Spain part 3: Picos de Europa

Not far from Santander are the Picos de Europa.  With a cable car that can help you climb all the way to the very top, we just had to visit.

Because we had the weekend free, we were trying to work out how to get the bus there on Saturday and back on Sunday, but in the end, we could not really confirm when the bus would return, and we could not find a local tour agency that could arrange getting us there.  It was far simpler to rent a car for 24 hours, and do the trip ourselves.  This actually gave us a great deal of flexibility, and meant that we could use the car early the next morning to visit
some of the places in Santander that are a bit harder when tied to a public bus route & schedule.

We were up early (in Santander-terms) and at the rental agency by 9, but having lost our senses, we had left our passports at home.  In the end, with the delay of going back to pick them up we were on the road at about 9.45, and got to Fuente Dé by midday.  The clouds were thick, but relatively high up, allowing us to almost see all the way to the top, with the last few metres of the cable car's ascent blocked from view on the ground.  

Can't see the top

Although there are only two cars that go up and down in tandem, we did not need to wait too long before starting our ascent.  Crammed in with 18 others, there was little room to move, but our strategic positioning meant we had both a great view of the ground, and the "flight" upwards.  Looking back down from the top took your breath away and it was hard to believe we had covered so much height in such a short time.  

From the top 

With a cloud blanket

The clouds had lifted slightly, allowing us to sit just under them, admiring the view and munching on our prepared lunch.  Others were smarter than me (Kat), and recognised the need for warmer clothes at high altitude, so I was keen to get moving.  We walked amongst the mountains for a few hours, stopping as we felt like it, exchanging pleasantries with mountain goats, and chatting to a sheepdog who had very little interest, in us or anything else for that matter.

Nothing to see here

Once amongst the hills, we were lost to all sounds of people and civilisation but for the occasional tinkling of a sheep/goat's bell in the distance. If Kat hadn't been sick during this period, we would have done the 16km loop walk back down to th car park but as it was, she wasn't quite up to it.  It was a lovely day, so instead we sat, and talked and walked and sat and talked and walked and did it again in reverse until we were back at the cable car station, with no one in line but ourselves to enjoy the relaxing ride back down.

Cubby holes

On a break

Pictures of rocks

We punctuated the 2 hour drive home with a stop in the river-side town of Potes.  It was a beautiful place and we enjoyed walking the backstreets downhill from our car park to the small river and taking in the last of the sun with a coffee and tapas.

We woke early the next morning to enjoy a slow and late sunrise over Santander Bay and then explored further west along the northern coastline before it was time to return the car.  We found a nice spot where the light should start from just behind the palace. There were far fewer people out and about that I had expected.  At home I would normally expect a place to be buzzing with cyclists and runners and dogs and all sorts.  But our morning friends were a sole backpacker, a man with a pipe and a dog, and another man with a metal detector.  As the sun started to shine through the beach cleaners also put in an appearance.  Not much happens before 9 or 10 am in Santander!

Man and dog (and pipe)

As the sun progressed on its journey, we drove further north, and found an even better spot overlooking a small inlet.  It was so good to be able to move from place to place with our own car.

For the best spot to see sunrise, it is hard to go past Parque de Cabo Mayor, make sure to find the lighthouse!

Little car enjoying sunrise

Costs:

* 16 Euro/pp return cable car

* 25 pounds car rental (it was easier to book through a British website)

Glad we found this spot

Mongolian Tour: Gobi and Sub-Gobi Desert PART 3

The red cliffs of Bayanzag and a sandstorm hits

Mongolia has been and is a paradise for both archaeologists and palaeontologists. We were almost blown off some startlingly red cliffs (Bayanzag) on a very windy day. Many dinosaur skeletons and eggs were found there but we just tried to stay upright and enjoy the view. 

Bayanzag

Bayanzag

Bayanzag

After returning to the van and continuing on our way, we encountered a lonely outpost in the middle of the desert. The "town hall" is used as a meeting place for locals and sometimes tour guides prepare meals here!

The "town hall" of the area

Not long after spotting the town hall we encountered a sand storm. We already knew Batar was an excellent driver by this point, but any lingering doubts would have been quelled when he got us through the storm in almost zero visibility. 

 THE SANDSTORM HITS

The sandstorm approaches

The sandstorm arrives

Navigating the sandstorm

"Roads" become rivers

When we arrived at our accommodation for the night we were keen to celebrate our survival, not to mention Tasha's birthday. 

Monastry ruins and runaway horses

In the middle Gobi we visited the Ongi monastery ruins. We were introduced to the area by a man whose brother was a lama at the monastery. He told us about how monks were either murdered or forced into labor. Seeing a place that has been devastated by a regime imposing itself on a culture, as it has here, is always heartbreaking. This would have been an even more majestic place in its prime. The scenery in the area was again lovely, the environment in Mongolia does have the tendency to turn you into a broken record in this respect.

View from the Ongi monastery 

Ruins of the Ongi monastery

Some of the most enjoyable lunches were prepared roadside by Bimba. This one occurring without even having to pull off the road!

Roadside lunch

A brief toilet break (Mongolian wild style – use your jacket if you need privacy) gave us the first impression of a change in climate. Horses abounded that day and soon we would reach the ancient capital of Karakorum.

Running horses

Horsies on the loose

Best clouds in the world

The ancient capital

The centre of the Mongolian empire for a long period, Karakorum was founded in 1220 in the Orkhon valley. This ancient city was busy point on the route of the Silk Road. For me, it really drove home the incredible power of the Mongolian empire. 

The Mongolian empire

We visited the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. There was an archaeology dig at the site and I had previously read that much of the ancient city was yet to be found underground. Pretty exciting!

Erdene Zuu: the first Buddhist monastery in Mongolia

Erdene Zuu

Turtle rock formerly at the entrance of the ancient town

River stop along the way

Bimba wants blonde hair!

After the bumpiest day on the road yet, we arrived at the beautiful White Lake where we would spend the next few days. 

Terkhiin Tsagaan (White Lake)

Rob enjoying the view at Terkhiin Tsagaan 

~ TO BE CONTINUED~