Higueruela to Chinchilla by bus

The wind is still here, although less then yesterday and still predicted to go to low in the afternoon…. Debi feels like she wants to be in bed for the whole day.

Doing the whole trip to Chinchilla is no option anymore.
We try to get to the midpoint by wheels. Taxi to Hoya-Gonzalo need to come from Almansa (40km) to bring us 10km down the road. That makes no sense. Buses go at 13.35, then we have hardly time to finish the second half and we have no escape if Debi is not doing well.
This is all part of what walking is about: plan, adapt plan, improvise, plan again… Having less infrastructure like taxi, bus, train, we have to deal with it. As we need to do with the language. We still enjoy enough to come back to Spain almost every year.

We will take the bus the whole way to Chinchilla as our accommodation is now planned till up to Sunday.

And Chinchilla is a little gem.

Accomodation: albergue Chinchilla ~Gerard

Hostal La Posada kindly let us keep our room until it was time to leave for the 1:35 bus. I was glad to rest while G explored the town.

Yesterday was really difficult, beginning with a 6am fall down a concrete staircase as I tried to find my way to the washroom in the dark. Just six steps, and luckily I only have a bruised tailbone.

By early afternoon I was feeling dizzy from the constant pressure of the cold harsh and heavy wind, I found a mat of pine needles to lie down for a while on 3 km before our destination. So the bus today was quite welcome.

When we arrived in Chinchilla we went for a very nice Menu del Dia and then dragged our full belly selves up the hill to the Albergue.
We called the number on the door to contact the police to come let us in, and I thought that G did a very good job of communicating in Spanish. However, as we waited for someone to arrive, I was not convinced that the police did understood and would show up. Eventually a little girl passed by who was studying some English and was glad to help us.

A police officer arrived shortly after (he was indeed on his way). Later the doorbell rang at the Albergue, and the little girl and five of her friends showed up with their Friday night bags of candy. We had a conversation in English, each making a contribution. Wonderful ambassadors for Chinchilla.

The Albergue here is two rooms, one with 6 beds (bunk) and the other a kitchen. Plus bathroom with shower. It has heat, blankets, disposable mattress and pillow covers, and wifi. Luxury! Donativo. ~debiRead more