Home :: Journey with Gina
:: The Rhythm of Hola!
April 23, 2000
The Rhythm of Hola!
Costa del Sol, Spain
Women travelers would be advised not to venture solo in some parts of the globe, but Spain's Costa del Sol is not among them.
This comfortable and friendly stretch of beach along the Spanish Mediterranean coast extends for 65 miles from Gibraltar to Malaga, the capital of Costa del Sol and the fifth largest city in Spain after Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville.
Here, the travel boom began during the 1960s. But this increasingly popular vacation spot still boasts a distinctly local flavor. In fact, the population of Torremolinos, one of seven towns in Costa del Sol and my home for the week, has only 35,000 residents. During the July and August high season that number swells to 100,000.
I stayed in the Bajondillo district of Torremolinos, its architecture combining modern buildings with the more typical nooks of this old fishing village. It was also my departure point for tours of the neighboring towns of Malaga, Mijas, Ronda and Marbella.
The layout of Malaga, characterized by narrow winding streets, dates back to the Moorish influence beginning in the 8th century, which lasted for 800 years. Malaga's cathedral, its most famous monument, was built over 250 years ago and contains elements in a succession of styles: Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque.
Mijas, nestled in the mountains 3,000 feet above sea level and famous for its donkey taxis, is one of the richest towns in Spain with more expatriates than Spaniards, many of whom have settled in exclusively foreign enclaves in spectacular white-washed hillside homes.
Once past Ronda's main tourist thoroughfare - calle Espinel, commonly known as la bola because its length and shape are reminiscent of a bowling alley - I discovered a mountain town rich with monuments, secret cobblestone streets and spectacular vistas.
Marbella, the Vail of Costa del Sol, is picturesque, exclusive and is largely the playground of the international jet set.
Between tours I soaked up the sun and sights by strolling on the beach or along Paseo Maritimo, the 4-mile seaside strip that runs from Torremolinos to Benalmadena, another neighboring town. But mostly I made myself at home in Bajondillo. And it was easy to do.
Hola! is the foremost greeting by residents everywhere in that sing-song tenor of a two-tone doorbell. My local guide, Victor, negotiated on my behalf a week's pass at his gym. And every afternoon upon entering just after siesta, the receptionist greeted me with "Hola!" while handing me my locker key.
Even the women in the dressing room, obviously drained by a long day's toil, were no more taxed to address me with "Hola!" while donning their sweats. After my workout, I dashed down the stairs of calle San Miguel and landed at the fresh fruit juice stand. Exchanges of "Hola!" always preceded my order of un grande zanahoria y naranja con hielo.
After stops at the Internet Cafe and el Mercado, I said "Hola!" to a man standing under a sign that read, "Ferreteria Electricidad."
"Buenas Noches," he replied.
"Yo quisiera comprar una pequena..." and then I made an ironing motion with my right hand.
"Plancha," said the shopkeeper.
"Si, plancha!" I said at my expanding vocabulary and the ease with which I had tapped into a sense of place.
Life on this European coastline feels natural to me. Siestas, long, sand-filled walks in the sun, a Step class instructor's whoops of "Uno, dos, tres, ocho mas!" and smile-laden greetings of "Hola!" everywhere I go, is a rhythm of life that would take little getting used to.
|
