08.02.2016 21:00
Today was definitely the best day so far. I didn't get lost at all, the view were great, the walking demanding but pleasant, and I had both enough food and water :D
Around 10 I started walking from the camping site, which lies just next to the start of the sendero. Apparently it had been very humid at night, so the tent was totally wet outside, and it took me some to dry it. Also I still had a joghurt from the Dutch woman and took my time enjoying it with some nuts and Arabic coffee.
Right at the beginning I had to climb uphill really steeply for about an hour. I felt rather slow but powerful enough, and the views back down were awesome.
And yeah, nothing 'special' happened during the day, it was just really nice walking through the wilderness the whole time. Once two cows stood in my way...but the let me pass as soon as I got closer.
I didn't make one long lunch break today, instead I stopped for some minutes a couple of times, an twice a bit longer to have some salami and cheese.
On this awesome rock I discovered that I have a blister on the back of my left foot. I really don't know how it got there, but I certainly hope that it will disappear again soon :D
As always, eagles were my companions occasionally - they're just incredible.
Passing by this view it suddenly hit me that I had forgotten the birthdays of my two best friends from two days ago. I took a picture to memorize the shame x__x
Towards the end of the foretat/national park, I was sure that I would try to hitchhike to Ubrique. It was already around 5, and still 18 km to town, most of it tarmac. As if he had been sent by the gods of the GR7, and old man just got into his car parked by the road as I passed by. When the car came closer again, I waved at him. He didn't speak any English but surely he was going to Ubrique, and agreed to take me.
In his trunk I saw a huge basket with mushrooms, apparently called "chantinellas", a kind that only grows in the area.
Considering that my Spanish is really limited, I feel that it already improved quite a bit since I'm here. While walking, I often dig into my memory, trying to form sentences I might need at some point. So it came that I could explain to him what I was doing, and we even had a cafe con leche together in a place next to the road. The bartender spoke a little English and together we even had something like a conversation. It was great.
The old man dropped me off between why seemed to be old and new town, and I walked through the main avenida more quickly than I would've wanted to, because the sun would soon be gone and I needed to find a place to camp. Ubrique was absolutely beautiful though and is definitely worth a visit longer than ten minutes.
I walked up the ancient Roman road that leads up to Benaucaz, and which is already part of the next stage, from Ubrique to Montejaque. I had expected a road an wilderness around it, but instead it was all fenced private property for the first 20 minutes, and I started to worry that would have to walk all the way to the next village and find a place in the dark. But then the fences disappeared and, after walking uphill to the right and behind some bushes and trees for a bit, I found a perfect spot once again. It even had some stones around on which I could sit, while I prepared the gamba-noodles in my cooker. (Which were super disappointing and couldn't even be saved with some extra cheese, but anyway.)
The stars are shining brightly and from the distance I can hear the bells of some cattle. Sometimes a dog barks from very far away, but other than that, it is absolutely calm.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to pass by an outdoor climbing wall just before Villalengua del Rosaria, which I'm excited about. I want to hike almost to Mentejaque tomorrow, that would be around 26 km from here. That way it will be not to far to Ronda the day after tomorrow, where I will treat myself with a real bed for the first time during this trip. Yay!
(I guess this map won't be very informational to you, but I'm posting it anyway for the record.)
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