Lovely To Lackluster
We said goodbye to our new friends and cruised out of Cartagena Bay, past the channel markers and all the folks fishing at the entrance and out into the Mediterranean Sea once again. It was blazing hot! And oh so humid. When I wasn’t at the helm I sat on the windlass up in the bow to try to cool off. We immediately began looking for a place to drop the hook for a swim. We found no such place but the seas were perfectly calm so without anchoring, we stopped the engines, drifted aimlessly and dove in. When we do this I always resurface giggling - it’s as though I’m cheating somehow, like I just got away with something awesome!
We arrived in Garrucha around 5pm. This is a small town with an active fishing fleet and is known for its seafood. It also quite an industrial area, rich in minerals - especially gypsum. We side-tied to a pontoon in a strong cross wind. I had to toss each of the lines to the dockhands twice as they unexpectedly blew back towards me. We were moored just across the fairway from the giant freighters which are loaded continuously throughout the day and night. Holy crap was there a lot of dust. And not just on the outside of the boat. If you’ve ever sheet-rocked a wall you know about this dust. It’s like flour - super fine and gets EVERYWHERE. Every surface inside Meraki (and on us) received a light dusting.
The next day would be a long one, eleven hours to get to our next destination. We opened all the hatches, windows and portholes and hoped the gypsum dust would blow out! Thankfully much of it did. We left before dawn and sailed into the day. This is one of my favorite things! The sun blooms on the horizon and melds with the mightiness of the sea as it starts its journey across the sky, bringing new energy and so much promise.
“The sunrise came as if it had missed the sky and wanted nothing more than to warm up those blues to a radiant gold.”
-Angela Abraham
Leaving the Costa Blanca behind we entered the Costa del Sol (The Sun Coast). In Almeria the sun shines almost 300 days per year and has some of the driest conditions in Europe. It does get cool in the winter though as the cold air streams down off the mountains behind bringing an occasional frost. Vast stretches of terraced foothills are covered with plastic sheeting for growing fruits and vegetables. From a distance it looks like low lying snow fields. With access to groundwater and an abundance of sun, it has become a major hub of greenhouse agriculture, in fact, it is one of the highest concentrations of greenhouses in the world.
Plastic use began in the 1950s and 1960s, initially to protect the soil and plants from damaging winds and salty groundwater. They soon realized that crops grown under plastic were far more productive because the soil stayed warmer and retained extra moisture. Over the next few decades new innovations, such as drip irrigation, the use of artificial soil, and hydroponics, bolstered crop yields. By some estimates, Almería’s greenhouses now produce between 2.5 and 3.5 million tons of fruits and vegetables per year, enough to make them a major source of off-season tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and melons for people all over Europe.
Continuing past the Gulf of Almeria we stopped for a few days in Almerimar Marina. This is a man-made yacht harbor with room for 1100 vessels. It is a popular wintering place for boaters as it is inexpensive and safe in all weather conditions. It has a couple of chandlers, a small grocery store and lots of taverns and restaurants. We were waiting out some strong winds and high waves so we did a little exploring. We found an authentic British Pub just a few minutes walk from our berth and ended up visiting twice. Not that we are in any way tired of Spanish tapas - it was just a welcome change.
Naturally we visited the chandleries, the supermarket and we may have frequented the bakery more than once..? We did laundry, cleaned house and chatted with the other cruisers. In truth, Almerimar feels a little drab and tired to me. Everywhere you look you see boats which appear to have been forgotten and left there to die. It is a convenient marina, everything is close to hand, but the vibe leaves me with a restlessness. I am ready to move on.
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