. Razprli so rožnata krila in v ravni liniji odleteli v sosednjo plitvino. Medtem sva v opazovalnici grela tortiljo s premerom, trikrat večjim od ponvice. Tudi to je mogoče.

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Passing the lighthouse Faro de Cabo de Gata and Arrecife de las Sirenas beach with the characteristic reef, from where sailors could be invited by sirens, we ascended the road full of holes to a former observation tower. There are many of them on the hills that used to protect the land from the enemies coming from the sea. Because we were running out of water, a kind lady living in the tower gave us a bottle of water. We descended to the sea and swam in the small solitary bay. The plan was to sleep under the stars. But an unusual guest approached from the dark and smelled our luggage. A fox, mosquitos and heavy clouds made us decide to put up a tent in the moonlight, under the palm trees. We still had half liter of water.

Mimo svetilnika Faro de Cabo de Gata in plaže Arrecife de las Sirenas z značilnimi čermi, s katerih so morda mornarje vabile sirene, sva se po luknjasti cesti vzpela do nekdanjega opazovalnega stolpa. Na marsikateri obalni vzpetini stoji starodavni stolp, ki je služil za obrambo pred sovražniki z morja. Prijazna gospa, ki v stolpu stanuje, nama je priskrbela plastenko vode, za katero sva jo prosila. Spustila sva se do morja in zaplavala v majhnem samotnem zalivu. Načrtovala sva spanje pod zvezdami. A v temi se je pojavil nenavaden gost, prav do najine prtljage je prišla lisica in jo ovohala. Lisica, komarji in prežeči oblaki so naju pripravili, da v mesečini pod nizkimi palmami postaviva šotor. Vode sva imela še pol litra.

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In the morning we were discovering nearby beaches Playa de la Media Luna and Monsul surrounded by strange vulcanic cliffs. In those forms you can feel how the waves of lava turned into stone.

Zjutraj sva raziskovala bližnji plaži Playa de la Media Luna in Monsul, obdani z nenavadnimi vulkanskimi klifi. V tvorbah lahko zaslutiš, kako so valovi lave obstali v kamnitih oblikah.

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Walking towards San Jose was getting harder as we were running out of water. I was happy to find a puddle to fill my filter bottle and drink.

Pot do San Joseja se je ob pomanjkanju vode začela vleči. Razveselil sem se luže, iz katere sem zajel vodo v plastenko s filtrom in pil.

After the Playa de los Genoveses beach we finally reached the houses. We equipped ourselves with additional water and a map. We followed a narrow and exposed path from the village to the cliffs made of surprisingly white stone.

Prek plaže Playa de los Genoveses sva končno dosegla hiše. Tod sva se izdatno opremila z vodo in zemljevidom. Iz mesta sva se vzpela po ozki izpostavljeni poti nad klife, ki so presenečali s svojo belino.

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The path took us high up above the sea and among cactuses, palm trees and scary caves towards the village Isleta del Moro. Strangely, but for a moment we were caught by the rain here!

Ovinki visoko nad morjem so naju vodili med kaktusi, palmami in grozečimi votlinami proti vasi Isleta del Moro. Prav čudno, da naju je tod za hip ujel dež, ki ga je veter nosil z morja!

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Just before the village we stopped at the yellow cliff to swim. The shore Los Escullos is known for the fossils. Behind the edge and under an abonded house was hidden a small bay. We put up a tent on the site and sat down listening to the night waves and staring to the lights of the village.

Tik pred vasjo sva se ustavila ob rumeni pečini in se okopala. Tukajšnja obala (Los Escullos) je bogata s fosili. Za pečino se je pod zapuščeno hišo skrival majhen zaliv. V njegovem zavetrju sva si postavila šotor in dolgo v noč poslušala morje in opazovala luči v vasi.

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We ate breakfast on the pier, while divers were disappearing in the sea. Stopping at the view point Mirador de la Amatista, passing the former gold mine Rodalquilar and walking through the olive trees we reached  Playa del Playazo beach. Because of the sunny day there were many people, naked or in swimming costumes. After a long and enjoyable break we continued along an old fortress into the fishermen’s village Las Negras situated under the big black vulcanic rock.

Zajtrkovala sva na pomolu, medtem ko so v morje izginjali potapljači. Prek razgledne točke Mirador de la Amatista in mimo nekdanjega rudnika zlata Rodalquilar sva med oljčnimi nasadi dosegla plažo Playa del Playazo. Sončni dan je privabil precej ljudi, golih ali v kopalkah. Po daljšem uživaškem odmoru sva se napotila mimo stare trdnjave v ribiško vas Las Negras pod veliko črno vulkansko steno.

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The shop was closed because of siesta. We managed to have lunch out of the remaings from our backpacks. But we needed new food supplies and had to wait for the shop to open again. A shady bar was just the right place to do that.

Zaradi sieste je bila trgovina zaprta, zato sva kosilo skrpala iz ostankov v nahrbtniku. Ker sva potrebovala nove zaloge hrane za na pot, sva morala počakati ponovno odprtje trgovine. Senčen bar je bil kot nalašč za to.

Late in the afternoon we walked the dirty road uphill untill it’s end where it changed to a small path leading towards Cala de San Pedro beach. A girl was selling jewellery on the parking and gave us some information about the life in the bay. In San Pedro, a former abandoned village, approachable only on foot or by boat, lives a special community of people. We wanted to spend a night among them.

Pozno popoldne sva se vzpela v  breg. Makadamska cesta se je končala s parkiriščem in postala stezica. Tod, kjer se začne pešpot do plaže Cala de San Pedro, je dekle prodajalo nakit in nama posredovalo nekaj informacij o bivanju v zalivu. Kajti v San Pedru, nekdaj opuščenem obmorskem naselju, dostopnem le peš ali po vodi, biva posebna skupnost ljudi.  Želela sva prenočiti med njimi.

In the village, where the houses made of natural materials are hidden among the plants and connected to eachother with narrow paths, permanently live around 30 people. They invited us to join them at the fireplace under the fool moon. More about the community and our experience there is written in the article Alternative forms of living by Eva.

V naselju, kjer so hiše iz naravnih materialov skrite med rastjem, povezujejo pa jih ozke potke, stalno živi 30 ljudi. Povabili so naju na druženje ob ognju ob polni luni, več o skupnosti in najini izkušnji zapiše Eva v Alternativne oblike bivanja.

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The sun rised up late from behind the hill. We ascended to the broad green cliffs admiring wavy hills on the inner side of peninsula and wide Mediterranian sea on the outer. We were walking on top for some time then descending to Cala del Plomo beach. We swam and had a foot massage in the black sand. A few turnings later we reached our final destination, Agua Amarga. We ate a big lunch, rested on the beach and started our returning mission.

Sonce se je zjutraj pozno pokazalo izza hriba. Vzpela sva se na prostrane zelene klife, s katerih na eni strani občuduješ valovito hribovje notranjosti polotoka in na drugi prostrano Sredozemsko morje. Pot nekaj časa vodi po vrhu, nato se spusti na plažo Cala del Plomo. Okopala sva se in zmasirala stopala v črni mivki. Še nekaj ovinkov in prispela sva na cilj, v vas Agua Amarga. Privoščila sva si izdatno kosilo, se spočila na plaži in se lotila zahtevnega povratka.

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There were 60 km of drive to our starting point, but almost no traffic. It became clear that the last bus was gone long ago (timetable) but we didn’t really count on that. At the end of the village we put our thumbs up. Yet the car stopped and three Belgian dentists took us to former mine town Rodalquilar. We continued by the road on foot but after a few hundred meters a couple from Barcelona gave us a ride directly to our car, although 10 km out of their way. Before the sunset we jumped in the sea for the last time and enjoyed dinner observing flamingos.

Čakalo naju je 60 km vožnje do izhodišča, a prometa ni bilo skoraj nič. Izkazalo se je, da je zadnji avtobus že zdavnaj odpeljal (vozni red), a v resnici nisva računala nanj. Ob izhodu iz vasi sva dvignila palec. Vendarle ustavi avto in s tremi belgijskimi zobozdravnicami se odpeljeva do rudniškega naselja Rodalquilar. Od tod nadaljujeva peš ob cesti, a že po nekaj sto metrih naju pobere par iz Barcelone, ki gre točno tja, kamor želiva. Prijazno naju zapeljeta še dodatnih 10 km s svoje poti prav do avta. Preden sonce zaide sledi še zadnji skok v morje in večerja ob opazovanju flamingov.

Wandering along seashore vastness we got enthusiastic about colourful cliffs, desert plants, a great number of beaches, white villages, nights bright because of the full moon, waking up before sunrise and friendly people.

Potepanje po obmorski prostranosti naju je navduševalo z barvno in kamninsko raznolikimi klifi, puščavskim rastlinjem, množico plaž, belimi vasmi, od lune svetlimi nočmi, vstajanjem pred sončnim vzhodom ter prijaznimi ljudmi.

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A route, 80 km long and of 1000 m height difference, was walked in 4 days, 5 h per day. Meow!

80 km poti, ki obsega 1000  m višinske razlike, sva prehodila v 4 dneh, s približno 5 h hoje dnevno. Mijav!

Text: Uroš

Photo: Eva & Uroš