Bus stops to pit stops a treat in any language...

...BEHIND BENIDORM is a mountain, it's called 'El Puig Campana' and to the left side of the mountain is Finestrat village. The Village is very quaint with many houses being traditionally Spanish in style. There are also some nice bars and restaurants. In the last blog I described our day out for Angelas birthday at Al Fresco, and it was so nice, that we decided to go again but this time on our own.

We decided we would be able to catch the bus both ways this time. The trip there was non-eventful except we went a totally different way than the last time we went. It was most picturesque. We turned on to the area known as 'Terra Mitica' this is really a theme park, but a rather large urbanisation has grown around it along with Golf Courses and some expensive hotels such as 'Asia Gardens'. All the way through the park there are roundabouts and on each one is a fountain. Each fountain is different, but all rather spectacular.

The bus continued through te park and up past 'Terra Natura' (the Zoo) and then on to a country lane which was deep in the Campo (country side). Eventually we got our bearings and realised it was approaching the village from the opposite side to when we took a trip before.

The meal was as good as before, prior to which we had a little stroll to look at the village and it is no surprise than a lot of ex-pats like to live there.

We caught the bus home at the place we got off and it returned the same way as we came, but before we set off the attentive (unusually so) driver, asked if we could feel the air conditioning. He obviously couldn't so he proceeded to turn the engine off and then on again, which seemed to make him happy. Off we went. Sharing our bus were two young ladies in front of me, and Ange sat behind me (irrespective of air conditioning it was still extremely hot, so we thought cut the heat down by sitting alone) behind us was a very well dressed man in his 30s. As we left the village we come to a place known as the plantation and a rather large lady got on the bus. As I remarked earlier it was very hot, so why, when there was at least 20 free seats, did she have to sit next to me? And the driver was right because it was getting warmer and we could no longer feel the chill of the Air conditioning.

We continued down the hill on its meandering path and I was most glad when my side of the bus moved out of direct sunlight, because Hattie Jacques sat next to me was more effective than a high tog duvet. We went along through the 'Terra Mitica' park and as we came to the last bus stop, the driver stopped (there were no passengers requesting a stop or anyone at the bus stop), we assumed it was a regular stop place for him to mark time or something because he switched the engine off. Ange and I had remarked that the air conditioning has stopped working, so we hoped he wasn't there long because my temperature was rising along with everyone else. The driver then tried to start the engine again. It didn't kick in...again...still no luck, the two girls in front of me got off the bus and stood in the shade of the bus stop. Hattie next to me decided I was making her too hot and she moved acoss the aisle, and the well dressed chap behind moved down to the driver and decided to give him some advice about starting the engine. Our hitherto good mannered driver seemed to resent the advice and the well dressed bloke made a hasty retreat and joined the girls in the shelter. Ange and I debated walking home from there, but as it was in the high 30's C we thought better of it. Then the bus started, the air conditioning kicked in and everyone got back on the bus. The driver made it clear that he was not going to stop his engine again. We managed to get home with no further complication thankfully.

Whilst public transport in Benidorm is second to none, the Spanish passengers and Bus drivers seem to clash an awful lot, especially when the fare increases. When Ange and I first arrived the fair anywhere was 95 cents it is now one Euro 25 cents. The first time we noticed an increase, the time taken to get to Benidorm doubled, why? Because we would stop at the next significant bus stop, which is outside the Bali Hotel, and a long line of Spanish holiday makers are about to get on, it was 95 cents last time they were here. When presented with 95 cents from passenger no 1 the drivers says "No Senor uno Euro!" "Que" says the passenger "Uno Euro" the driver repeats, the passenger then says to passenger no 2 "Es Uno Euro", who then passes it all the way to the back of the queue and the last one says with emphasis "UNO Euro?" which filters back down to passenger no 1 who foolishly says to the driver once more "Uno Euro?".........................."SI UNO EURO!!!" is the driver's somewhat impatient reply, and then they all get on. So multiply that with the 20 or so stops until he starts the circuit again, and bear in mind he will do that trip several times over 8 hours you can imagine how frought that guy is by the end of his shift.

You may have ascertained from this example that the Spanish are a bit careful with their money. In previous blogs I have explained 10 people will sit at a bar table with only one having a drink, and the when Pensioners get almost free holidays for two weeks at Government expense, they seem to have a game to determine who can spend the least in each group. You see them sat on a wall, or a bench, or a rock, but rarely in a bar or restaurant.

So, when my friends and I all turn up in the Marina Bar, Antonio nd Pepi's eyes light up with a welcome unimaginable. "Ah Bobby, dos Mahou mi amigo...." and in an instant I am sat with a beer in front of me. The bars, Hotels, restaurants and public services all prefer expats to native Spaniards because we spend.

Recently we have made friends with a Dutch couple Yan and Joche (pronounced cockie) they are a lovely couple but unfortuntely Joche is not in the best of health having had a sroke which has affected her speach memory, so she can't speak perfectly in Dutch, and she used to have several languages but has lost them all. We do however converse in English or Spaish. She can remember some English so to Joche we just speak English even though we know she can't grasp everthing Yan believes it is good therapy for her. They like us, as expats have made the bar their local and Antonio and Pepi see them as valuable customers.

Yan has perfect English, Dutch and as far as I can tell Spanish. So he keeps me on my toes by talking to me in Spanish which makes me delve into the memory banks to recall all I have learned. As a consequence of this we were in the bar a few weeks ago and a lady came into the bar with an older gentleman who had one of those electric buggies. Theman had clearly also had a stroke and the lady seeme to be his helper. There was a natural common subject which sparked a conversation between the lady and Yan. The lady was speaking Spanish, as far as I was concerned she was Spansih, however it transpired she was Russian. She had no English at all, so she asked me thins in Spanish, fortunately basic stuff, like 'did I livehere' 'which building' 'for how long' etc. This level didn't tax me too much, but once she thought I could speak Spanish the speed increased and I was soon out of my depth. Yan interpreted where I couldn't make any sense. And here is my point dear reader.....Yan told me that she only started to learn the language 8 months ago....... It made me feel quite inadequate....