December 6, 2019
In Mojácar: Out and back to El Marchal
It’s grey this morning, and none too warm. We have a 40 mile out and back planned for the day, but we’re in no big rush to start out. We don’t leave our hotel until nearly eleven, and are well layered up when we do.
One of the facts about staying in Mojácar Pueblo is that all roads lead down. Fine enough in the morning, but it could get old after awhile facing the climb back up at the end of the day. Still though, we don’t have to find the worst way off the hill, as we do this morning. Walking our bikes down a series of crooked alleys too steep to bike comfortably, we each conclude that we’re not staying up here again - next time, we’d find a spot in the sprawling resort zone on the coast.
When we return at the end of the ride we do much better, finding a more gradual paved route that spirals up the perimeter of the hill, and I think again. We might find ourselves up hear again some year.
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Our ride today takes us northwest into the interior. After a flat few miles traversing suburbs we pass through the small town of Turre, cross the Rio Aguas and soon after that the autovia, and gradually start climbing. This is an out and back, so of course Rachael and I climb at our own speeds - she hates to stop on a hill and lose her momentum, and I hate to pass up a memorable sight I may not see again. Not far beyond Turre I spot a hoopoe perched on a wire(the fourth of this tour!), and stop to see if it will wait for me. It doesn’t, and neither does Rachael. I won’t see her again for about two hours, when she’s on her way back.
It’s a pretty easy ride, really. Once we cross under the autovia and start climbing it’s a very quiet ride, with only an occasional car passing us by the rest of the way. There’s an eight or nine mile steady climb up to 2,000’, rising up past the old mining town of Bédar and eventually crossing the summit of its ridge to give us great views down into the next valley and to the massive range to the north.
Over the top, it’s a steeper twisted drop of about a thousand feet to the tiny village of El Marchal. Then, up again, until I encounter Rachael on her way back down. I turn to join her and we coast back down to El Marchal, where we huddle against a wall of the church seeking a bit of relief from the day’s chilling wind.
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We had those growing by our house growing up as a kid in CA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricinus
4 years ago
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We don’t sit around savoring lunch for long. The sun still has not broken out at all and it’s too cold to loiter any longer. We need to start climbing and generating some warmth again.
I took my photos on the way out, so I assume we’ll just ride together the rest of the way back to town. Partway up the hill though, Rachael suddenly swerves and warns me to watch out for a snake in the road. Snake! We’ve hardly seen any snakes on this trip, so late in the season, and I’m a bit shocked to see this big guy coiled on the road. It’s December, for goodness sake.
He’s torpid, lifeless, and I’m not positive he’s even alive. If he is though, I want to get him off this shoulder to some place where he’ll have a chance. I don’t know thing one about snakes here, so I have no idea if he’s poisonous or not. I look around, find about a foot long stick, and start gently nudging him toward the shoulder. He slowly comes to life, darts his tongue, hisses, and lunges at the stick, thrusting himself a half foot or so into the air. I probably should have looked longer and found a longer stick!
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4 years ago
4 years ago
I don't know much about snakes, but I would guess from the shape of its head that it's not poisonous.
Regardless, I wouldn't want to be bitten by a snake this big!
Glad the stick you used was just long enough. Hopefully the snake will get over his grumpiness and realize that you did him a favor.
4 years ago
I must be five minutes at the snake stop, so I assume that I won’t see Rachael again until I get back to the hotel, but she’s waiting for me at the top of the ridge. I have the keys, she reminds me.
The rest of the ride back goes quickly - it’s mostly downhill, the sun breaks through just a bit, the wind is our friend going this way, and I mostly don’t stop except for a few scenes that look glorious now that the sun illuminates them.
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Video sound track: Lucia, by Oscar Lopez
Ride stats today: 40 miles, 4,400’; for the tour: 2,231 miles, 92,800’
Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 2,231 miles (3,590 km)
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