That morning, Thomas discovered that the hammock not only acted as a very comfortable bed but also a canopy, catching any falling insects and leaves from the trees above. Though Thomas was still glad it had kept him off the cold ground and away from the killer ants and he wondered what he may have eaten during the night. He didn’t particularly sleep well but persevered until the morning.
Thomas had now been on the road for several days since his week off in Estepona, and began to loose track of the days, time and more worryingly which town he last departed.
The route ahead, Thomas was familiar with as he had purposefully chosen the same roads and tracks as a previous tour of Europe back in 2009. He hoped it would be as breathtaking and beautiful as last time. Yet again, Northern Portugal’s National Park had become the highlight of his adventure.
Late morning, Thomas and Nomad climbed the narrow dusty tracks into Colvilha, which looked stunning and resembled a ski resort which was hard to imagine in the blistering heat. The road was baron and peaceful and it seemed he had the whole road to himself. At that point, Thomas thought it would be a good idea to record a video of his descent and was lucky enough to avoid the squealing wild bore which came trotting across the road.
On his arrival into the campsite, he noted how quite it is and the dramatic temperature drop. He was relieved to see some once familiar rear, yellow UK number plates and parked up for a chat. This time he wasn’t recognised. Once the tent was erected along with his extensive collection of camping gear, like the huge tarp and hammock again, he realised he had pitched along side some German Hippies who seemed friendly enough. The Germans hung out of their very worn tent with a crate of beers beside them. Thomas felt embarrassed about his expensive light weight set up in comparison to their well used holy tent and suspected they were hardened hippies. With the smell and the state of their clothes, they looked as if they had been travelling for some time, months, if not years. Thomas offered them tea to break the barrier and with a burp they refused and cracked open another beer. At least they’ll sleep well he thought.
Later that evening, Thomas joined the posh Cambridgeshire bikers for dinner and found it strange to be listening to English people again. He had so much to tell of his travels, he feared he talked them out of the restaurant.