Day 172 7th January
40miles (Frigiliana to Malaga) Average speed 12 mph Top speed 34 mph
A great day to be back on the bike. Raul couldn’t make lunch so I took my time and headed for Caleta to meet Vernon and see the market. It was a lovely day if a little cold on the way down from Frigiliana. I was glad of the leggings I’d received from home for the first time especially as my knee was sore from all the walking I’d been doing.
Ready to go
I walked down the market with the bike and stood next to a stall while Vernon and Nola bought fruit. The man on the next stall was very rude and told me to move away because I was blocking his precious wallets! At first I had been looking at them to see if he had a passport cover, but even if he did I wouldn’t be buying one now. As I stood away from his stall I watched as children in pushchairs put their dirty hands over his precious wallets and blocked the way of people buying them. Ha! That will teach him for being so rude! I haggled with another guy for a passport cover and got him down from €12 to €5 – I think I may be nearly ready for Morocco!
Then I went for lunch at the beach where I had a mixed plate of fried fish . We then had a lie down on the beach to recover from a big lunch before playing footy with Daniella and Leonardo on the beach. They were only 5 and 7 years old but enough to give Vern the runaround. He even resorted to tripping Leonardo up at one point. Then said an emotional farewell to Vernon and Nola and Bailey and headed to Malaga along the beach.
Farewell to Vernon, Nola and Bailey
I arrived in time for a beer on the beach watching the sunset and checked in to the Oasis Hostel. Most of the people from the Feel Hostel were now here as it seems much cleaner and busier. Although I enjoyed my time at the Feel Hostel I didn’t enjoy bedbugs biting me the last time I stayed there. So it was time to move on and I should probably have done so before, but the bike’s security is always foremost in my mind and it was easy at the Feel hostel, especially as I didn’t have to explain my passport every time I checked in. I had a very hot shower and went to Sports bar to watch Lucky Arsenal beat Preston North End in the cup. Then for smoked salmon and tomato toasties for dinner. Went out to ZZ Bar and met loads of people including Tim from Brentford. It turned into a very late night, but the music was good and I had a great time.
ZZ Bar
Oasis Hostel €11