On The Road: The hitch-hiker's guide to an elusive Spanish monastery
"Everybody hitchhikes in Orgiva," Sophia said matter-of-factly, before dropping me off. Not wanting to seem ungrateful to my Austrian host, I restrain my horror-movie imagination and put my faith in humanity for once.
From the lay-by I can see all the whitewashed buildings of Orgiva. To the north, the mountains look invincible. Just south of the Sierra Nevada, Orgiva is a melting pot of hippies, foreigners and locals. Most Andalucians are bemused by the place, but not as bemused as I am about to be.
I stand facing the traffic in classic hitchhiker pose – thumb outstretched, big smile – and wait. Thirty minutes later, I'm still waiting. At this rate I'll never get to O Sel Ling, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery high up the mountain. I have no special reason to go to there. I just want to see what a Buddhist monastery in Spain looks like, and enjoy the views along the way.
A middle-aged hippie appears and sits on the curb. Staring vacantly at the oncoming traffic, he seems in no hurry to go anywhere. A few minutes later another man appears. Wearing ragged clothes, he greets the hippie and me with a smile. He then sits on the curb, pulls out a wooden flute and begins to play.
Before I have time to appreciate the bizarreness of this, a car pulls over and offers me a ride. A friendly couple whisk me up the winding mountain road. They deposit me at the base of a road which, Sophia had told me, leads to O Sel Ling.
I walk for hours with no sign of the monastery. Eventually I give up. It'll be dark soon. I turn around and begin walking down the mountain when I see a glimmer in the distance. It's the Mediterranean Sea – a golden light on the horizon.
Maybe this is it, I think. Enlightenment.
Suddenly, I hear a flute. I look around, but it's only the wind. As I walk down the mountain I curse my overactive imagination. It was no enlightenment, but it sure was beautiful.
Footprint's Andalucia Handbook is out now (£14.99)
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies