Malaga & Benalmadena.

As you go west away from Malaga port and town centre area you walk / cycle along the lovely promenade which eventually peters out. It is next to a major road. Inland of this busy road are all the supermarkets, B&Q type stores and of course MacDonalds. It is a huge out of town retail area.

On the beach side is a large empty area, roughish and not too far from a big block of flats. We had spotted this as we walked along the promenade after a sleep after our drive back down from the mountains after a rough night parked at a beautiful spot overlooking the coast. We could see right down to Fuengirola and Eastwards all the way to Almeria. Such a spot, giving such wonderful views is high and exposed but as we parked the sun was setting, the breeze was cool but pleasant and all was well in Steve, Sadie and Tanya's world.

Aha! You say, what's coming here? You'd be right too.

The weather closed in overnight and it was a rocky, but not too scary a night with strong mountain gusts coming from all directions coupled with rain. In the morning we awoke to no view, thick fog and wet wet wet.

Shame really as the previous day had been bright and sunny. We had enjoyed a wonderful drive up to the mountain top village of 'Comares'. Stunning views from the parapets and an old lady who cunningly lured me into her house for the sole purpose of ..... no it is not what you're thinking, some of that comes later! .... selling me Mandarin Oranges, Figs and currants!

I was now getting short of Mandarins so for once I quite happily allowed myself to be relieved of €10 in exchange for a big bag of locally produced goods plus for good measure some of the old lady's home made cake that tastes of liquorice. She was an expert saleswoman and I chuckled to myself as I left. It was worth €10 just to see inside this traditional and right on the tourist village trail house with it's old couple and one other resident. This other resident happened to be the Virgin Mary and child. Pictures and statues of whom adorned every available space. We parted on good terms and as I left she stuffed another generous handful of plump juicy raisins into my bulging plastic bag.

The mountains beat us back down to sea level and Malaga in particular. High, twisty and narrow mountain roads are a delight in dry sunny weather but no fun in pouring rain and heavy mist.

So here we were sitting and chatting in Wills van which was parked just behind mine. Will was originally from Edinburgh but has lived near Amsterdam for long enough for him to be slightly uncomfortable speaking English. He was on a ten week trip in his large twin axle and very comfy motorhome. Will was on his own like me and we quickly became good friends with our shared interest in Buddhist based meditation. A lovely, genuine and gentle man.

"There is some strange stuff goes on here at night" says Will. A large dark area on the edge of the good and the not so good end of a busy port and tourist town does not need a lot of imagination to figure out what went on. Sure enough, Once it got dark there were all sorts of comings and goings of cars etc. But Peppi, a local who also lived there in his van said they never bothered the motorhomes and true enough they did'nt which was good as being able to park right on the beach with nothing but sand and sea in front of you is a real bonus.

The German guy, bit younger than Will and I, who was just to the side of me was also on his own. I was therefore most surprised when early this morning as Tanya and I walked past his van on our early morning walk we were greeted with a cheery "Good Morning" from a young ladies head poking out of his window which on his van would have been the bedhead. I was with Will much later when we saw him getting his motor scooter off the van then loading young lady onto it and presumably returning her from whence she came.

'Hmmmm!" I thought. "Maybe I ought to get a motor scooter!"

Tonight though all such shenanagins are about 20k behind. We are parked for the night right by the big Buddhist Stupa, where I've just attended a lovely Sunday night public guided meditation, here at 'Benalmadena'.

Chris, Michelle and the children have holidayed near here and Chris, in a recent e mail, mentioned a Buddhist Temple. A Stupa is a sort of a temple but there is no monastery attached. A thriving local Buddhist movement based around the 'Karmapa Kagyu' lineage tradition take care of it, run a little Tibetan Buddhist shop and guide the meditations. Much of the development here is very architecturally Tibetan with gold pagoda roofs and stupa shaped windows. Very attractive.

For me there is a strong energy here. The large Buddha inside the temple is the female, Green Tara emanation of Buddha. It is very much the equivalent of, and right next door to, cos the sign to it is just outside Sadie's door, an Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto.

I guess this coastline has always had it's powerful icons to the Gods of the day with numerous examples of extravagant Muslim settlements, forts and Mosques plus the equivalent Christian defences shrines and Cathederals. Often they are built one atop the other on a sort of last in gets to build a monument basis. It feels now, as I travell down this highly developed and populated coast that humanity has gone right back to the pre Christian Romans with their many Gods, temples and amphitheatres. Only now the Gods are oil based rampant consumerism, cars, sex, drugs and alcohol with the monuments being the never ending, but never the less impressive, strips of hotels, casinos, bars, restaurants and shops. Oh! And must not forget the carefully manicured strips of sand with there sun worshippers of course.

So it is good to come across this very prominent, large and viewable from miles around, symbol of a deep and ancient spiritual tradition now spilling over into the west after being routed from it's traditional and secretive Tibetan homeland. I love too how it enhances and in no way distracts from the traditional feminine Virgin Mother side of Christianity prominent here in Southern Europe.

"Right Tanya. C'mon. Suns up and warming this distinctly cold but clear morning. Time you n me found some rampant and decadent western God. We'll go look for the one they call a Cafe and worship at the alter of a freshly made Americano Coffee!"