2 days and a night in paradise [Weds 13-Thurs 14 June 2012]

kimajy

Well-Known Member
A dismal start


Withdrawal symptoms following my trip out in April had become quite overwhelming. Following weeks of wind and rain in Britain I resolved to nip over to Ibiza for a quick 2-night trip to regain a sense of humour and sanity (well, in a sense at least ! ;)).


On Monday I booked a flight out of Gatwick for late night Tuesday 12th, with airport parking till Friday, a couple of nights at the Tarba and a hire car, with the loose aim of getting back around Thursday or Friday at the latest. Headed out of stormy Devon after sunset. When I got up to Thames Valley a roof leak from upstairs had caused havoc in my flat and spent the rest of the night cleaning up the carnage and laying buckets out :eek::evil: whilst plotting my options for the next 2 days 8).


Determined not to be derailed, I set an alarm clock for a 2-hour kip late morning to leave time to pack up. Sadly the cumulative stress and fatigue got the better of me and I slept through, waking up an hour before take-off, at 7pm ! :oops: BA refused to change my flight:evil::evil::evil:, but Thomas Cook came to the rescue and I got a last-minute flight at 6am Wednesday including checked luggage and meal for £60. So hats off to Thomas Cook for saving the day. 8)8)8)


Set off at 3am, already on “Ibiza time”, and just made it after being diverted for 18 miles off the M25 and having to change terminals on arrival .. the change of outbound airline meant I flew from South Terminal but my prepaid car parking geared at BA was at the North. :confused: Ah well - on the plus it would make life easier on the way back.


... and we're finally off


Took off 45minutes late after a passenger was removed from the plane by police after boarding.. :eek: .. and his bag had to be offloaded. Don't think this was behaviour-related !!! Great and much needed cooked English Breakfast, row of 3 seats to myself and service far better than BA on the flight. Only let-down with TCX is the seat pitch if flights are full. This little cameo from the row of seats opposite was too tempting to pass up on :lol:

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A lovely first day and back in friendly company

Once in Ibiza, everyone from parking to hotel to car hire were very accommodating over my day-late arrival 8). I booked my car online through Budget and in Ibiza this is handled by Avis – so although you have a Budget contract T&Cs, the car itself and everything else is Avis :)?:!:). Was considerably cheaper this way than booking with Avis this year for some reason. Plus I had keys in my hand before my suitcase even appeared on the carousel. :p

No small cars left by the time I turned up to collect on my booking, so I was given a hefty 1.5L 110Dci Diesel Renault Fluence sedan with 238kms on the clock at no extra charge :eek:. Far too big and low-slung for my inevitable Ibiza antics, and a heart-stopping 1,200Euro excess deposit (which I had separately insured) - but on the plus it had a great sound system (8)) and was very comfortable and fuel-efficient. (8)8)).

Changed in the car and passed my first test of getting the monster out of the car park opposite the airport terminal without scraping the walls (phew :!:). Was a bit shell-shocked to be honest and, unusually for me, headed to Playa d'en Bossa for my first swim. It was roasting already and cloudless !


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Parked in Space car park and trotted off past Ushuaia for a walk on the beach and a dip opposite Sands.
Finally relaxed and refreshed, I wound my way along the coast towards Cala Jondal and up through Sant Josep to San Antoni. Stop in the Bay for fags and a bottle before pulling up behind the Tarba and checking in (early) – no moaning about the time and despite a 100% cancellation policy on the night before they gave me the room until midday Friday for no extra charge. 8)8)

The one downside was a published power-out for electrical works the following morning ... and the fact that the power was not working in the room, so I couldn't boost my mobile before heading out. I reported it, dumped my
valuables and headed out to hook up with Spotlighter Hally and his friend Ben a bit later.

Almost made it to Cala Gracio for another swim but met up back in San An, after a slight wild goose chase via the wrong Burger King landmark :)?). Both Hally & Ben were handling fragility very well after a clearly storming first night on the island ! :twisted::twisted: Decided to kidnap my new companions and head to the watchtower at Torre des Savinar (Sa Pedrera).

Made it to the dusty car park after picking up (and delivering) a couple of exceptionally attractive hitching Brazilian girls to Cala d'Hort, complete with their box of mojito ingredients for sale at the beach and evening jobs in Pacha VIP ... was more than a little jealous of Ben being the one sitting in the back !!!!!!!! :twisted:
Things got far more “sensible” at the watchtower car park.. Ben made it as far as the stone circle and was clearly in very considerable post-indulgence pain ! Decided to take a breather – and to take advantage of the selfless old-school hippie hospitality of the hidden cliff cave refuge nearby (and no I'm not revealing how to find it ! :lol:).

These places in Ibiza exist mainly because it is illegal to camp wild on the Island with a tent. However, you are allowed to sleep in caves and to sling hammocks between trees ... and I have been very grateful of both of the above in the past - especially after bouts of over-indulgence (particularly in the North) 8)8). They are not there to be tourist attractions – rather free hospitality for those in need, for whatever reason, and their whereabouts are still largely shared by word of mouth on trust. 8)

The welcome cool, unimaginably beautiful view and comfortable mattresses on the cave floor made a very welcome rest-stop for us all. Ben decided to stay and get some rest – in the rather amorous company of the resident gekkos :)lol:). Hally stoically made it up to the watchtower – a seriously impressive achievement considering the heat and his still being 'on it' from the night before ! The view is pretty rewarding when you get there though, however fragile you feel !


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The climb back down went a bit awry as I took a slightly lower route than I should have done whilst chatting ! :)oops:) We did end up having to actually climb back up the cliff edge back on the last section through the spiny vegetation and loose rock :eek: (not the first time on that peninsula but never gone wrong there before !!) .. but we both made it. When we got back, Ben was a new man and looked on top of the world. :eek::D8)8)8)

Headed off about 4.45pm to Cala Carbo – and to my meet-up with Paolo Dell'Agnolo for the next adventure. Installed Hally and Ben at the bar (There's only so much ‘activity' you can handle after a big night out !) and made my rendez-vous on time at 5pm.
 
Return to Atlantis

Not been to Atlantis for a couple of years and decided it was time to return... a different route this time ! ;) Paolo is an Ibiceno of Italian descent and a kayak guide (he's well up to most things on the guiding front actually !).


He'd brought us a kayak each by car to the beach specially (at a morning's notice 8)8)). Keen to get the most out of this, I wasted no time, donned some suncream and we got underway.


Shared some great stories as we paddled along the coast – including his experiences with the journalists for a certain magazine, who were meant to be going out kayaking with him and writing an article up on it. When it got to the crunch, despite him taking everything ready they “got the fear” :)lol:), and wound up staging some photo shoots whilst asking him to describe the experience at the bar instead ! :)roll:) I wonder what they were up to the night before :)lol::lol::lol:).


Turns out Paolo had been for an exchange in Tavistock down the road from me in Devon a few years back and wanted to return to do some BCU leadership training in UK.


As we got talking more, he helped me improve my paddling technique to reduce fatigue on longer trips and decided to show me some of the more special places along the coast (8)8)). We used our hands to pull our kayaks into a tiny opening in the cliff – once inside it opened out into a cosy hidden cavern where reflected light bounced off the water onto the rocks making dancing patterns on the stone above :)p8)). Another looked like a dark dead-end, but turned out to be a narrow swim through which was just wide enough to navigate with the narrow kayak. (8)).


The wind was kind to us about as far as l'Oliva – and then the final push to Atlantis was quite challenging and a little choppy. Not too bad – but I'd been up nearly 24 hours by now and you do start to feel it a bit ! :( The lure of Atlantis and those crystal clear waters beyond was enough to spur me on, though :twisted:


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Can't say enough good things about Paolo. Was treated both as a friend and at the same time with the same degree of respect, care and courtesy a Head of State could not fault (8)8)8)). It's hard to explain but it really stands out when you see it. Nothing was too much trouble, he made sure I had everything I wanted, even insisting I took his shoes to make the first approach from the water to the rocks more comfortable. I think he realised I was a little less ‘precious' when I ditched them to scale down the vertical face of one of the larger rocks which had just about enough toe holds and grips not to go crashing to an untimely end :lol: !



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^^ Paolo on the rocks

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^^ Atlantis

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Atlantis is actually an old quarry – the stone is very easy to cut there and it's great fun to explore.

Didn't spend very long exploring the rock art – the sea was just too inviting ..


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Jumped in and swam back round to the North side, popped on my mask and snorkel and went snorkelling and diving down round the sea floor. It's only about 20-25 feet in places so is very manageable.. and the water is very clear.


More technique improvement practice on the way home and I was well ready for a beer by the time I got back to Cala Carbo and a very chilled out Hally & Ben around 7pm ! Paolo let me have a quick play in his own kayak in the Bay whilst he saw to some personal matters and nearly stayed on to have a go on the SUP he was practicing on too at his invitation .. but things were really ‘winding down' at the bar and we decided to head off to Kumharas for a bit of sunset action.
 
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A welcome interlude

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Jose Padilla was on the decks when we arrived at Kumharas – it still has a certain charm despite the over-development around and we happily settled in to beers, Sushi and banter.

Decided to go home and get showered etc before heading out (for a change !) so dropped Hally & Ben back and returned to the Tarba around 10. Still no electricity on my return ! Shower in the dark and a change of room (power at last !), before buying my ticket home for unfeasibly early Friday morning on the laptop (only affordable solution by now) and heading back out to pick up the guys.
 
A strange night

Still with no fixed plans, we hooked up with Andy Allwood and headed out to KM5. On arrival, it was Flower Power pre-party :)lol:) and full of unfeasibly gorgeous Heineken girls in turquoise dresses and heels, beautiful people in costume and some villa-dwellers of a certain age ! It's a gorgeous venue – and to be honest the mix of people made a really interesting change from the day (and San An !).

We stayed for a beer (8Euros a bottle there btw – mixed drink is about 15) and to enjoy the vibe before heading out to Playa d'en Bossa – after nearly getting kidnapped to the villa of 3 lively “ladies of a certain age” and their ‘retired mentor' (someone's hubby no doubt !). Just love Ibiza ! Unfortunately the funny night-snaps with the happy trio have not come out well enough to post :(.

Settled in to Geko for drinks and to mull over what to do next. 10Euro deal for 2 HUGE Vodka redbulls or 11 for 2 Mojitos people-watching on the comfy chairs outside btw. Absolute bargain for round there 8). Things were definitely getting ‘interesting' after a while ... was going to stay on but Ben had a bit of a ‘crash' and we took him home to San An for some much needed rest.

The rest of us headed out to Santo Grial in Ibiza Town – hoping for some great music and a bit of a boogie at “U Wanna Escape” with Julian Perez (Viva Music) and Luis Groove :p. It was rather dead on arrival unfortunately :)() – most people outside on the terrace and about 5 people on the dancefloor. I think Hally was up for staying but given the time I called time out on it and we went back to San An – also very keen to ditch the car, have a few drinks and relax now – think everyone was fed up of driving with the unplanned San An detour earlier in the evening. Sorry Hally - just had a 'moment' there :oops:.

So West End it was – Andy kindly got us free drinks at V Vodka ... but the hard house nightmare going on inside made staying on a no-go ! The West End was as busy as I've seen it in August around half four and we couldn't even get through the door of Hush! for the post-Zoo crush :eek:. Took refuge in Tiffanys bar for final beers of the night till 6am 8) ... very hospitable actually and a nice place to chill out (I hadn't been before).
 
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Day 2 - and more adventures ahead

Went to check on Ben, who was OK but comfy and not going anywhere (!) so carried on at Piscis Park with Andy. :)o ? :lol::!:). ‘Nuff said :lol: ! I think I passed out for an hour but woke up at check-out time and we headed out on foot to help Andy move to his new digs past the roundabout beyond Linekers etc.

Feeling pretty rough by now I have to admit ... but there was another adventure planned. Hally, impressively, was still 'on it' but probably now at the point where ‘ventures far from home' were a step too far ! :lol:

Breakfast consisted of a black espresso, a banana (eaten slowly !) and a Red Bull :)oops:) ! Was feeling just about back in the land of the living and bid farewell to Hally & Ben in the bar opposite Burger King in town.

The next adventure is something I've been wanting to do for years .. but every time I've tried to make it happen something's gone wrong, whether conditions, being let down on a boat, not being in a sober state or by people – or something else. Today things are going to be different – and a milestone is going to be reached.

I have a lunchtime rendez-vous at Benirras with Nostrum (Stivi) arranged, who's somehow managed to make time in his crazy Summer schedule to hook up with me for an ‘active lunch break' ! (8)). Wishing I was a little more ‘sparkling' now :)oops:)... but I guess that's how it goes in Ibiza sometimes !

On arrival, park up and .. preparing for all eventualities .. don some (unnecessary !) anti-jellyfish neoprene and grab my ghastly lurid yellow (but amazingly “cope-with-any-wet-challenge”) 5.10 canyoning shoes (also unnecessary !). Meet Stivi, Debbie, Francesco and Izabela on the beach who pamper me with some tasty baguette and soft cheese .. there's a reassuringly relaxed and friendly atmosphere – and I know I'm in good (and safe !) company for what's to follow. :p:p:twisted::twisted::twisted:
 
The big adventure

Stivi and I head off to arrange the 4-person pedalo boat and we head out to the target of our mission – Cap Bernat :twisted: with Francesco and Izabela.

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Debbie stayed on the beach to look after all our stuff. It's hard work pedalling I have to admit ! Stivi and I start and then we swap over half way. We got the better deal I think – wind picked up about half way there and the final stretch was definitely as leg-knackering as a gym workout !


It's a little choppy by the time we get to the base of the rock and Stivi jumped in to re-check the depths and scan for jellyfish – although he's done this before here a few years ago it's always best to re-check. We're clear of jellys and submerged rock has been eyeballed to avoid. Izabela is on camera action with mine and Francesco with Stivi's iPhone.

Two ropes hang from the left side of the rock (looking from the beach) to help start a climb – the base of the rock is bevelled inwards and this would otherwise involve a more advanced and dangerous approach to a climb up from the water.

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Benirras beach from Cap Bernat

The current is quite strong and is pulling the pedalo away, so a rope is grabbed to keep it in position. I decide to go up first – one of the ropes is getting frayed but there's still plenty of life in it. To be fair, the climb is easy and you don't really need grippy shoes but it's safer with a pair. It's only the first section as you release the rope to pull yourself up for the remainder of the free climb that might be a bit frightening - if you don't climb outdoors much.

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Stivi - on initial climb up the rock

The wind is blowing directly at the jump/dive side of the rock and it's breezy up there with some hefty gusts too. The other side of the rock is not jumpable. Head diving would definitely be out in those conditions :eek:. Jumping when it's windy like that is OK at that height if you push off hard, but I do get very uneasy with the gusts mentally :confused:. We take a view and both decide not to climb up to the top 2 tiers. The setting is amazing and all things considered, where we are is plenty good enough. 8)8)

I'd like to stress at this point that this was no reckless affair.. it's a very dangerous activity and should only ever be done sober and after supervised training and experience, with a reliable support team on hand and following a proper survey and conditions assessment. 8)

As a visitor, I had a special form of travel insurance from the USA used by expeditions which extends to cliff jumping, an activity which is excluded from almost all UK policies (Fellow Brits - please take note :!:). As a sport this is a far cry from (inexcusable) balcony jumping or reckless drunken leaps. Some may say we're crazy and stupid to do this at all – but it's something which has been practiced for centuries and to those who understand why it needs no further explanation. ;)

Stivi jumps first ...

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... and after an extended couple of minutes of ‘quiet contemplation and reflection' staring off the top of the edifice (i.e. steeling myself to overcome the massive doses of vertigo which always set in :confused:!) .. I am finally in the right frame of mind to follow, managing to inadvertently rotate 180 degrees to face the rock after jumping ! :rolleyes::lol:

Minimarc has helped us fix / rotate some footage to give an idea of it without too much 'hanging about' (thanks !) ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmQ7XMCvAJA

What an amazing experience in such a very special place 8). Time is short and we decide to pedal back. My sincere thanks for everyone who came along to make that happen :p:twisted: – it was a privilege meeting you all and sharing it with you. Really looking forward to meeting again with a bit more time for a proper chat. 8)

I feel a huge sense of goal achievement and inner peace as I prepare to head away – it's an experience in Ibiza which will stay with me always. 8)8)8)
 
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The remains of the day

Had intended to head to Atzaro, but knowing I have a flight to catch tonight and being filled with a sense of calm at the achievement of my long-held aspirations, feel the need to ground myself again mentally ... and see my hotel room again before I leave !

So I head off to Tarba to check in for my flight home and have a small can of beer on the balcony. It occurs to me I might actually by now have bonded with Ibiza enough to feel like a proper 'veteran'. Many of the best people I've met and the most intense and amazing experiences of my life have been on this island and despite some ups and downs over the years, nowhere else has ever come close to topping it on so many levels.

There's time for one final treat .. and I head out to rendez-vous for another meet-up, this time in Cala Bassa.

I haven't been for ages and it's quite a shock to see the scale of the beach club development there compared to how it used to be.. but it has quite a bustling vive and after the isolation of some of the other places I visited this trip was a nice contrast. Pass over "CBBC" for the bar on the opposite side of the car park.

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Meet up with OllieNotts and 3 of his friends, all Techno-lovers, for a chinwag and beers. We'd failed to hook up twice in UK but was really nice to meet you all in Ibiza – and hope to hook up again some time 8).

My car looks like my head by now (i.e. Armageddon :eek::eek::eek:!).. and I'm getting tired. I know it's going to take me at least 45minutes to ‘sanitise and level' all ! Decide to head to Es Calo d'es Moro, via the refuelling station, to pack and clean up (suitcase still in the boot :lol:). Pull up opposite the beach against the backdrop of a final oncoming sunset. I'm officially starving and no time really to sit down for a meal I grab a hot pizza slice and a coke from the cafe where Canguiri used to be and chill out on the rocks with both.

The car restoration takes forever and I just manage it by the time the sun sets on my all too brief but hugely rewarding stay on the White Isle.


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Return to Tarba to collect the rest of my stuff and enjoy one final can of beer as the roars of the crowd in the bar cheer on the footy .. before the journey back to reality cannot be put back any longer.

Just a tip if you're returning an Avis car to the airport car park after 10.30pm – there is no-one in the office there so you can't get your vehicle ‘signed off' .. you just have to park it in a return bay, post the keys through a slot and hope for the best. Final miles driven on the island - 160 (257km). Used only ¼ of a tank. I don't remember anything of the BA flight home.. and I'm back in “reality” at the scene of the dripping ceiling by 5am.

Was it worth it all for such a short trip – and the fact that I didn't even make it to Space on Wednesday ? Any day !! Ibiza is an amazing place and every moment there is one to cherish. Just hope I can stay a bit longer next time ;)

Damage
Flights - £159 (excluding aborted outbound flight .. which was on Avios points anyway)
UK airport Parking - £30 for 3 days
Hire Car - £56 for 3 days plus £26 in diesel (160 miles driven).
Hotel - £38 for 2 nights (single)
Kayak – 60Euros (excl. Gratuity) for 1:1 personalised trip with delivery of kayaks to beach, trained guide, advice on technique, hire of life jacket etc. Amazing value.
Other expenditure, drinks, food & incidentals – about 60Euros
 
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FFS -
you crazy bastids jumped down there :eek::eek::eek: :?::!:...
**** - i never ever could do this :x:twisted:


un****ingbelievable how big and mighty that rock is in reality -
because it looks so small from the distance (when lying on the beach) :p
 
un****ingbelievable how big and mighty that rock is in reality - because it looks so small from the distance (when lying on the beach) :p

Been obsessed with the 'old man' for years ;) .. it's interesting seeing it from this angle - extends far out behind and below the surface, which is why there are very limited options for a safe jump off it

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wtf ? canguiri already gone ?? any idea why ?

No idea .. probably wasn't making enough money ? There was no wakeboard boat there this year either :(.
 
immense as always and when you showed me that rock in April I never believed you would jump it. Its huuuuge!!!
 
"ladies of a certain age" :lol::lol::lol:

how old are we talking here?? :eek:

brilliant review!!! reminds me to get my opening parties review done... :lol:
 
Good review,something a bit different.
As for the jump, I'm with icebaer....not for me! 10ft from a boat with not a rock in sight is my limit...
 
Jesus..kima you done more in 2 days than i have done in the last 5 visits.great review again.:D
 
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