Traveling Companions

Traveling Companions !

After Leaving the North Coast of Spain, our simple plan was to head south, and using our 'Afrique' placard, hitchhike into North Africa.... sounds simple doesn't it ?

It was a hot and very uncomfortable day for two Brits, who enjoy cold wet weather, but we found ourselves on the outskirts of Burgos. In those days a military town, and home to large numbers of conscripted soldiers...... so what?, you may say...

It was demobbing day !

Thousands of young men in uniforms were heading home after their term of conscription, and the roads were full of hitchhikers....   we realised that we... two Brits in 'civies' and sporting Union Flags on their packs stood no chance of getting a lift. Here we were in the midday sun (with only cheap vino Tinto in our water carafes), facing a very long wait indeed.

It was decided that we should head over to the adjacent fields and pitch our tents, garnering a little shade and getting us away from the horde of soldiers on the roadside.

Jumping over a drainage ditch, I looked over my shoulder, one last time, and saw a truck pull up at the point from which we had just come. I shouted to Jamie... He turned and we smiled :-)

Two beautiful young woman jumped out of the truck, excitedly. They thanked the driver and he took off, leaving them in the same spot from which we had just come.

Being two Brits, we did the honourable thing and joined them, ...for their own safety ! With so many young soldiers around, anything could have happened.

So, we made our introductions and discovered that with their limited English and our even more limited Spanish, we were able to chat.

It turned out that they were headed to a small village called Estepona to stay with their mother for a couple of weeks. Wow... so were we !!   what a coincidence.

Frida, the girl who I had taken a shine too, said that we should go together. What a great idea....we'd never thought of that.

Anyway, we detached ourselves from them knowing that the girls WOULD get the lift.......and they did, within about five minutes. They had a discussion with the small truck driver, and indicated that we were all together. He said the girls could drive up front with him (of course), and we could lay out in the back of his empty but covered truck.

Off we went. 

It was to be a long drive across the central plains of Spain, and it was beautiful....Spain in those days was rural and utterly gorgeous. We crossed deserts, drove through wine and cattle country and rested up, in the cool climes of the mountains..... on a drive which took nearly two days. During the course of which, the girls and we, 'blokes' became very friendly. 

Eventually arriving in Estepona, we all tumbled out of the truck, thanked the driver and started to walk through this gorgeous little village. (It has since been swallowed up by mass tourism and overdeveloped by second home owners from Britain and Germany).

Arriving at Fridas  family home, we were introduced to her mother. What I remember about her was her diminutive size. She was tiny, but the spirit that shone out of her eyes was wonderful. She showed us where we could wash up and told us both to strip !!!  The girls laughed.... and hurried off. We did as we were told and she gathered up our belongings and took them away to be washed.

She invited us to stay as long as we'd like, and said that in return we should help the men of the village that night. We agreed wholeheartedly, and lounging around in our only clean T shirts and shorts, waited for the girls to return. Cold drinks were brought out and we relaxed.

That evening, just after the sun had set, we walked down to the beach where quite a gathering of people had occurred. There was a real buzz in the air and more introductions were made as we were told that tonight, we were to become fisherman and go out in the small boats with the other menfolk.... This was to be an amazing experience. 

We spent several hours out on the water, throwing out the nets and swimming in the Mediterranean in order to help retrieve the catch.

Eventually we returned to the beach and the bright flickering fires that had been created by the villagers. Some of the catch was chosen.....fish and shellfish of every description was thrown into three vast steel saucers...paella dishes/skillets. It was going to be a paella feast !!

Pulling cooled flagons of sangria out of the wet sands, a remarkable week long stay in Estepona had begun.... and once again our traveling companions had become our friends........ and yes, there was a brief romance !