Orgiva: Río Seco

We started out on the GR 142 this morning, hoping to climb Cerro Negro before the clouds descended so low that all views would be lost. But in a new twist on the locked gate story, a property owner on the public track had a gate that was not locked, but displayed bold signs warning off walkers. The signs, coupled with a comment that we had read on Wikiloc about threatening loose dogs, were as effective as a lock on the gate could have been. They certainly convinced us to try a different route.

Luckily, I had an alternative ready: a track that wound its way into the canyon carved by the Río Seco. Along the way we got to see more of the Acequia de las Ventanas, heard lots of frogs in balsas, and found a pomegranate bush far enough along in its development to clearly see the difference between the male and female flowers.

Best of all, the Río Seco wasn’t totally seco. There was enough water running in it to make a plant-filled canyon that inspired all sorts of birds to sing for us. Marie was delighted with the results she was getting from the Merlin app. So many birds to identify! (A big thank you to all of you who introduced us to Merlin on previous trips!) I was amazed by the rock walls of the canyon. So many colors in the rocks. And Ned had a wide variety of side trails to explore, so all of us were happy.

We had noticed when we left Órgiva this morning that the chairs and tables and loudspeakers had been cleared away, so after three nights of little sleep (last night’s festivities ended at 3 am), we were relieved that our final night here would be peaceful. You can guess what’s next in this story. Yup, the street was again transformed when we returned. This will make the fourth night in a row of music on a playlist that never stops, played at a volume that neither earplugs nor a fan can make a dent in. Luckily we are moving to the small village of Bubión tomorrow, and our house is at the edge of the village facing the silent and deep Barranco del Río Poqueira.Read more