Mountains

Yesterday I took four pictures, from the beach and surrounding areas. Today is a different story, 44 pictures and unforgettable views.

I had decided to rent a car but was a bit put off by the price that I thought was a bit high. But when I l thought about it and found out that insurance and delivery by the door was included, and if I didn’t rent, the alternative would be even more local walks and no wider perspectives at all. So I now have a car for two days, a cute Fiat Panda that they had only yesterday and it’s only run 55 km. I’d had a tip about two mountain villages, well worth a visit, Ojén and Istán, each on either side of Marbella. Both are so called “white villages”, because they are all whitewashed or painted white. They cling on to the mountain along steep, narrow streets, most of which are two-directional so if you meet someone, one has to back off.

They views of the streets, houses and scenery are astonishing, so which of the 44 should I choose. I think it has to be this one, from the town well, none of the villages would be here without the access to clean water. Both cities date back to the fifteenth century when the Arabs were in control here. They knew everything about the necessities of having fresh water and they built canals from the “sources of the rivers” for everyone in the village to have free access to.

Ojén is the larger of the two villages but it’s water is no longer drinkable, it says so in signs by the well, but Istán still has drinkable water and the canals are intact from the source all through the village. You can hear rushing water from everywhere, taps are on all over and you hear it under the streets. It tastes wonderfully fresh and good, or whatever you say about water. Than you Arabs, for your knowledge about the important things in life. Even today I thought I could feel the difference between the two villages, in Ojén nobody spontaneously spoke to me, a mere tourist, in one bar, full of people eating and drinking, the owner looked at me and shouted “we’re closed. In Istán, with the water still drinkable, several old and young people looked me in the eyes, smiled and said “Hola, buenas tardes”. Hi, I wish you a good afternoon.

This whole argument of bringing and sharing good and vital life-changing things for EVERYONE, no matter which religions they belong to, could be argued having something to do with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.