The first bus to Almeria left at 8:30, so we planned to meet at 8 to buy tickets. Due to a problem with their bus to the bus station, Kristin and Anna almost missed the bus! I bought tickets for them, and was thinking that I would have to get on the bus without them, when they finally made it.

When their bus finally arrived, they ran through the station to the platform where I waited and we all boarded together. We got to the bus station in Almeria at 10:30 a.m., and discovered that the next bus to San Jose wouldn't leave till 2:15. The idea of staying in Almeria for several hours didn't appeal to us, even though there would have been things we could have done. We wanted to get to the beach! So we figured we would buy a ticket to Cabo de Gata, and then catch another bus to San Jose.

There was another group of American students who decided to do the same thing, but when we were all about to board the bus, the bus driver told us that there was no connection to San Jose from Cabo de Gata because of the National Park in between the two pueblos. Anna, who had just spent four days hiking in the mountains in the north of Spain, brought up the idea of walking to San Jose from Cabo de Gata. So we asked the bus driver if it was possible.

At first he said, Oh, sure, you can walk. But when he saw that we were serious, he changed his tune a little bit. "I really wouldn't recommend it," he cautioned us, "There is a big mountain you would have to climb, and it is a really long walk, about 20 km. I wouldn't recommend it." Only Anna had a backpack, Kristin and I only had shoulder bags which weren't the most comfortable things for carrying but we looked at each other, and decided what the heck, it'll be an adventure! Plus, we had been planning on walking the beaches, so this would be a way to see the coast, and get closer to our destination.

So, while the rest of the American students went back inside the bus station to wait for the direct connection to San Jose, we boarded the bus, unsure of what we had just gotten ourselves into. Still, we all were equally interested in the challenge. It was great traveling with them, as they have a similar level of adventurous spirit as I do, and as one of my Bucknell friends told me, the best traveling partners share your spirit of adventure. If someone has more than the rest they'll feel held back, less and they hold the group up. Anna, Kristin and I fit together well.

The bus driver took us to Cabo de Gata, where the rest of the passengers got off, and then he took the three of us a little bit farther to Las Salinas, a tiny town on the edge of the national park. There we bought three liters of water, and began our hike. The bus driver was right: it was a long trek, and there was a mountain, but it wasn't as wild as he made it sound. There was a paved road up the mountain, so climbing wasn't too bad, and the views were amazing!

There was a nice cool breeze, so we didn't get too hot. All in all, it was perfect day for a hike. We had a great time walking together, sharing jokes and riddles, (Romeo and Juliet are dead on the floor, beside them is some glass and water. The window is open, how did they die?) quoting our favorite comedians, (Eddie Izzard again! "Hdududuh, and the dust says, what exactly are you trying to do?" Also Ellen Degeneres, "Pickle juice in the eye, that's the worst thing.")

I recited all the history that I've learned about Granada with the work we've had to do with the Bucknell professor. There is nothing like a walk with friends, under the warm sun, surrounded by beautiful countryside. Halfway we stopped to eat our packed lunches on a cliff overlooking the sea. It was magnificent.

We arrived in San Jose around 4 o'clock, four and a half hours after setting out. We were tired by the time we arrived in San Jose, after walking down the mountain and through a very desert-like area surrounded by fields of cactus which looked like some kind of modern sculputure, but what a wonderful feeling it was to walk into town! It was such a satisfying feeling to know we'd walked so far. Based on maps that we looked at in the hostel we calculate the walk was about 16 km, which I think is nine or 10 miles. (And I think we arrived only a little bit after the bus.)

We walked around looking for the hostel, couldn't find it, and so decided to get some ice-cream first! After our lovely rest, we looked around for the hostel again and this time found it.

It was closed until seven, so we walked back down to the beach and lay on the sand. By then it was about six and most people had left so the beach was fairly empty. We ate some cookie- like crackers and watched the beautiful sea. It was so peaceful to relax there. Amongst the things we talked about were some of the peculiar things that I say, due to Mom's British influence on my speech. We talked about the word stroppy, and my pronunciation of vitamins, been, and yogurt. (Also, Eddie Izzard's skit on the difference between English and American. "You say 'erb, and we say herb, why? Because there is an H in it!")

Around 7:30, when it was starting to get chilly, we walked back up to the hostel, which was on the edge of town, perched on the mountainside. After checking in and putting our stuff in our room, which had two sets of bunk beds, Anna discovered that she had lost her phone. She didn't know if it had been left on the bus or if it had fallen out on the trail when she changed from jeans to shorts. It was her phone from home - a razor, so it was a big blow to lose it. Mom called me soon after we settled our things, so I went outside to talk to her. I also talked to Dad, Emily and Patrick. It was so good to hear their voices again!

It was also neat to talk to them, out on the patio of the hostel, looking down at the town, and the edge of the sea. A half-grown Cheshire cat came and kept me company. (The town was full of cats. We saw about nine sitting under the same car, trying to keep cool. They were everywhere, winding through the legs of people eating in the restaurants, sitting on the walls of the alley ways, sleeping in the shade...)

After I got off the phone, we walked back down to get something to eat. First, we walked past all the restaurants and climbed the rocks on the stone jetty which surrounded the small marina. Out there away from the lights of town we could see the stars. We watched the sparkling light of the half moon on the rolling waves and enjoyed the peacefulness of the night. We talked for ages about our experiences here in Spain, about our friends and family back in the states, about our plans for the future. It was a lovely evening.

After sitting on the rocks for a long while, we climbed down and went to eat. For some reason, I had a throbbing headache. Maybe from all the sun. After some food and water at one of the local bars, I felt a little better. We didn't stay up late, because of my headache (and Anna's) and also because in the morning we wanted to get up early to see the sunrise.

It was hard to get up, but completely worth it. The sunrise was beautiful. There was a layer of clouds along the horizon, so we saw the pink sun at the edge of the sea and then it disappeared up behind the clouds before bursting out above them. The rays of light shining above the clouds was stunning. I took tons of pictures. After the sun rose above the clouds Anna proposed a swim, even though we didn't have our suits. (We didn't put them on because we figured it would be too cold to swim). Still, there was no-one on the beach that early, so we stripped to our underclothes and jumped in. The water felt so amazing, so silky against our skin. It was glorious to be in the water, and unlike the water at Nerja, the water was really clean. Even when I could barely touch I could clearly see the bottom! There was a floating platform with slides on it, and Anna and I had fun slipping down them into the water.

After a our refreshing dip, we got out, and clumsily pulled on clothes. Then we walked back up to the hostel, packed up, showered and headed to the bus stop. (There were only two buses leaving San Jose, one at 11 a.m., the other at 8 p.m. Since the last bus left Ameria at 8 p.m., we had to catch the morning one from San Jose.) On the way we stopped into the supermarket for breakfast. We bought yogurt and ate it with the cookie/crackers we had bought the day before using them as a spoon. It was a really good combination.

I had such a good weekend. It was a really satisfying trip. Being outside by the sea in a not so touristy place was just what I needed. And I had a good company. The only bad thing is that I left my pone on the bus! What a thing to do, especially since Anna had lost hers. I went to the bus station to look for it, and they had a cell phone but it wasn't mine. Luckily, I have been lent a phone. I just had to buy a Spanish SIM card, and Anna actually got hers back! Her friend kept calling it, and someone finally answered. Que suerte! Still, despite the missing phones, we had a splendid time together. (The worst thing about losing the phone is that I have lost the number of Christine, my intercambio. I went to the secretary of the CLM, and they have sent her an email ... giving her my new number, but so far she hasn't called. I hope we can get back in contact!)

As always thinking of everyone at home, un abrazo a todos!

Looking down the road towards Las Salinas...

The water was such a pretty turquiose color.

Amazing views...

At a stop near a lighthouse.

A picture of a cacti field.

Finally we made it to San Jose!

The saturday evening sky, and below a series of pictures from the next morning.

It was fun to sit up on this ledge in the small cliff. The way the waves had carved it out was neat.

Can you find where my shoes are camoflouged on the rock?

There were some pretty shells on the beach, and Kristin and I had fun collecting them.