Last week my friend Diane was telling me about a trip she planned on going on, to see the Algar Waterfalls. By the time we parted company, she had convinced me it would be a good day out and booked an extra place for me.
Algar Waterfalls.
I met Diane at a bus stop a short 5-minute walk away from my apartment at 8:10 am. We were soon picked up by the coach and as it was empty got a seat at the front of the coach. We do another pick-up at Los Narejos before driving to Benidorm. On route, we make around another 8 stops to pick up more people. Whilst this does delay the trip it is very nice seeing some of the smaller towns and villages on the route that I would not normally see.
When we arrive in Benidorm, the coach drops us off at a hall where we are given coffee and cake. After our coffee, we are taken into a small room to sit through a sales presentation for about 1½ hours. The sales women are today trying to sell reclining beds. I have to say, even though it was all in Spanish, my limited Spanish knowledge did allow me to understand some of it. Diane being fluent in Spanish understood everything and filled me in on anything I asked her about. After the talk people were asked if they wanted to test the bed, Diane got up to test the bed. As she lay down on the bed, the woman asked her in Spanish, ´Would your husband like to test it with you?´. Diane replied, in Spanish, ´He is not my husband,´ and the room erupted into laughter, with all the Spanish enjoying this reply.
After the sales pitch, we were led back to the large hall, where we were given a menu of the day meal. It consisted of a few pieces of sliced meat and a salad to start with. This was followed by an excellent meat paella and finished off with ice cream. Jugs of red wine with lemonade were left on the table, these jugs of wine to drink were very refreshing, and the meal was very tasty. Just before we left, we were given a free hat to keep the sun off our heads as we continued in the afternoon.
We left Benidorm on the short trip through beautiful countryside and soon arrived at the Algar Waterfalls. We walked up a very steep hill to the entrance whilst the organiser of the trip paid our entrance fee and told us to meet back up at the coach at around 5:30 pm. It was pretty busy as we walked in carrying our bags, and I didn't see anywhere to change. We began the walk up the side of the falls, but it was very steep, and my calf muscles soon turned to stone, and I had difficulty breathing in the stifling heat. At one point, a young lady in a very tight but small bikini came galloping past, and my brain told me to follow her up the steep climb. I raced up the climb for about 30 feet behind her before my brain reminded me how old I was, and my body told me to forget trying to keep up with her.
On three occasions, I had to stop for a rest to allow my legs to get some feeling back in them and to allow my shallow breathing to return to normal. My friend Diane kept an eye on me, and several times she went on to see how much further the climb was whilst I recovered. We eventually got to the top and whilst Diane went into the water, I again had to sit down to regain my breath. When Diane returned, she said that the water was ice cold, and as I was having trouble breathing, I didn't see it was necessary to jump into ice-cold water to give my body more of a shock. Whilst I sat I took a few photos of the waterfalls and surrounding area.
When Diane was ready to head back, we looked on the other side of the river and found a much easier path to follow that had no steep steps and was paved. We followed this path until it came out near where we had started the walk. We then headed back to where we were dropped by the coach and sat in a bar to have a beautiful cold pint whilst we recovered.
The coach arrived around 5:45 pm and took us back to Benidorm, where we dropped off the guide and headed back home. We retraced the trip going up, dropping people off on the way and arrived back in Los Alcázares at 8:50 pm. Diane and I went our separate ways, and I walked along the beachfront back to my apartment. As soon as I got in, I turned on the air conditioning and collapsed onto my sofa to rest my legs, which by now were very sore. My calf muscles felt like stone, and I was ready for bed.
I enjoyed the day, and although it wouldn't be for some because of the sales pitch part, I thought it was fine. The trip costs only €10, including the coach and coffee when you arrive at Benidorm, the sales pitch lasting around 1½ hours, a menu of the day meal at lunchtime, entrance to the falls, and the sunhat. For €10, I had a good day out, a nice meal, and got a nice sun hat in the bargain. I would do this type of trip again, maybe not this one, as the steep climb was too much for me, but I will look for other similar trips.
I thank my friend Diane for organising everything and looking after me while climbing the waterfalls. You were good company, and I enjoyed our day out. Thank you.