The week before JOhn arrived we were in El Cotillo, staying in an apartment in the middle of the village. It was my custom to go out in the early morning and cycle naked along the road towards Majanicho I rented a mountain bike from the friendly shop near the football stadium. They lend you free of charge a helmet, pump, repair outfit and tools just in case....
On five consecutive mornings I left the apartment before dawn, timing the trip to arrive at the start of the Majanicho track just as the light was good enough to ride safely over the corrugated bits and the soft sand sections. The initial section of my route was through the centre of the village past the only big hotel, so some clothes were necessary, in this case a buttoned shirt and Scott's Running Kilt. One unusual item in my flight baggage was a set of easily mounted flashing cycle lights to warn any half asleep road users.
At the end of the urban area, the place marked as 'Los Lagos' on the map, the clothes came off and into the rack bag. The buttons came in here as my shirt could be removed without needing to also take off my helmet and glasses. My route then followed the curve of the 'D' on the map. This a curious place, a well surfaced road with non-functional street light standards. It was apparently the start of a now abandoned development authorised by the then mayor, who coincidentally had close connections with the developer.....
At the top of the 'D' I turned right onto the track. On one of the days I was too early for the light level, so I carried on up to the lighthouse, round the car park and back, still naked.
I then carried on as far as the mood took me. The sandy bits die out after about a mile and the riding becomes easier. It was still very rough, and I salute you, JOhn, for traversing the whole length in one go!
The area was not deserted. At first light the surfers come out, charging along the track in their cars looking for the best waves of the day. They in general took no notice of a nude cyclist. I took good care to keep out of their way when we met on the sandy sections. The one exception was when a car overtook me, then stopped. After I had passed it he then overtook me again, and I noticed that the passenger was taking pictures with his mobile phone. There was also the odd runner, and quite a few illegally parked motor homes/campervans, often situated near the 'No Camping' signs. Here I had the moral high ground as I was not breaking any laws!
On arrival back at the main road, if there was no one around there was a short downhill swoop obviously best ridden naked, to the start of a track following the straight section of the 'D'. This track was impossible to ride in the dark but traversable in the light. At the end of this it was time to dress in shirt and conventional shorts for the ride home past the houses. The Scott Kilt is a bit too revealing when cycling.
I managed the best part of an hour cycling without clothes each day, after which I would rouse my wife from her bed and we would prepare to go sunbathing on the beach up by the El Caleton apartments some forty minutes walk from our apartment.
We had perfect weather for the week. here's to 2017.
Neil
