Life: Idiotropic

A few weeks ago we sat on a porch eating home made pizza hot and fresh from our friend's outdoor brick oven talking with other friends who had just gotten back from a few days camping in Bejis.  I'd never heard of it.

Their Spanish neighbors told them of this town in the mountains at the source of the region's water where it's bottled up cold and clean and sold throughout the country.  They camped on a little hill by a stream.  I had a picture in my head of what that might look like as they decribed it.  Boy, was I wrong.

We left close to noon today on a Sunday when sleeping in was more important than an early start.  We were only driving an hour anyway.  The road towards Teruel is easy as is the curvy road that leads off of it towards the river Palancia and the towns that line it.  Our ears popped and we knew we were higher than we thought though it seemed we were in the valley with so many hills and peaks looming above us.  The road dropped off just a bit and a narrow irrigation canal snaked along it.

It's amazing what you'll do off of a vague recommendation of friends.  We arrived, not really knowing what to do or where to go, only that there is water somewhere.  We really knew nothing.  So we parked in Bejis and walked towards the old town, to the church where I stopped to talk to a man waiting in the street holding a springform pan covered in foil and glistening with the cool wet fog of condensation.  He was meeting friends who all carried pans of something through the streets and kindly took a moment to tell me to follow the road up to the castle ruin, but don't pick up any rocks because small scorpions hit beneath them.  I asked him where the water is.  "There's no water in Bejis."  What???  "Go to Los Cloticos.  You can park there, but it's too difficult to walk to the water."  We later proved him wrong.

The "castle" and I use that term loosely, stands (another "loose term") on top of the hill that the village of Bejis is built on providing stunning views of the region, the village, and the curving river below.  It just about killed me that I didn't bring my macro lens.  What used to be a large castle covering the plateau is now a nearly open field of wild flowers of all varieties.  Huge rosemary bushes thriving, wild lavendar littering the place, beautiful purple and yellow flowers, and a plethora of tiny plants and flowers no bigger 1/2" tall growing out of tiny cracks in the rocks.  Bees and crickets sang and the butterflies taunted me, but wouldn't let me photograph them.  The castle is only evidenced by a couple tiny collections of stacked rock, barely even a wall, more like stubs of walls - squat piles of rocks that sort of looked like may be they were something once.

We walked down to the village square for a quick beverage - dying of heat - then headed to the car and followed the signs to Los Cloticos passed the Roman aquaduct and along the windy river.

The sign led us to a crowded triangular parking lot wedged between rocky walls on one side and a drop to the river 100 meters below.  In front of us was a large picnic area full of families, a small playground with more butterflies than children, and a fountain from which you could fill your jugs with drinking water, fresh, clean, and ice cold.  An older man had brought 7 in his car.  Filled them all, then walked them two by two back to his car.  I offered to help, but he was "young" - just completing his 70's birthday in February.

I asked him how to get to the river and he motioned to a small flight of stairs near our car warning us to be careful.  The path was a little steep in some places, but not difficult at all.  I knew we'd see a little creek.  I'd heard it was nice.  I had no idea I'd see this.






We neared the bottom of the trail to see this amazing wall of water, a veil cascading down the thick blanket of moss hiding the rock face.  Like something out of a movie paradise.  There was no one there.  Private, silent.  Kirk found it first and perched himself on a rock for a few moments just soaking it in.  This is paradise.  Really.

From here, the water wanders.  This is its place and it decides where it wants to go.  There is nothing to stop it.  So it begins, then breaks off, then rejoins and breaks again.  The water is perfectly clear creating a slight blur of motion to the plants it covers, yet it's like looking through glass.  It meanders no matter what might be in its path.  Bright green plants seem undisturbed as they sway.  The path along the valley ends and soon you're walking in water because there's no other place to go.  In parts it's only a few inches deep.  In others a couple feet.  The grade is gradual, so every little while there are small falls.  Just more paradise.

We found this place... a nice quiet fall and a circular pool.  We all waded in to feel the water that was cold, but didn't bother us.  Lunch ended up the hill and soon families were coming down to walk along this creek and find their own small swimming holes to play in.  These extra kids waded in, then left to follow their families leaving us to have this place all to ourselves for a while before it was time to go home.  Then we were all looking back as we walked, sad we slept in, wanting to come back before we'd even left.
We will be back.  I think this is our new favorite place in Spain.