October 24, 2018
Winding down
The weather was perfect for riding this morning. So we rode. The bike is fast when it’s unloaded. We explored the beaches to the west of the campground. It's another area that must have experienced a building boom and then died suddenly. So many nice houses are half-built, or built but not maintained, with se vende or se alquila signs in the windows.
We packed up and hopped on the ferry one last time. We ate lunch while waiting for the bus. When it was time to load, the driver left us to our own devices, so we just chucked the bikes on, bags and all. Easy and safe.
As we enjoyed the air-conditioned luxury of the bus, I pondered what the journey would have been like if we had the time to make it by bicycle. The hills were generally rideable, but soon we were on highways that were forbidden to bikes, so it's impossible to know what it would be like on alternate routes. The land is much more developed to the east of Algeciras, which bodes well for things like finding food, water, and campgrounds.
The bikes and their riders made it to Málaga with a daylight hour to spare! The six kilometers from the bus station to Recyclo Bike Shop flew by quickly. There, we met Greg, who was just as friendly in person as he was on the phone last week. We will bring our bikes, sans panniers, in tomorrow morning for him to box up. It feels like splurging to have someone else do the work, but he deserves our business. Let’s support our local bike shops, even in far-away places!
Our home for the next two nights turns out to be a backyard cottage. What a luxury! It didn’t register in my mind that this was what we were getting. Our hosts are very friendly. We chatted about our and their adventures over a beer, and they recommended some dinner spots. It was fun to speak English but it sure felt like cheating.
So here we are at the final city of our Spain tour. Tomorrow we will see the city on foot. I wish we could keep riding and meeting more people. But we are also tired. This feels like a good time to end things.
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Today's ride: 18 km (11 miles)
Total: 1,106 km (687 miles)
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