Mittens Benidorm 2006 - WED 16 AUG to WED 23 AUG

[Matt Goble]

Heard anything from me? I said right from the start my tent was a 1-man and nothing but

Earlier, when I posted a breakdown of the tent situation I listed you with your one-man tent, and myself with a two-man tent.  As we are both sharing a car from Barcelona, I didn't know whether you wanted to crash in my two-man and save a bit of luggage space?

I think the plan now would be for me to use one of Farlanders, to help try and keep the space down as You, CJ & M0Ds are bringing tents in the car.

Or someone gets strapped to the roof 

[Chrille]

I still feel guilty about everyone missing the 17.30 bus because of me. But I think we should be prepared to catch it because chances are the plane might be a few minutes early and provided I get my bag from the luggage-retriever thingamajig fast enough we might be able to make it. Also, I wouldn't mind if people didn't want to miss that bus just because of me, but I would appreciate it if at least someone would stay just to help find the way to the camping site. Unlike Andail, I'm not good at finding my way around foreign places.

[m0ds]

I love riding roofs! :p Matt, if Nacho has yet more spare tents maybe those in my tent could use that option. If not I'll bring mine! Nacho?

[Pet Terry]

 :o

I took up on your offer because Nacho said it'll be cheaper to share a tent, and I'd really like to save as much money as possible because I'm only a poor student nowadays and I really need money to buy noodles and tuna back at home. But I guess it's okay if you leave your tent home, m0ds. I'll just crash into someone else's tent, or perhaps sneak into bathroom and sleep there.

[Nacho]

Please, somebody of the Barcelona crew does know the estimated arrival time to Benidorm? Because the Airport is quite close (maybe 45 mins.), and, if you are here by that time, I could take CJ, or Goldmund with me to the airport, because I know the way, and we could bring Chrille.

M0ds, the tents are here, so, as said, if you want to travel without the tent in your luggage, there's no problem (only that it will cost more to you...) But you'll have a canvass roof if you want, waiting for you here, don't worry.

[m0ds]

Ohhh right, fair enough! Thanks - I thought you might have a spare tent of your own, but it's fine - I'll bring mine. So you won't have to sleep in urine, Petteri!

[Pumaman]

Please, somebody of the Barcelona crew does know the estimated arrival time to Benidorm?

We collect the hire car between 13:00-14:00, and it's about 280 miles.

Therefore, allowing for stops, photo taking and tomfoolery, I estimate it will take 6-7 hours and that we will arrive at some time up to and including 21:00.

Nacho: What time does it get dark in Benidorm at the moment?
Also, have I interpreted the campsite's address correctly; is it at the "1" marked on this map:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/images/campsite.gif ?

[Nacho]

The map is not 100%. Here is the map with the correct location of the campsite. Above, the same area with the way you should do to reach the campsite, having in mind that you come from the autoroute from Barcelona. (Autopista del Mediterraneo... You should take the first exit to Benidorm)

I think 6-7 hours is a bit too much... My dad made it in 3 hours, but I don't think that your hired car will run as fast as the Ford Sierra Cosworth he had... anyway, 6 hours? Let's say 5. In any case, too late for picking up Chrille. We'll see, if he really feels bad about it I might move too to the airport.

Edit: Sh1t... Photobucket resized my image, it's too big. I think it's quite clear, even in the small version, but if you have problems, I'll send the image. The avenue where the campsite is located is "Severo Ochoa".

[Pumaman]

The map is not 100%. Here is the map with the correct location of the campsite. Above, the same area with the way you should do to reach the campsite, having in mind that you come from the autoroute from Barcelona.

Thanks for that!

I think 6-7 hours is a bit too much... My dad made it in 3 hours, but I don't think that your hired car will run as fast as the Ford Sierra Cosworth he had... anyway, 6 hours? Let's say 5. In any case, too late for picking up Chrille.

Yeah, but we might decide to leave the motorway and take some local roads in order to see some Spanish towns and avoid the tolls, so it could well take longer. Depends what we decide to do in the end.

[Nacho]

Then you should come via Altea, a town located 10 kilometres north to Benidorm, which in my satellite map is called "Avenida Comunitat Valenciana". You'd appeat just where in my image is the label "Mapa/Satélite", at the top-right. Then finding the campsite is very easy, because you should turn left in a cross road where the there are two big notices of "Mundomar" and "Aqualandia".

Actually asking for Aqualandia should be a nice trick to reach the campsite... but you should stop some meters before the street which leads to the mountain where the water park is.

One thing...Ã,  I've asked my dad the price of the motorway Barcelona-Benidorm. He has told me it's something like 30 Euros... That makes 60 Euros (two cars) to be paid for 10 people... 6 Euros each. Having in mind that you'll probably have to drive 2 or 3 hours more if you don't take the motorway, the euros you save in tolls would probably be lost on paying the gas, and you'll have to travel more, so, if I were you, I'd reconsider it...

EDIT: I've called again to the campsite, and apparently there are parcels  with canvasses... cool! About the sun: Yesterday I was quite impressed and told Lore that there is still a lot of light even at 2100 h., we will lose some minutes till middle august, but it wouldn't be "closed night" even with that when the Barcelona crew arrives.

[Chrille]

I'd like to make a request to visit the cliffs by the sea in Benidorm. I've been told by people who've been there that they're very nice. Is it easy to get there?

[Helm]

I'd like to make a request to visit the cliffs by the sea in Benidorm. I've been told by people who've been there that they're very nice. Is it easy to get there?

Seconded

[m0ds]

More sekrit beaches!!!

[Nacho]

Well, Aqualandia is actually in the mountain which has that cliffs you might be talking about, so, yeah, it' not very far away... There is something like a "fossile dune", the oldest in Europe, (or the biggest, I can't remember...) in that place. Don't ask me what the hell a fossile dune is, apparently a huge bank of sand which belonged to a sdjhfsjleolitic period. Interesting and very cheap visits are also the Island, and the waterfalls... warning, the water came from an inner lake, the first time they touch the sunbeams is in the place we will swimm (if anybod wants to go) so, be ready for freezing water.

This visits will deppend of how many energies we have, mainly, because it's easy to reach there by public transport...

EDIT: M0ds, there are some creeks/beaches with simillar quality than the staled Greek "Sekrit Beach", but, as the Greek counterversion, they will be not "sekrit" enough...

[Grundislav]

Bring on the nudist beach!


...assuming it's full of beautiful busty naked spanish women and not wrinkly old tourists.

[magintz]

Just a quick post from Disco and I. We shall be leaving now for our wonderful adventure in the magical land of France before questing our way through harsh terrain and onto Spain!

HUZZAH!

See you all on the 16th, and the awkward ones on different days.

[Pumaman]

Do either of you have a working mobile phone, in case for some reason we fail to meet up?

Additionally, I am moving house tomorrow and so it's likely that I won't have internet access between then and Mittens -- so I'll see you Barcelona Crew at Luton airport at around 17:00 next Tuesday! I think you've all got my mobile number so please do give me a text if any important changes happen between now and then.

[SSH]

Last year it was the Gate Gourmet strike, this year terrorists... what is it with Mittens that makes the airports shut down just around its time?

[Grundislav]

It's a conspiracy to make Mittens seem more exciting.

I got an email from my father with the subject "SERIOUSLY CONSIDER CANCELLING YOUR TRIP."  I just hope they stop the ban on carry-on luggage by next Tuesday, otherwise if they lose my luggage I'm screwed.

[Becky]

I think that most Brits are flying from Luton, which isn't a real airport and the delays aren't that high at the moment.  Should be fine by next week, probably just high security.  Anyone flying from Heathrow, however, will be queueing till 2085.