Traveling for extended period of time, I yearn for some comforts of routines at home; getting take-outs from Tasty Curry, King of Thai, and Pasta Pomodoro, meeting friends and co-workers for lunches or dinners, going to Salsa parties, and many others. While I can easily deal with or find substitutes for the cravings above, I have one strong longing that could not be substituted; driving my car. I am suffering because of my strong attachment to the joy of driving, especially since most of my modes of transportation in the last two months are planes, buses, and trains.
Buddhist philosophers say that I should be aware of my attachments and detach the self from the the objects of desires to avoid suffering. For this time, I go against their suggestion. I buckled and accepted my weakness. I searched and rented an car to end my suffering. And, I picked the right place to drive this car; the Andalusian region of Spain. It has the complete package of up and down panoramic mountain and winding scenic coastal roads.
Serrania de Ronda and Sierra de Grazalema
I am driving on route A-376 leaving Sevilla, aiming towards Ronda in the Serrania de Ronda region. The road is twisty 2-lane 2-way undivided highway with ample emergency lanes on both sides. The mountain tops in this region reach around 1500 meter. When the climb is long, the climbing side has an additional 2 to 5 km, that would be my guess, passing lane, plenty of road to pass many turtles I come across. I am soaking in the mesmerizing panoramic view of the mountains and valleys before me.
As it gets higher, wherever I look, the skyline of mountains and valleys fold behind more of mountains and valleys with undulating lands of harvest, criss-crossed vineyard, and olive trees. I can see the Pueblos Blancos (white houses) of Ronda. It looks like a salt mine from the distance. The city perch on an abysmal cliff on the flank of one of the majestic mountains.
I passes the road, A-372, I saw the breathtaking and picturesque Sierra de Grazalema region; more so than the views I soaked this morning before the rest stop. It is 2-way 2-lane road but it has the total width that is half the width of the A-376. And there is no dividing line. Fortunately, there is a lot less traffic on this road. Practically no one is here. On the way up, I can see the road serpenting the contour of the rolling mountains. This road is full of hairpins, zig zag, switchbacks, and elevation changes.
As the elevation gets higher, the views on my left and beyond blind turns are rather scary. An Empire State building would fit nicely in this abysmal cliff. On the right side is the mountain wall. No guard rail on the cliff side. They use blocks of concrete spaced evenly painted in white giving the look of the zipper teeth..
andreas@driving-vacation.com
|  | 
|
