ric
Well-Known Member
Well , here is the review i mentioned.
First of all, i'd like to say that the weather was UNBELIEVABLE!!! Even better than last years trip!! For the entire 5 days the temperature was anything between 18 - 22 degrees!
Sunday night/monday:
As i was coming from Northern Ireland i had to get 2 flights either way so i was on the bus to the airport at 4am monday morning! I didn't want to sleep in so i didn't actually go to bed! I was also out on Saturday night and got about 4 hrs sleep so somehow i surprisingly managed to stay awake ( with the help of the Superbowl ).
The first flight arrived in Stansted at around 7:15am and i had almost another 3hrs to wait for my flight to Ibiza at 10:15am. As always, it was an almost full flight but it was quick enough and arrived in the blue skies of Ibiza at 2pm. I was slightly disappointed as i was hoping it would come round past Es Vedra so i could get a video but it came round by Santa Eularia instead. I still got a video of the run in to, and flying over Playa D'en Bossa etc.
On walking outside i noticed that the outside of the airport looking like a building site. There was scaffolding and diggers everywhere and no sign of the famous sign. This had been replaced with big black drapes!
Anyway, i got the bus to Eivissa and the 2nd bus to Santa Eularia where i collected the bike. I had problems finding the shop so had to get a lift from a stunning looking Spanish woman in her car!!
I'd had forgotten about needing to leave a deposit so it meant i didn't have enough to go to Formentera on the ferry.
Santa Eularia looked great though!!
From there i cycled across the country to San Antonio ( complete with big heavy bag over my shoulders with my belongings for the 5 days ). I arrived in San Antonio 50 mins later and just in time to catch the sunset at Cafe Del Mar.
I got a relatively early night at around 10pm ( this was the norm for every night as i was so exhausted by the days cycling ).
Tuesday:
Up early and a walk over to Eroski for some supplies. It was already warm and it was only 10am!! Today i was doing the route around the south-west of the island ( number 19 from the cycle route maps/signposts that you see dotted around the island ). For anyone who doesn't know the route this is it!!
It's just short of 60kms!!
I was most looking forward to getting another steak at Es Boldado and also to actually finding the watchtower this time. On the way to Es Boldado i stopped off at the ancient ruins for photos. I was disappointed to find that Es Boldado was closed! There was a sign in Spanish on the window with something about 13:00 a 17:00. As it was currently 1:30pm i presumed this meant that they were closed for siesta so i went on to find the watchtower! Beforehand i wanted to get some photos of the hippy place with all the with hippy stuff but this has now gone ( it was closed off and there was no hippy stuff around ). So on i went to the watchtower. Unfortunately, this is when the day took a turn for the worse.
I wasn't sure where the path up the mountain was so i took the left side of the mountain which i later found out to be the wrong way. The rocks were incredibly big and i was having to literally drag the bike up the mountain. I managed to get it about 85% up before the rocks and overall terrain got just to much so i left the bike behind a bush and ventured up on foot.
The view was worth the whole trip alone!!!!!
I stayed for around 30 mins taking it all in and made off in search of the bike again!! One problem... I had forgotten where i put it! I spent the next 4hrs climbing up and down all over the mountain but i couldn't find it! At one point i took a wrong turn and found myself climbing round the cliffs above Atlantis, literally clinging to the edge, thinking i was going to fall and that no-one knew i was there!! I rang my friend back home for advice even though i knew there wasn't anything he could do from thousands of miles away!!
I had ran out of water and food and my phone couldn't pick up a reception once i'd finished speaking to my friend! I was in a real panic and was preparing to spend the night inside the watchtower and use the daylight the next day to continue to look for the bike. It was just past 6pm, the sun had set and i was walking back to the top to stay in the watchtower when all of a sudden the first miracle happened... I stumbled upon the bike!! I felt so relieved!!! Even though i was still around 3-4hrs away from San Antonio and it was almost dark i was much happier!!!
Then the 2nd miracle happened.... I heard the voices of 3 English people who had been up at the watchtower for the sunset and were on the way back down the actual path. I dragged the bike through more rocks and bushes from wherever i had been on the mountain and made it to them.
They ended up giving me and the bike a lift all the way back to San Antonio ( if you're reading this then BIG thanks to Pete, Nikki and Colin ).
I got back to my room and put on the most chilled music i could find on my laptop and took it easy for the rest of the night, not even bothering with food!!
Wednesday:
Today i was doing the countryside routes from San Antonio, through San Rafel and over to Eivissa. There were loads of amazing parts and there was no chance of getting lost as the whole time you could still hear the occasional car on the nearby motorway. I also stopped off at the Hippodrome for some more photos.
I got to Eivissa and the first plan was i wanted to make an up-to-date version of the following video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aakzYrwpeYM
But i was doing it from memory and was getting confused about which streets were which. I think one of them might have been a one-way street back then but is no longer so i gave up and headed on out to the empty Playa D'en Bossa where i noticed that yet more building work was taking place, this time on the hotel directly across the road from Space.
I went on to DC-10 and then took the path alongside the runway, all the way down to the rocky beach at the far end of the runway.
I spent a while here watching the planes come and go overhead before heading back to San Antonio.
Thursday:
As i din't get to Es Boldado on time on Tuesday i did the same route again but this time without stopping at Cala Tarida, Cala Vadella etc.
On arriving at Es Boldado i found that i was once again closed. The same message was up on the window but i noticed another message this time, again in Spanish, but i was something to do with 7th - 11th february. I can only assume that they were closed for this week which i was gutted about. I cycled down the MASSIVE hill to Del Carmen to find it was also closed.
I left and set off on my way around the route to San Josep where i wanted to find Festival Club for some photos. Unfortunately, i had forgotten that McRackin had sent me very good instructions via a private message on here on how to find it. I had typed some instructions into my phone which i'd taken from looking at Google Earth. This what i was using and this is why i didn't find it!
So i heading back to San Antonio and went down to the diving place at the far end of the bay where i watched the sunset and got some amazing photos and videos!!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150100012089432
I placed a chill-out track over the top of the sunset video which makes it even better!!!!
Friday:
Had a bit of a lie-in and checked out at midday, had a final look around San Antonio and made off for Santa Eularia where i found a small, remote area by a cliff looking over to Es Canar and spent a few hours here just lying in the sun, chilling out and listening to the waves gently hit the rocks below.
I left the bike back and got the bus back to Eivissa and then just made the final bus of my trip to the airport where i had some much needed food and a few drinks. The plane was on time and got into Stansted at 10:30pm where i then spent more than 9hrs on the floor trying and failing to sleep and also watching The Abyss on the laptop before my final flight home. Touched down at 9:30am Satuday morning and was home at 10:30am.
All in all, this far surpassed last years trip and it was also cheaper ( 4 flights, accomodation, bike, buses, food and drink was about £230!!!!! ).
The weather was amazing ( i must be very lucky getting all this great weather when i come over ).
Will hopefully be back for either the opening or closing parties ( possibly both ) and then more cycling in November when i will make sure i see everything i missed this time around!
All pictures ( nearly 250 ) and some videos are here.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=552609431&aid=286284
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=287181&id=552609431
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150098302049432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150098315974432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101016984432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101036144432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101053159432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101056229432
I'll put links for more videos on here gradually.
Hope you all like the review... 8)
First of all, i'd like to say that the weather was UNBELIEVABLE!!! Even better than last years trip!! For the entire 5 days the temperature was anything between 18 - 22 degrees!
Sunday night/monday:
As i was coming from Northern Ireland i had to get 2 flights either way so i was on the bus to the airport at 4am monday morning! I didn't want to sleep in so i didn't actually go to bed! I was also out on Saturday night and got about 4 hrs sleep so somehow i surprisingly managed to stay awake ( with the help of the Superbowl ).
The first flight arrived in Stansted at around 7:15am and i had almost another 3hrs to wait for my flight to Ibiza at 10:15am. As always, it was an almost full flight but it was quick enough and arrived in the blue skies of Ibiza at 2pm. I was slightly disappointed as i was hoping it would come round past Es Vedra so i could get a video but it came round by Santa Eularia instead. I still got a video of the run in to, and flying over Playa D'en Bossa etc.
On walking outside i noticed that the outside of the airport looking like a building site. There was scaffolding and diggers everywhere and no sign of the famous sign. This had been replaced with big black drapes!
Anyway, i got the bus to Eivissa and the 2nd bus to Santa Eularia where i collected the bike. I had problems finding the shop so had to get a lift from a stunning looking Spanish woman in her car!!
I'd had forgotten about needing to leave a deposit so it meant i didn't have enough to go to Formentera on the ferry.
Santa Eularia looked great though!!
From there i cycled across the country to San Antonio ( complete with big heavy bag over my shoulders with my belongings for the 5 days ). I arrived in San Antonio 50 mins later and just in time to catch the sunset at Cafe Del Mar.
I got a relatively early night at around 10pm ( this was the norm for every night as i was so exhausted by the days cycling ).
Tuesday:
Up early and a walk over to Eroski for some supplies. It was already warm and it was only 10am!! Today i was doing the route around the south-west of the island ( number 19 from the cycle route maps/signposts that you see dotted around the island ). For anyone who doesn't know the route this is it!!
It's just short of 60kms!!
I was most looking forward to getting another steak at Es Boldado and also to actually finding the watchtower this time. On the way to Es Boldado i stopped off at the ancient ruins for photos. I was disappointed to find that Es Boldado was closed! There was a sign in Spanish on the window with something about 13:00 a 17:00. As it was currently 1:30pm i presumed this meant that they were closed for siesta so i went on to find the watchtower! Beforehand i wanted to get some photos of the hippy place with all the with hippy stuff but this has now gone ( it was closed off and there was no hippy stuff around ). So on i went to the watchtower. Unfortunately, this is when the day took a turn for the worse.
I wasn't sure where the path up the mountain was so i took the left side of the mountain which i later found out to be the wrong way. The rocks were incredibly big and i was having to literally drag the bike up the mountain. I managed to get it about 85% up before the rocks and overall terrain got just to much so i left the bike behind a bush and ventured up on foot.
The view was worth the whole trip alone!!!!!
I stayed for around 30 mins taking it all in and made off in search of the bike again!! One problem... I had forgotten where i put it! I spent the next 4hrs climbing up and down all over the mountain but i couldn't find it! At one point i took a wrong turn and found myself climbing round the cliffs above Atlantis, literally clinging to the edge, thinking i was going to fall and that no-one knew i was there!! I rang my friend back home for advice even though i knew there wasn't anything he could do from thousands of miles away!!
I had ran out of water and food and my phone couldn't pick up a reception once i'd finished speaking to my friend! I was in a real panic and was preparing to spend the night inside the watchtower and use the daylight the next day to continue to look for the bike. It was just past 6pm, the sun had set and i was walking back to the top to stay in the watchtower when all of a sudden the first miracle happened... I stumbled upon the bike!! I felt so relieved!!! Even though i was still around 3-4hrs away from San Antonio and it was almost dark i was much happier!!!
Then the 2nd miracle happened.... I heard the voices of 3 English people who had been up at the watchtower for the sunset and were on the way back down the actual path. I dragged the bike through more rocks and bushes from wherever i had been on the mountain and made it to them.
They ended up giving me and the bike a lift all the way back to San Antonio ( if you're reading this then BIG thanks to Pete, Nikki and Colin ).
I got back to my room and put on the most chilled music i could find on my laptop and took it easy for the rest of the night, not even bothering with food!!
Wednesday:
Today i was doing the countryside routes from San Antonio, through San Rafel and over to Eivissa. There were loads of amazing parts and there was no chance of getting lost as the whole time you could still hear the occasional car on the nearby motorway. I also stopped off at the Hippodrome for some more photos.
I got to Eivissa and the first plan was i wanted to make an up-to-date version of the following video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aakzYrwpeYM
But i was doing it from memory and was getting confused about which streets were which. I think one of them might have been a one-way street back then but is no longer so i gave up and headed on out to the empty Playa D'en Bossa where i noticed that yet more building work was taking place, this time on the hotel directly across the road from Space.
I went on to DC-10 and then took the path alongside the runway, all the way down to the rocky beach at the far end of the runway.
I spent a while here watching the planes come and go overhead before heading back to San Antonio.
Thursday:
As i din't get to Es Boldado on time on Tuesday i did the same route again but this time without stopping at Cala Tarida, Cala Vadella etc.
On arriving at Es Boldado i found that i was once again closed. The same message was up on the window but i noticed another message this time, again in Spanish, but i was something to do with 7th - 11th february. I can only assume that they were closed for this week which i was gutted about. I cycled down the MASSIVE hill to Del Carmen to find it was also closed.
I left and set off on my way around the route to San Josep where i wanted to find Festival Club for some photos. Unfortunately, i had forgotten that McRackin had sent me very good instructions via a private message on here on how to find it. I had typed some instructions into my phone which i'd taken from looking at Google Earth. This what i was using and this is why i didn't find it!
So i heading back to San Antonio and went down to the diving place at the far end of the bay where i watched the sunset and got some amazing photos and videos!!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150100012089432
I placed a chill-out track over the top of the sunset video which makes it even better!!!!
Friday:
Had a bit of a lie-in and checked out at midday, had a final look around San Antonio and made off for Santa Eularia where i found a small, remote area by a cliff looking over to Es Canar and spent a few hours here just lying in the sun, chilling out and listening to the waves gently hit the rocks below.
I left the bike back and got the bus back to Eivissa and then just made the final bus of my trip to the airport where i had some much needed food and a few drinks. The plane was on time and got into Stansted at 10:30pm where i then spent more than 9hrs on the floor trying and failing to sleep and also watching The Abyss on the laptop before my final flight home. Touched down at 9:30am Satuday morning and was home at 10:30am.
All in all, this far surpassed last years trip and it was also cheaper ( 4 flights, accomodation, bike, buses, food and drink was about £230!!!!! ).
The weather was amazing ( i must be very lucky getting all this great weather when i come over ).
Will hopefully be back for either the opening or closing parties ( possibly both ) and then more cycling in November when i will make sure i see everything i missed this time around!
All pictures ( nearly 250 ) and some videos are here.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=552609431&aid=286284
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=287181&id=552609431
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150098302049432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150098315974432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101016984432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101036144432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101053159432
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150101056229432
I'll put links for more videos on here gradually.
Hope you all like the review... 8)
Last edited by a moderator:
