The Joy Of Solo Backpacking

Written by Steve Gillman


Have you ever gone solo backpacking? If you have, you'll probably agree that it isn't a matter of it being better or worse than backpacking with friends. It's just a different activity altogether.

When you go backpacking with others, it's a social event. You enjoyrepparttar scenery, feel good hikingrepparttar 143678 trails, and you get to know people in a different setting than usual. There's usually a lot of talking, and you feel relatively safe as part of a group. It's a good experience.

Solo Backpacking Trips

When you are alone inrepparttar 143679 wilderness, it's different. There is a peacefulness that can never be there when you're with others. With nobody to talk to, you stop defining everything and start seeing things more directly.

I remember sitting by an alpine lake at 12,000 feet inrepparttar 143680 Sierra Nevadas, after not seeing anyone for two days. The sun was shining, andrepparttar 143681 silence was broken only byrepparttar 143682 clatter of rocks falling fromrepparttar 143683 cliffs above. I was relaxed, and I felt like it wasrepparttar 143684 most beautiful place on earth. It isn'trepparttar 143685 same when I'm with friends.

It's also true that there's an "edge" to solo backpacking. There is nobody there to help you if you run into trouble. The grizzly outside my tent in Wyoming, orrepparttar 143686 rockslide in front of me in Colorado - these things were felt viscerally. You become very aware of how vulnerable you are. This is an interesting experience - but not a bad one.

Alicante heart of the Costa Blanca region

Written by Robert Carlton


The Costa Blanca , Spain is synonymous to sun and fun inrepparttar coastal area ofrepparttar 143593 Mediterranean Sea. This belongs torepparttar 143594 Province of Alicante, starting inrepparttar 143595 town of Denia and reaching to Pilar de la Horadada or Torrevieja asrepparttar 143596 last important town inrepparttar 143597 province, and part ofrepparttar 143598 Community of Valencia. Asrepparttar 143599 name tells us,repparttar 143600 White Coast is thanks to allrepparttar 143601 white, clean sandy beaches that are at your disposal to enjoy such as Javea, Moraira, Altea, Benidorm, Guardamar and Torrevieja.

Lets take a closer look at some of these fantastic holiday spots. Each village is considered to be someones favourite because it has something extra special that will tickle your fancy!

Javea onrepparttar 143602 east iberian peninsula

Javea is found about 90 kilometres from Alicante and a little over 100 km. from Valencia city. Both of these cities have international airports which make travel very easy. When you look atrepparttar 143603 map of Spain,repparttar 143604 highway A-7 connects Javea torepparttar 143605 rest of Europe with exit ramps at Ondara no. 62 or at Benissa no. 63.

Found nearrepparttar 143606 landmark ofrepparttar 143607 mountain peak Montgo, Javea is rich in natural landscapes, beautifully cared for beaches and a World Heritage history which has given Javea some of its most interesting cultural and traditional past times.

Bullfighting inrepparttar 143608 streets - You might have always thought that you would have to buy expensive tickets to get a good seat inrepparttar 143609 bullring, but inrepparttar 143610 summer time, it is very popular here to bringrepparttar 143611 bulls out intorepparttar 143612 streets. The young lads who are or will be 18 years old make allrepparttar 143613 plans for this traditional show. They block off a series of streets and atrepparttar 143614 end of one of them, a makeshift corral to encloserepparttar 143615 bulls is installed. The idea behind this is forrepparttar 143616 young lads to show how brave they are once they have become young men. Sounds prehistoric, doesnt it? On some occasions at night, rags, which have been soaked in petrol, are tied torepparttar 143617 bulls horns and then lit up. The young fellows once again try to defy these brave bulls.

The Raisin Market - This activitiy was transcendental in Javeas past. In summer,repparttar 143618 majority ofrepparttar 143619 local people go to their country villa homes not far fromrepparttar 143620 town centre where they harvest grapes. Harvesting grapes is a very long and hard process, using part ofrepparttar 143621 moscatel grapes characteristic in this area for making raisins. The grapes, once they have been cut, are taken torepparttar 143622 scolding bins where they go through a mixture of water and boiling saltwort which cracksrepparttar 143623 grapes skin so that they dry quicker. Javea was a great exporter and became internationally known, bringing an economical growth to this area. So inrepparttar 143624 market there are many products which now include raisins.

Pick another city aroundrepparttar 143625 Costa Blanca for your holiday

Not lettingrepparttar 143626 plants grow under your feet, you can quickly move ontorepparttar 143627 seaside town of Moraira for a relaxing apperitive sitting right onrepparttar 143628 waterfront ofrepparttar 143629 fishermens wharf, or continue downrepparttar 143630 coast to Calpe which is just before you reach Altea. Calpe has always attracted a large German and English population because its beaches were practically untouched and there were a lot of villa to be rented instead of staying in a hotel. But this has changed considerably, forrepparttar 143631 better, and now there are more accomodations, international restaurants andrepparttar 143632 typical ones inrepparttar 143633 port area which serve a delicious lobster stew called caldereta or you can point your finger atrepparttar 143634 live fish or seafood you want and it is done right then and there. Altea is another town which has grown withrepparttar 143635 demand of travellers torepparttar 143636 Costa Blanca area. In July it has a spectacular water fireworks show which starts at around 9.00 p.m. after everyone has set up their picnic equipment onrepparttar 143637 pebbly beaches to enjoy this event, dining underrepparttar 143638 stars. Benidorm is a year round holiday spot thanks to its weather and variety of entertainment for people of all ages. Other thanrepparttar 143639 theme parks, which are quite a few, you can explorerepparttar 143640 crystal clear waters in a submarine like catamaran. As you singrepparttar 143641 Beatles famous song, We all live in a yellow submarine, sailing to Benidorms island, you will see colourful beautiful birds and fauna. Or you can leave Benidorm Marina at 11.00 a.m. to take a boat ride along repparttar 143642 coast to Calpe, returning at 3.00 p.m. Never a boring moment!



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