Tuesday, November 18, 2008

El Mejor Senderismo Que Hay

Without a doubt in my mind, Ubrique serves as the base camp for some of the best hiking there is. In less than a month, I have walked (hiked) over 40 kilometers and seen some of the best views in all of Andalucia.

Every Sunday, I wake up at 7:00 am, get dressed, throw a few essential items in my backpack and head out. At 7:45 am, I meet up at a bar with my fellow hiking buddies (once again, a "bar" is a "cafe") for some juice or hot chocolate. At exactly 8:00, we begin our journey. My first Sunday hike took me through the Sierra de Ubrique to the start of the Ubrique River. Along the way, we searched for "setas comestibles" (edible mushrooms) and "esparagos" (esparagus), all of which are quite prevalent in the surrounding mountains. After 6 hours of walking, and some 24 kilometers later, we had collected quite an assortment, and at 21 years of age, I officially (and sort of willingly) tried my first mushroom and my first esparagus tortilla. While I love esparagus tortilla, I must say I was not at all impressed by the mushroom (which came as no surprise...after all, it is a fungus).

My second Sunday hike took to me to Benaocaz, up/along the Sierra de Caillo (and to the highest point in all of Cadiz), and down to Villaluengo. While this only amounted to about 14 kilometers of walking, it took over 7.5 hours and was much more difficult (nothing but climbing straight up) than the previous week's hike. However, it was well worth the price, as from the top of the Sierra de Caillo, you can see almost the entire province -- all the way to the Atlantic.

So while most people view weekends as time to sleep in, relax, sit down, and watch t.v., I continue to think of them as wonderful opportunities to work up a sweat and stay busy while exploring the great outdoors and the hidden treasures of the Pueblos Blancos. But don't worry, I also go for mini hikes most every Wednesday too, so I do work during the week as well. :-)

2 comments:

Debakamom said...

Everyone is thoroughly enjoying your blog, It is a wonderful travel guide and we are really enjoying the pictures. I am looking forward to our visit. Especially to the start of our hike across the country.

Noflunk said...

Happy Thanksgiving Ashley! Have some Spanish turkey to celebrate. ^_^