|
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By Vicky Wells, on November 17th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 17 ~ Day #191
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$19100
|
$28.14
|
$16794.42
|
$87.93
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15815.4
|
12056.7
|
7662
|
196
|
35730.1
|
Current Location: Caliente Resort, Land O’Lakes, Florida
Today’s Total Expenses: $28.14
Accommodation: $28.14 (timeshare)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Touring Caliente
As to be expected, whenever you exchange your timeshare into another resort you are always offered a tour of the resort and there is always a bribe of some sort as well.
Caliente was no different. They offered us a tour and an explanation of their system. Apparently they are not, technically, a timeshare even though they are associated with RCI, which is how we were able to exchange into Caliente.
They have a points system that they wanted to explain to us. The bribe was a free lunch and a $50 credit to our account.
The young lady that gave us the tour was very knowledgeable and very friendly. Their system works by pre-purchasing a certain amount of points that can be exchanged for all kinds of things – accommodations, dinners at the restaurants and more. Naturally, the more points you want the more it costs, but as the amount you pay goes up the cost per point goes down to make the higher amounts start to look like a good deal. But, when you use up your points, they’re gone! And, as long as you still have some points, you need to pay a maintenance fee each year just like you do with timeshare, but your timeshare doesn’t expire as long as you’re paying the annual fee.
I’m afraid it didn’t seem like such a good deal to us.
One thing we did learn while talking with our tour guide was that Caliente has a pretty hefty daily ground fees.
Caliente Ground Fees
In the course of our conversation with our tour guide we found out that the normal Caliente ground fees are $100/couple/day. Yikes! That seems awfully high to us.
Then we began to wonder if we were going to be charged the daily ground fees when we checked out. That would make this exchange way more expensive if that’s the case.
Well, we check out tomorrow, so I guess we’ll find out for sure then. RCI is supposed to advise you of any additional fees that you are expected to pay that aren’t covered by your exchange and nothing was mentioned about daily ground fees when we booked this exchange.
No point in speculating, we’ll find out when we check out tomorrow and if they want an additional $100 per day for our stay we will certainly challenge that kind of charge.
By Vicky Wells, on November 16th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 16 ~ Day #190
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$19000
|
$46.14
|
$16766.28
|
$88.25
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15815.4
|
12056.7
|
7662
|
196
|
35730.1
|
Current Location: Caliente Resort, Land O’Lakes, Florida
Today’s Total Expenses: $46.14
Accommodation: $28.14 (timeshare)
Food: $18.00 (dinner)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Water aerobics
One of the classes being offered today was water aerobics and we decided to give it a try.
Our instructor was a tiny, very fit woman who was like a drill sergeant! She really got us working and exercised right along with us. I’m sure that’s how she stays so fit.
We certainly got quite a workout.
Trivia Night
Apparently Tuesday nights at Caliente are trivia nights. The trivia challenge is held in the sports bar and they also have dinner specials that night. So, we treated ourselves to dinner and participated in the trivia as well.
There were lots of teams, some with up to six people in the team, that had obviously participated in these trivia nights before.
In the first round we were holding our own and were in second place. However, by the time the game was over we had slipped to fourth or fifth place. Still pretty respectable given the number of teams participating and the fact that our team was just the two of us.
By Vicky Wells, on November 15th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 15 ~ Day #189
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$18900
|
$62.95
|
$16720.14
|
$88.47
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15815.4
|
12056.7
|
7662
|
196
|
35730.1
|
Current Location: Caliente Resort, Land O’Lakes, Florida
Today’s Total Expenses: $62.95
Accommodation: $28.14 (timeshare)
Food: $34.81 (groceries)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Grocery Shopping
It was time for another grocery run today. With just a tiny fridge in our room we aren’t able to get very much at one time.
Mani-Pedi for Me!
I’m generally not very good at keeping my nails nice, but the last little while I’ve been making a real effort.
So, while we were out shopping (actually, Geoff did most of the grocery shopping on his own), I was treated to a manicure and pedicure.
It was fantastic! I’m not sure exactly how long it took but Geoff was able to get all the shopping done and still had to wait for me to be finished.
I love being pampered like this and wish I could do it more often.
Riverboat Resort
Just down the road for Caliente are two more clothing-optional resorts. We decided to go for a walk and check out the Riverboat Resort.
While I find Caliente a little too large and impersonal, I’m afraid I found Riverboat at bit too small and even a little grungy.
We were given a tour by a very friendly young woman that I can really only describe as a “hippy chick”. She extolled all the virtues of the resort – pool, hot tub, restaurant/clubhouse and seemed very happy there.
I think Geoff liked it too, but I’m not sure I’d be happy here.
By Vicky Wells, on November 14th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 14 ~ Day #188
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$18800
|
$28.14
|
$16657.19
|
$88.60
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15815.4
|
12056.7
|
7662
|
196
|
35730.1
|
Current Location: Caliente Resort, Land O’Lakes, Florida
Today’s Total Expenses: $28.14
Accommodation: $28.14 (timeshare)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Yoga Class
More classes were scheduled for today and we decided to take in a couple of them.
Both Geoff and I took in the yoga class. It was certainly interesting but neither one of us is terribly supple, so there were a lot of the moves that we had trouble with. But it was still fun to participate.
Belly Dancing Class
Next up was a belly dancing class. It wasn’t very well attended. It was just the instructor, myself and one other participant. Geoff decided to sit this one out. The last time he did any belly dancing was our trip to Morocco over 20 years ago!
I was amazed at how much work it was but had a great time trying to get the moves right.
Karaoke at the Pool Bar
Later that afternoon we spent some time at the pool bar where a lot of people were participating in Karaoke.
Several of the people singing were very good. Others – not so much. No, Geoff and I didn’t sing anything and, trust me, it’s better that way!
Nak’d Truth After Party
Tonight was supposed to the the Nak’d Truth after party, but it didn’t seem very well organized and, again, they kept things roped off and kept the general public at bay.
We wandered over to see what was going on and then just decided to call it a night.
By Vicky Wells, on November 13th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 13 ~ Day #187
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$18700
|
$28.14
|
$16629.05
|
$88.93
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15815.4
|
12056.7
|
7662
|
196
|
35730.1
|
Current Location: Caliente Resort, Land O’Lakes, Florida
Today’s Total Expenses: $28.14
Accommodation: $28.14 (timeshare)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Zumba Class
Caliente Resort offers a lot of activities, particularly on the weekends. Today we decided to take advantage of their Zumba class.
What a hoot that was! It’s a combination of aerobics and salsa. At times we had a little difficulty keeping up and we wish they had taken just a little more time explaining some of the steps before we got right into it. However, all-in-all we had great fun and it was certainly a good work out, too. We plan to look into getting DVDs or something like that when we get home.
Nak’d Truth Casting Call
As we mentioned in an earlier post, Caliente is hosting a new reality show called the Nak’d Truth. Today is the casting call with people from all over the country vying for a place in the show.
We had thought that we would be able to watch the casting interviews but apparently that was not to be. The entire area was roped off and open only to cast and crew.
Hot Tub & Conversation Pool Roped Off
Unfortunately the area they were using for the casting interviews was where the hot tub and conversation pool were. The conversation pool is a long, narrow, shallow pool with built in seats.
This was our favorite area. We both like hot tubs and when we got too hot we’d just head over the conversation pool for a while. But both were off limits for today at least.
Fortunately Caliente has several pools, so we headed over to another one but the other pools were, of course, pretty crowded with it being the weekend and the other areas being off limits.
Comedy Show
There was a comedy show scheduled for this evening in the main bar. We were really looking forward to that.
After putting a dinner together for ourselves in our room we headed over to the clubhouse and into the bar to settle in for the comedy show.
I guess it wasn’t too bad, but we’ve seen much better comedians. They were supposed to be professional comedians but it felt more like they were amateurs.
By Vicky Wells, on November 11th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Nov 11 ~ Day #185
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$18500
|
$115.22
|
$16501.55
|
$89.20
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15566+249.4=15815.4
|
12056.7
|
7662
|
196
|
35730.1
|
Current Location: Caliente Resort, Land O’Lakes, Florida
Today’s Total Expenses: $115.22
Transportation: $50.00 (gas)
Accommodation: $28.14 (timeshare)
Food: $37.08
Consisting of:
$5.20 (Subway for lunch)
$5.34 (drinks at the resort)
$26.54 (dinner at the resort)
Miles Traveled Today:
Road Miles: 249.4
Birthday Celebration
Today a Happy Birthday wish goes out to grandson, A. Hope you have a wonderful day!
Booking Caliente Through RCI Timeshare System
When we were checking our timeshare options for this trip we were quite surprised to see the Caliente Resort come up as an choice. Caliente is a very upscale, clothing optional resort.
In the “important information” section when you’re booking timeshare through RCI, it does mention that it’s a clothing optional resort and you have to click a check box to say that you’ve read that information. However, you have to check that box for every resort you book, even if there is no important information. So, we couldn’t help but wonder how many people just click the box without actually reading the information. We also wondered if people had booked through RCI and showed up at Caliente not knowing it was a clothing optional resort.
Madge, Our Magellan GPS
Once again we put Madge into service to get us from Davie, Florida to Land O’Lakes, Florida.
She gave us several options, as she always does, and we decided to take the longer route for a leisurely drive, avoiding any major highways. After all, it was a lovely day for a drive and we were in no particular hurry.
Checking In After Dark
The drive actually took us a little longer than anticipated and we arrived at Caliente just a little after dark.
We checked in at the front gate and were directed to the building where the check in desk was located.
The resort uses very soft lighting in the evening which is very attractive, but it also makes it a bit difficult to see where you’re going. But, we did manage to find the right building, and a place to park, and proceeded to check in.
During the check in process we did ask if people had exchanged into the resort through RCI not knowing that it was a clothing optional resort.
They told us about one incident where a husband had booked the trip without telling his wife it was clothing optional. I can’t imagine that that ended well.
This Isn’t a Studio
On our RCI timeshare exchange we had selected a studio unit. When we got to our room, we realized that what we actually got was a hotel room. We were hoping for some minimal cooking facilities, which is what you usually get with a studio, but all we got was a tiny fridge and a microwave.
Oh, well. We’d just have to make do. At least the microwave would give us the option of having some hot meals. We don’t want to be eating out for a whole week.
Free Cocktails and Dinner
After getting settled in our room, we headed back to the clubhouse which was only steps away from our room.
Tonight was “free drinks for the ladies” night so we each had a couple of drinks and, because mine were free, the total cost for the drinks only came to $5.34. Not bad!
We didn’t stop for groceries before we got to the resort because we weren’t certain about cooking facilities. So, we decided to eat in the restaurant tonight and make a grocery run tomorrow.
Beautiful Resort
Caliente is a beautiful resort with an RV section, condos and a residential area, with some fabulous homes, as well.
They also have several pools, a large hot tub, extensive grounds, and planned activities every day. We were able to see what activities were coming up on the tv in our room.
We are looking forward to spending a week here.
By Vicky Wells, on October 21st, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 21 ~ Day #164
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16400
|
$44.59
|
$14370.26
|
$87.62
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
urrent Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $44.59
Transportation: $6.98 (€5.00 – bus)
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $9.47 (€6.78)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Costa La Calma
Today we decided to take the bus in the other direction along the coast.
This trip was much, much longer and the end of the line was at a small river emptying into the ocean. There was only a footbridge across this little river.
More Walking
We, again, did lots and lots of walking. Some of it along the beach, some along the sidewalks when we thought there might be interesting things to see in the small towns.
Some of the beaches are groomed, some are not and I’m really not sure what the criteria would be for the beaches that are, or are not, cleaned.
Checking Out Real Estate
We passed many, many real estate agents along our walk but most of them were closed.
We did stop by one that was open and the lady there was very, very helpful.
We explained that although we are looking to move to Europe, we haven’t actually decided where. And, on top of that, we will probably rent for at least a year before we buy anything.
This did not deter her enthusiasm at all and she was happy to give us all the info we wanted. She also suggested that she show us a rental property to give us some idea of what was available in the area.
She showed us a lovely 3-bedroom house on a decent piece of land that was only steps to the beach. It came furnished and with all the dishes and linens as well.
It was, however, a bit out of our budget at about $1200/month (€850/month) if you rented it for a year. If you rented it for just the winter months then it would be only $1050/month (€750/month) because the high season here is the summer. You see, the get about $10,000 (€7000) for just July and August. So, often it’s more profitable for them to let it just sit empty during the low season than lower the monthly rate for a year long, or six month long rental that includes those months.
But, all this did give us some idea of what we could expect to get for what we’re willing to pay.
What Is It About Me and Insects?
It seems that no matter where I go if there are any biting or stinging insects in the area they will find me!
And, today was no different.
While we were walking along the beach a felt something on my thigh and brushed it away. Wrong thing to do!
OUCH!
I saw the wasp that I had just brushed away on the ground at my feet. But, he somehow had plenty of time to sting me!
I immediately headed for the ocean and splashed the sting area with salt water. It didn’t seem too bad – at first. After the next few days it would get much worse, with the read area spreading across quite a large portion of my thigh and swelling as well. Not to mention it got quite itchy for a few days, too.
It seems I just can’t escape this kind of thing no matter where I go. Sigh.
It’s Melting … Melting
On the way back to the timeshare unit we stopped and picked up a few more groceries.
We were both in the mood for some type of dessert and we bought what we thought was simply a frozen cake.
You see, we didn’t have a freezer in the tiny little fridge in our apartment.
Any way, when we took the cake out of the fridge for dessert we found that it was, or rather HAD BEEN, an ice cream cake.
It was a little runny and a little messy, but we still enjoyed it for dessert.
By Vicky Wells, on October 19th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 19 ~ Day #162
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16200
|
$56.69
|
$14284.68
|
$88.18
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
168
|
29471.9
|
Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $56.69
Transportation: $3.49 (€2.50 – bus)
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $25.06 (€17.95)
Miles Traveled Today:
Zero
Note: we will only record miles when traveling from place to place and not within a town or city.
Looking for the Beach
From the map we got from Tourist Information here in Dénia, it looked to us like the entire coastline of Dénia was beach.
So, packed lunch, blanket and water in hand, we headed off to catch the local bus (there are only 4 local buses, 3 of which drive along the coastline and 1 that goes to the hospital).
The route we were taking was called Las Rotas and we were able to catch it just down from our timeshare.
It arrived more or less on time – hey, this is Spain, after all. We got on and paid our fare – €1.25 each, which seemed reasonable until we realized just how short a trip it was.
We had actually walked almost halfway ourselves the day before. And, as we found on our walk there really wasn’t a whole lot of beach, but we were hopeful that we would find more beach as the map seemed to indicate that.The map also indicated a naturist beach at the end of the bus line.
End of the Line
We hadn’t been on the bus for what seemed like a very long time when it backed up in front of a seaside restaurant and was then headed back in the direction we had come.
Yep, this must be the end of the line.
So, we got off and still couldn’t see anything but rocky coastline, but did not give up hope.
This is a Beach?
We walked to the end of the road and saw a small – very small – hmmm, I’m really not sure I can call it a beach, more a patch of gravel. But, it was on the ocean and it even had steps down to it.
According to our map this was La Cala Naturist Beach. There was barely room of half a dozen people!
We thought perhaps we had the wrong place, so we continued to walk up the hill next to the beach to see if there was anything more beyond here. But, no, this had to be it.
There were actually several people there, none apparent naturists. So, we spread our blanket and had our lunch and spent some time in the sun.
Being “beachologists” ourselves and having written the book, The Elusive Beaches of Eleuthera, we would not have even mentioned something like this as a beach let along named it, but there it was on the map.
Heading Back
Just before 3:00pm we decided to head back to our timeshare. We thought the buses ran more or less every hour and we had been dropped off around 20 minutes past the hour when we arrived, so it seemed reasonable to assume that the return bus should be there at about 3:20pm, right?
On closer examination of the posted bus schedule, we noticed that there was a two hour break at that time of day and the next bus wouldn’t arrive for at least another hour.
More Walking
Rather than wait for at least another hour we decided to start walking back figuring, if we got too tired, we could always head back up to the main road and catch the later bus at some point in its journey.
Coastal Walkway
The coastal walkway at this end (southern?) of Dénia is actually quite impressive and makes for a pleasant walk. For a lot of the way it is paved with flagstone and concrete and closer into town it is paved with interlocking stone.
There are many benches placed all along the route so you can stop and rest and enjoy the view and sound of the ocean.
We so enjoyed the walk that it seemed like no time before we were back to the section that we had already walked the day before.
So, there was no point in taking the return bus anyway, we were almost home and it had only been about an hour.
This was a way more pleasant way to spend the hour we could have spent just sitting and waiting for our bus.
More Groceries
We stopped at the small grocery store just a little ways from our timeshare and picked up a few more groceries – and a little more wine, too!
We had found a lovely Sangria and decided to get some more. Now, don’t go thinking that we’re spending a lot of money on wine that we are reporting in our daily expenses. Any such purchase is included in the Food expenses category. And, this Sangria was only €1.45/litre (about $2.02) and it was very nice.
We also found some red wine and white wine that were in the same price range – or cheaper – but the Sangria was by far the best.
Laundry and Relaxing
The rest of the afternoon was spent doing laundry (that is something that, on such a long trip, we just can’t ever seem to escape) and relaxing.
Relaxing with some Sangria, cheese and grapes, that is!
By Vicky Wells, on October 17th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 17 ~ Day #160
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$16000
|
$95.82
|
$14181.94
|
$88.64
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15263
|
6378.9
|
7662
|
148+20=168
|
29471.9
|
Current Location: Ogisaka Gardens, Dénia, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $95.82
Transportation: $6.06 (€4.50 – train)
Accommodation: $28.14
Food: $61.62 (€45.75 – groceries)
Miles Traveled Today:
Train Miles: 20 (Altea to Dénia)
Waking Up in Altea
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise that we could see from our tiny deck overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean. Considering how inexpensive these unexpected accommodations were (see our expenses for yesterday, October 16th) this was an added surprise.
We simply can’t recommend the San Miguel Hotel strongly enough.
Yes, it was off-season, but their location is amazing!
And, for the cost of our accommodations we also got a light breakfast of coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and toast with jam.
Walking the Beach in Altea
We simply had to walk the beach at Altea before checking out and heading on to our actual destination of Dénia (pronounced DEN-ya). They have certainly done everything right to make their waterfront appealing to visitors and locals alike.
Back to the Train Station
Thanks to the help we received last night, we found it easy to find our way back to the train station.
We had also been told that the train to Dénia comes about every two hours starting at about 7:15am. So, we planned to be there to catch the 11:15am train and hoped that the information we had been given was correct.
Yep, we were told the right thing and the train did arrive at about 11:15am and we were on our way.
We had hoped that the train would go mostly along the coast, but it cut inland on its way to our destination. Still the scenery was beautiful and the journey was pleasant. The whole trip took a little over an hour.
Finding our Hotel
Initially we had planned to arrive in Dénia by bus, so Geoff had printed out a walking map from the bus station to our hotel from Google.
However, here we were arriving by train with no idea where it was in relation to either the bus station or our hotel.
As luck would have it, after exiting the train station and thinking we best get a cab, we noticed the Tourist Information Centre directly across from the train station – and – even on a Sunday – it was open!
We immediately stopped in, showed them the name and address of our hotel and they said it was only about a 10 minute walk from where we were.
They got out a map, showed up which way to go, and off we went.
Now, I’m sure it was only a 10 minute walk if you didn’t have rather heavy backpacks and weren’t old and overweight. However, after a sign sent us a little out of our way, we did manage to find the hotel.
A Welcome and Free Drinks from the Hotel
We were warmly welcomed when we arrived at Ogisaka Gardens, but we were also told that their computer system was down and they weren’t able to check anyone in.
Not to worry, they said, and directed us to the patio, told us to order whatever drinks we wanted and for us to relax until the computer was back up and running.
And, that’s exactly what we did!
Time for Groceries
Our timeshare unit is a one bedroom and we thought it was suppose to have a full kitchen.
Well, apparently our idea of a full kitchen and this resort’s idea are two different things.
Our “full” kitchen has a 2-burner stove, a microwave and a very small fridge that doesn’t have a freezer. No oven, no dishwasher.
There is a washing machine in the unit, but no dryer.
European Standards vs North American Standards
This is a simple case of European Standards vs North American Standards.
Lots of things here are smaller than we would expect – appliances for one thing and even the sizes of houses, hotel rooms and such.
You need to just go with the flow in such cases because if you complain that they’re not up to North American standards, quite likely they are not even sure what you mean – particularly coupled with any language difficulties.
But, let’s be clear – our unit is lovely. Tiled floors through out, two large, tiled balconies – one off the living room and one off the bedroom. Lots of closet space, two TVs, a complete living room and dining room and a spacious bathroom. It makes the other stuff seem practically insignificant.
We will be very happy here during our stay, I’m sure.
By Vicky Wells, on October 16th, 2010
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
|
Oct 16 ~ Day #159
|
Budget to date
|
Spent today
|
Total to date
|
Daily average
|
|
Total
|
$15900
|
$312.18
|
$14086.12
|
$88.59
|
|
Miles by Road
|
Miles by Sea
|
Miles by Air
|
Miles by Train
|
Total Miles
|
|
15190+73=15263
|
6378.9
|
6752+910=7662
|
119+29=148
|
29451.9
|
Current Location: San Miguel Hotel, Altea, Alicante, Spain
Today’s Total Expenses: $312.18
Transportation: $201.20
$174.00 (Flight from Bristol to Alicante)
$7.00 (€5.20 – bus from Alicante Airport to train station)
$12.12 (€9.00 – train from Alicante to Altea)
$8.08 (€6.00 – cab in Altea)
Accommodation: $80.54
$28.14 (timeshare)
$52.40 (€38.90 – Hotel San Miguel)
Food: $30.44 (€22.60 – Greek Restaurant in Altea)
Miles Traveled Today:
Road Miles: 73 (Burry Port to Bristol)
Air Miles: 910 (Bristol to Alicante)
Train Miles: 29 (Alicante to Altea)
Saying Goodbye to Friends
This is the day we have to say goodbye to our good friends and traveling companions, T & E.
E has graciously offered to drive us to Bristol airport so we can catch our plane to Spain, even though it is almost a four hour drive for her – two hours each way!
We have enjoyed the time spent with these friends both at their home in Wales and traveling with them on the narrowboat and throughout Italy, Greece and Croatia.
Although goodbyes are always difficult, it’s always good to get back to your normal routine and way of life. Thanks, T & E!
Flying With EasyJet
This time we chose EasyJet to fly with. We had booked the flight before we flew with RyanAir. After the pleasant experience with RyanAir, we may have chosen them again, but at the time we were booking, we had not heard very good things about RyanAir.
Truly, I don’t know if they would have been any cheaper. When you have to travel on a specific day, the super-cheap flights may not be available.
Also, this was a one-way booking, not return, and that often makes a big difference, too.
No point in speculating. We chose EasyJet and the flight was on time and comfortable.
Bus or Train?
I had checked, quite a while in advance, about buses available from Alicante airport to Dénia and thought, given when we were arriving in Spain, that we would have two or three choices of times.
As it turned out, the bus we were planning to take had summer and winter hours and we were now in the winter season. So the choices became more limited.
We found the stop for the ALSA bus to Benidorm, where we could make connections to Dénia. It was about 7:40pm and, in the summer, there would have been a bus at 8:00pm, however, the next bus in this season was 9:00pm – a wait of 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Okay, well, I also thought that the last bus from Benidorm to Dénia was at 11:00pm – stay tuned, I was about to be proved wrong.
Our Own Personal Travel Guide
There was another person waiting at the ALSA bus stop who was traveling to Benidorm.
As it turned out, Jan had lived in Spain for the last seven years as a travel guide for the Costa Blanca area, and had only recently returned to England.
She was back to visit a friend in Benidorm.
She was also surprised that there was no bus to Benidorm at 8:00pm and told us there were other options.
She said we could take a local bus to the train station in Alicante and from there we could get a train to Benidorm and then on to Dénia.
Just after she said that, the local bus arrived and we all, Jan included, made the decision to head for the train rather than wait well over an hour for the bus.
No Train to Dénia?
When we were getting our trains tickets, our new friend, who spoke Spanish, asked for tickets to Dénia for us and the ticket agent just shook his head – not a good sign.
Jan was certain that there would be a train from Benidorm to Dénia and so we bought tickets to Benidorm.
During the trip from Alicante to Benidorm, Jan was in touch by cellphone with her friend in Benidorm who checked about the train to Dénia, as well as the bus, just in case.
Not Good News
The news was not good.
The last train to Dénia was at 8:00pm, so that was totally out.
The last bus was at 10:00pm and the train we were on was arriving at 9:53pm – not enough time to get from the train station to the bus station.
Now what?
The options were to take a taxi from Benidorm to Dénia – way too expensive; stay overnight in Benidorm – again, way too expensive; or, continue on to the last train stop which was Altea (pronounced al-TAY-ah), about a third of the way from Benidorm to Dénia and perhaps get a cab from there.
Altea Here We Come
We opted to continue on to Altea and hugged Jan goodbye and hopped on the train which was about to leave.
When we arrived in Altea we felt kind of lost. The train conductor tried to direct us to the local police who he thought might be able to help us. There were no taxis at the train station (well, actually, just a train stop, not really a station).
We weren’t able to find the police station and walked down the main street a bit and stopped outside a cafe that was still open – everything else seemed closed.
A gentleman who was just leaving the cafe asked us, in perfect English, if we needed help.
We explained our situation and he said he knew of a inexpensive hostel where we could get a room for the night.
Well, that sounded pretty good to us and he started to give us walking directions. Well, we were exhausted and didn’t relish the idea of lugging our backpacks even further than we already had. He offered to call us a cab saying it wouldn’t cost much as it wasn’t very far. We accepted his offer and the cab arrived very quickly.
We arrived at the Hotel San Miguel in just a few minutes after a cab ride that cost us only €6.00.
Before checking in we asked the price of the room and were told it was €36.00. That seemed really reasonable, so we checked in and were shown to our room.
It was basic but clean and had its own bathroom. As we had been told this was a hostel, we had expected just a bed with a communal bathroom, but this place was great. It even had a small balcony.
Almost 11:00pm – Time for Dinner
It was certainly time to grab something to eat. We had a wonderful breakfast with T & E this morning, but since then the only thing we’d had to eat was a chocolate bar.
After dropping our bags in our room, we headed out into the warm night and wandered past several restaurants.
We chose a Greek restaurant that had a rather extensive and pretty reasonable menu.
We both opted for a Souvlaki dish and ordered a pitcher of beer to wash it down. The meal was fabulous and very filling.
More Serendipity?
During our travels we have found that a lot of mistakes turn out to be happy accidents and this was one of them.
Would we have made it to Dénia if we had waited for the ALSA bus at 9:00pm? Maybe, maybe not. The connection in Benidorm was not guaranteed.
However, by missing both the last bus and the last train, we got a chance to experience Altea, which is the type of town that we like. Not too touristy, not too big. Even though our stay here will be short, we know we’re going to enjoy it and it is a place that we will remember for a long time.
Back to Hotel San Miguel
Well fed, we returned to our hotel and basically just fell into bed and into a sound sleep.
Only One Downside
The only downside to this detour was that we had already paid for the same night’s accommodation at our timeshare in Dénia but even with adding both costs together it still wasn’t too bad, considering.
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