Site menu:

You’re the Best

Use these links and we benefit a little bit without cost to you. Expedia.co.uk Lastminute.com Amazon.co.uk
Thanks very much.

Sponsors

Subscribe for Free Updates

Site search

Zimbabwe Ireland Yoko Singapore Malaysia Funny Travel Botswana PoTW Cook Islands France Malawi Namibia Morocco Switzerland UK Italy UAE South Africa Zambia New Zealand Tanzania India Spain Thoughts Info Australia

-- Powered by Category Cloud

RSS Posts

Comments

Archives

Guardamar: Home from home?

Posted by daveb on November 14th, 2007

We met Mark and Sal at the camp site in Barcelona (well, actually quite a way outside). They, like us, were pretty unhappy with the high price and poor facilities that faced us there. They mentioned that there was a great camp site along our route south that we should try out; so we did.

The Marjal camp site is indeed in a different class to most, and certainly plays host to different sort of camper from those with whom we’ve thus far rubbed shoulders. For example, we’ve been bezzing around staying a night or two at whichever site is closest to the attraction that we want to see. Here, the site is the attraction and the campers come for many months at a time. Here, it’s a bit like Britain without the houses and the rain.

Everyone knows everyone here, and there is quite a community feel to it all. People run book swap stalls and organised coach-trips to local towns. The camp site mini-market sold all things British, in fact we even picked-up some Cheddar cheese (forgive us, dear reader, it’s been three months of pretending that Emmental is the Real McCoy). The camp site even has Wifi internet available!

Please don’t misunderstand me here or read something into this that not here: I’m not saying that our way of camping is any better, or worse for that matter. Just different.

We got chatting to quite a few residents here, all of whom we found most friendly and excited to hear about our trip. Many were well travelled themselves, although were horrified at the thought of two people living in a Bus the size of ours for any length of time!

Being me, I had to take apart the financials of it all apart and I have to tell you that these people are not dumb. A five month stay here will cost you about €300/month and the cost of food both in and out is cheaper than in Blighty too. We’re told that the sun stays out here much longer. Rather than work until late retirement, to get the money to buy a flat/villa in Spain, it appears that a lot of these people have retired earlier than otherwise possible (say, at 50) and bought a motorhome to achieve more-or-less the same lifestyle ten years earlier.

Comments

Comment from Tadders
Time: November 14, 2007, 3:41 pm

Hey – I dont get it, is the blog two weeks behind? Why are you celebrating Haloween during the second week of November?

Comment from daveb
Time: November 15, 2007, 9:42 pm

Hi Steve,

Good spot sir! Rather than spend all of our days hunting for Internet cafes, we actually write a batch of blog entries each day and then upload them in one batch when we manage to find a Internet connection. Rather than bombard our readers with a week’s worth of entries in one go, our blogging software publishes one story a day. It’s a great system, meaning that we can publish continuously whilst not being too distracted from our travels. The only downside is that the Website trails reality by about a week (or on this occasion, two — because I broke my laptop, but that’s another story!).

See you soon, daveb.

Comment from tadders
Time: November 16, 2007, 12:34 am

The software does sound cool, I do like the fact that it queues them up and then gives me something to read each day. Very clever!

OK, so I assume you are nearly back in the UK at this point then?

Will see you next Friday.
ST

Comment from daveb
Time: November 16, 2007, 3:04 pm

At time of writing, we’re still in Spain until next Thursday, when I fly into London!

Comment from Naomi
Time: November 14, 2007, 7:16 pm

ello LC (and Dave!)
Love your halloween efforts – you know I still have my bendy skeleton straw back in Blighty from your halloween party in Balham and fond memories of chopping up gummy worms with red ‘blood’ icing – did you wear your devil outfit this year???!!!!

Write a comment