Loja, Spain with snowy Sierra Nevada Mountains behind. January 2018
[From FB post: January 16, 2018]
Saved by an angel
After having survived my morning trip to El Torcal clambering over slippery rocks and avoiding tons of mud without a fall, I felt pretty travel invincible. Ah yes.... this is just when the travel gods like to play with you.
So it seemed the timing was right for a short afternoon trip to Loja, about 40 minutes from here. There are no trains these days in Antequera -- all replaced by bus service while they lay the new high speed train line to Granada. When I bought my ticket, the man said "not much time there....you sure?" I said, "Loja is really small... I don't need much time". He looked dubious...
So the bus was late by 20 minutes. OK...that ate into my time, but no problem. I just wanted to see the Moorish fort and have a short walk about. I have done this tons of times in Europe. 2 hours is more than enough time for a short photo blitz. My famous "visit a point on a map has rarely let me down". HAHAHAHAHA (bitter laugh)
So the bus dropped me unceremoniously at a rest stop/gas station on the side of a highway on top of a mountain. "Loja" barked the driver. I got off and just looked stunned. The bus left and I was alongside a highway in Spain, clueless.
So I looked around to see who I could ask and came upon a guy who had just got gas and stopped to use the rest room. He spoke English too. He explained to me that Loja was in the deep valley below us. You could only get there by car... I really felt like "you are KIDDING me". Even if I wanted just to wait for the return bus, how was I going to get across the highway?
So, this very nice guy said "I will take you to Loja and show you the long distance bus stop in case you cannot find your way back". He drove me down to town and showed me the bus stop and dropped me at the "mirador" which gave a lovely view over town and to the Sierra Nevada Mountains (with a fresh dusting of snow). I took some photos and walked down and down and down through a maze of streets to the river and the old bridge. It looked lovely but I needed to find the tourist office to help me get out of my mess. I found that I had missed it on my walk down and had to climb back up again. Finally... I located it.
The woman there spoke English but was totally confused at my predicament. When I finally got her to understand she said there was a shuttle bus that was to take me from the rest stop down to the train station. Well, if there was one - I never saw it and the bus driver didn't point it out to me either. Anyway, she assured me that at the old station at the time on my ticket, a small bus would come and take me back up the hill to the other side of the highway. If I wanted to take the normal bus, it would leave several hours later and it would have been dark. So I elected to go to the station and use my original ticket -- however, I had used up all my time! I basically had to rush back to make it to the station in time to use my ticket.
I never really got to see the fort and museum - just the outside.
You see, Loja is built on the side of a mountain (with a killer old fortress, mostly in ruin and occupied by part of the town) and on the other side its twin city, San Francisco climbs steeply up the mountain with the train station at the top. I had to walk back down to the river and then walk steeply up to get to the station. I made it -- just -- and returned to Antequera. I did see the fortress and the old bridge in late afternoon sun. As it turns out, Loja really doesn't have too much. I now understand WHY the man who sold me the ticket was surprised at my short turn around time. By the time, the shuttle bus would have got me down to the station and I walked down and up to the fort, my time would have been pretty limited anyway.
Actually the kind guy that gave me a ride saved me a lot walking and dropped me at the best viewpoint in town.
So why was I saved by an angel? The guy who drove me down from the service area's name was "Angel". You just can't make this stuff up!!
Lesson learned - one I already know. Don't give yourself such a brief window of time travelling in new places. I needed to be reminded I guess.
In retrospect, another reminder NOT to cut travel times too short "just in case". I really pushed the envelope on visiting Loja, and the envelope pushed back!
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