Day 2 - Almeria

The decision was made to move to new accommodation this morning. Though the place we stayed in wasn't terribly expensive, it was hoped that a hostel just out of town might prove a cheaper option. Of course this was after we took full advantage of the breakfast buffet at the hotel, in the way that only budget travelers can.

Almeria might fairly be described as an outpost of the Spanish tourist scene. Nonetheless it does have a tourist information centre. I'm not sure what crime she committed to be relegated to the Almerian tourist bureau, but the single staff member on duty certainly seemed pleased to have someone to talk to, albeit for a few minutes. Freshly armed with maps we set out for the hostel. As I said, it was a little way out of town, along a less than attractive stretch of beach, but not so far that it was a hassle.

The hostel, when we found it, was a bit of a strange one. It vaguely resembles a hospital, and is almost clinically clean, which just doesn't seem right for a hostel. Other guests are occasionally heard, but sightings are rare. In the end it may have been a bit of a false economy, it was a little cheaper for me as I was under 26 but Grandpa Faber had to pay extra.

Next up on our itinerary for the day was attempting to secure ferry tickets to Morocco - the only real reason we were in Almeria to start with. This was achieved easily enough, and I am almost 100% certain that the ferry won't take us to Algeria. Unfortunately the ferry doesn't leave for a couple of days so it looks like we'll have to find a way to entertain ourselves for few days. Almeria seems like a very nice place, a good stepping off point for Morocco or Granada, but not somewhere to spend more than a day.

With the humdrum matters out of the way, we set off to explore Almeria, starting with a long walk around the winding streets of the old city. Like most of Spain Almeria was at one point ruled by the Moors, and in the coming weeks it would be interesting to contrast Almeria's old city with the old cities in Morocco, not to mention the repeated attempts to sell us hash.

Dominating Almeria is an old Moorish fort known as the Alcazaba, dating from the 10th century. Extending from the northern side of the fort is an 11th century fortified wall that descends into the valley before climbing the slopes of the hill opposite. Our wanderings took us to the top of this hill, which itself is dominated by a large statue of Christ. This gave us a good view of the city of Almeria as well as Alcazaba. Time was getting on so we decided to leave the main fortress till the next day.

We rounded off the day with some fresh seafood and sangria in an outdoor cafe down near the water. I could think of worse ways.