Friday, September 7th, Sentir Aveiro left from bags made for two days towards Spain. In the convicted hands of Mr. Alexandre and Mr. Filipe, the bus left the University of Aveiro with 49 people looking forward for this adventure. After a few hours of beautiful landscapes lodged in the dark, they arrived in Cañete la Real, a village in the province of Malaga, where the alleys were filled with open doors and people that smile when they saw tourists passing by. There, in that village overlooking vast fields and warm colors, the group stayed in a hostel whose name evidences the strong Arab influence in the region – Al-Jalid -, a large and cared space in an elevated area of the small village. After a comforting lunch, with the coats peeking out of the backpacks, with water and small snacks, the 49 adventurers made their way to the Caminito del Rey, a trail built at the beginning of the last century to transport materials and people between two power plants installed in El Chorro gorge.
After crossing huge olive groves, the bus stopped. The hikers effortlessly traversed 2.7km of green forest until they reached the official entrance where the helmets were placed and the last instructions given. “Good walk,” said those in charge. The air were filled with Nature. Suddenly, the outer World disappeared from everyone’s imagination and these became only eyes.
Today, reinvented by the Junta de Andalucia, the “Caminito” is made safely, by paths that make you guess the height of the gorge without provoking vertigo in the Soul. The landscape absorbs those who move there. The clock stops and amazement takes over. Nature spreads in all directions – the blue waters of the lakes reflect the clouds, the stone walls touch the sky. Man is an extraordinary architect.
The rain began to fall as the first part of the group glimpsed the suspension bridge. But no one seemed to be afraid to walk in the rain. The steps did not slow down and the group reached the end of the full path with an energy that only Nature knows how to inject.
In the evening, toasts were made at the dinner table and at a nice cafe in the village.
The next morning, with the sun, the farewell hour also came. The group went again to the bus, which moved smoothly across the landscape to Seville. There, the feet of each one could make to the sidewalk without definite route. There, some came acrossed with Flamenco dancers, and some smiled in astonishment as they saw the clouds reflected in the waters of the Plaza de España.
At two o’clock, with the stomachs already happy and comforted, the travelers returned to the fresh vehicle ready to return to the “moliceiros” and “ovos moles” city. Inside, no one slept. The music took over and everyone, without exception, said goodbye to a different weekend singing the most diverse songs.