Ronda - Day 5

I love to buy little treasures which are often known to other people as crap.  Yet I stand by the believe that someone's trash is another person's treasure.  Matt and I started the day by walking around Seville buying tourist stuff and window shopping.

As we were leaving Seville, of which we had issues getting into and leaving every city so far by car, we were at a complete stop while waiting for our turn to enter the roundabout.  2 cars behind us hit the car in front of us which hit us... no damage and everyone went on their marry way. 

The drive from Seville to Ronda was jaw dropping beautiful with mountains and green nature; note southern Spain has had a rainy winter.

We arrived in Ronda and jumped out to see the view.  We stopped at a restaurant at 4pm which was just closing their kitchen to prepare for dinner, so we had some starters and a drink or two while we overlooked the valley with a bridge built across it.  This is why the tourists staying on the coast come to Ronda just for the day.  The timing on their arrival and departure in fact was almost predictable.

After lunch we Walked around taking pictures and enjoying the bridge and thee valley.  We hiked to see the bridge from side, then hiked back up.  On the other side of the bridge, we visited Casa del Rey Moro.  This is where we walked down an old mine and came out at the river which is along the bottom of the valley - looking up.

Evening was setting in so we wandered down to old part of city and came up the other side of the river.

On the way back up the opposite side, Matt spotted millions of little black ants walking a far distance while making an ant hill and carrying greenery from the bushes.  We visited and marveled at them and what it would be like to be them for a bit.  I think that was the only moment during the entire trip that Matt REALLY wished he would have brought his macro camera lens along.

We drove approx. 20 minutes from Ronda to where our hostel was for the next 2 nights.  Cartajima - amazing mountain village managed by a character named Botz.

Interestingly strange fellow, but an amazing cook. 

There were also 1 other couple at the hostel that evening, Katherine from Germany and Frederick from Holland.  The 4 of us + Botz stayed up and talked and drank beer and wine by the fire in the old cottage.  It was almost magical and put together like a page out of an evening in Anne of Green Gables.  But with beer & wine.

A group of 5 or so students all travelling together arrived at the hostel around midnight and we all stayed up more and drank and talked... and then went to sleep at silly o'clock.