Day 8 Ronda without energy

After showering and washing some clothes yesterday, I had to take a nap before I could so anything at all. Then I went out to buy a warmer jacket to protect me from rain and wind, because I figured that my lightweight jacket in combination with the rain poncho definitely wouldn't be enough.

Everything was still packed with tourists, so I went back to my very own room as soon as I could. As I was planning to leave the next day, I felt obliged to do at least a bit of of sightseeing though, so around 10 I went outside again. Like a miracle my camera started working again, and although the flashlight is still shining weakly, the battery seems to be alright. 

I stayed in Ronda because John Hayes mentioned in his blog that it was probably a "crime" that he hadn't stayed here longer, so I thought it must have something special, but didn't really look into it. So when I crossed the "Puente Nuevo" at night in my half-sleeping state of mind, I thought I was dreaming for a moment: There just seemed to be no ground under this bridge.

The river Guadalevín, which separates old from new town, carved out the ground over the centuries into a 120 meters deep gorge. No matter from where you look at it, it's just amazing. 

The night wasn't as refreshing as I had imagined - the rain fell in big drops onto some kind of plastic terrace just next to my window, which sounded like 20 construction workers hammering agains the walls the whole night. Also, the bed wasn't comfortable at all for some reason, and I woke up just as many times as in the tent. 

After breakfast in the hostal I went outside, very disappointed that the rain hadn't stopped at all, contrary to the weather forecast. At least my camera seems to have fully recovered, so I could finally take some pictures, which still don't reflect the breathtaking awesomeness of this place at all.

(Smaller and older bridge, still awesome.)

When I got back to the hostal 30 minutes before checkout time, my socks still weren't dry at all, it was still raining, and I was even more tired and less motivated to continue walking. So I booked another, cheaper hostal just a few streets away and moved my stuff there. At Hostal Ronda Sol, a room costs about 17€ with breakfast included in a café nearby. The bathroom is shared, but there is a place where I could put up my socks to dry for the rest of the day, which is much more important. 

It seems like the rain has stopped for now but I'm cautious to go outside. I feel really weak and have basically seen the whole city, so I don't want to risk getting a cold. I still might go for lunch soon.

Let's hope the clouds move south until tomorrow! :)