Tarifa

All goes well on the way to Tarifa. Through the mountains I reach a valley taken over by a massive wind farm. I tried to count the number of towers but gave up, a ridiculous number. And then, over the mountain and on the sea, kites galore.

I decide on a campsite at the start of the beach, Camping Paloma. I'm allocated a spot but find someone already there, it was bit of an odd space anyway. Reception were about to close and direct me to an area, you should find a spot there, so I do. I set up and then take the van to the beach, the carpark was rammed but I get a space.

Wetsuit on and I lug my gear across the soft sand to join the other kites on the beach. This was exhausting in the sun with my suit on, I really needed to get on the water. I get a launch with my 8m kite and off I go. Try as I might I landed up at the other end of the beach. I'm still not fully in control, whenever I try to turn my shoulders or change my weight distribution, I fall off. I fall off a lot. Tomorrow's another day.

Tuesday 16th I decide I have to tackle the jammed door on the van, I can't keep climbing over the driver's seat to get in. A Spanish family offer to help. We get the door open and the dad determines that the lock needs to be cleaned, so I spend the next few hours cleaning the lock with some light oil. when I get the lock back on the van and everything connected, lo, it's perfect, so much better than before, just a light touch opens the door.

I'm starting to worry about finding somewhere to park up my bus. Tarifa is just about as far away as you can get in Spain from Santander and the ferry. It would take me a week to drive back.

On Wednesday I take a trip into Tarifa, eventually find a car park and wander off towards the old town. I need to eat and I find a cafe on the beach. The staff appear to be 14yo girls. I try to order but am told I've asked the wrong person although there are plenty around, eventually someone takes my order. The food was ok and I try to order another coke and ask for the bill, coke y la cuenta por fav0r. I've asked the wrong person again, so I go to the bar pay and leave.

Now where did I park the bus? My phone has died but I did take the parking ticket. When I got to where I thought I'd parked I start to ask for directions with no luck until a woman in a clothes store recognised the address, I was just one block away.

Back at the beach the Lavante (the wind from the Lavant, the east) blows and it's off shore 30kts. I sit on the beach. By late afternoon the wind drops to 25kts and veers on shore. I take my 8m kite and get out ok but when relaunching I find I'm over rocks and body drag to shore. Scrambling out I trip on the rocks and the kite drags me up the beach, not so cool! nobody around so no harm done apart from my feet.[

Thursday I'm not feeling great and decide to give kiting a miss. I get talking to some brits in an old Merc camper, they were admiring my bus. They have come from Malaga so I ask them about long-term parking. Round the airport would be expensive but Daniel lives in the mountains behind Malaga, I could park there, an hour from the airport. Wow that's a great offer, I take him up on it, thanks Daniel.