Fai Tira on mainland Spain at Cartagena.   37:35.83N 00:58.77W

19th August 2011

We moved the boat in Formentera to the main town and hired some push bikes. Baz wanted to show me how to Geo Cache (treasure hunt on the internet using GPS).  We set off for our first location which was on a beach.  Unfortunately we had taken an old Magellan GPS which was not accurate enough to locate any of the hidden caches.   But it did mean we got to go the a lovely beach and have a swim to cool off.

We then headed for the next site which was at a windmill.  We arrived after a longish cycle in searing heat and looked about but still didn’t locate anything.

We searched and searched for the cache but found nothing.  We headed for the third and last location at another beach and yet again found nothing.

But what we did see was this yacht that had recently been wrecked on the rocks.  We carried onto the most popular beach on the island and frequented by hundreds of tourists on mopeds.

Some of the tourists were looking at Fai Tira.  We had a beer and tapas at the beach bar and headed back to FT on our bikes a bit disappointed that the hadn’t active our goal. We will use Baz’s new phone GPS next time.

We had a good night’s sleep and set off for the Spanish main land at 06.00am.  We were originally going to Alicante but we were making good progress with the wind from our stern we decided to travel further and head for Cartagena. During the passage we crossed the East, West Greenwich Meridian putting us back in the wastern hemisphere for the first time since leaving it at Tonga 7^th July 2010.

Our first sighting of the Spanish main land was mountains flanked by a orange glow.  Not sure what this was I presumed it was the lights of the city shining into the sky.  When we got closer we saw it was a huge scrub fire covering the whole of a mountain and was very close to a small town on the coast.

Although very spectacular for us passing by it must have been very scary for the local community.

We decided to moor up in the marina and was pleased to have a friendly English voice on the radio directing us in.

The marina and mooring was right next to the old part of town, so after we had rested we ventured off looking for the one and only Geocache within walking distance.  It was less than a hundred yards away from our berth.

Baz found it hidden in a hole within this water reservoir.  My first Geo Cache and Baz’s first abroad.  Thoroughly satisfied we went of exploring the old town.

The castle overlooking the marina.

The town hall at night and an ancient submarine. We had a bite to eat before retiring for an early start the following morning.

Pete and Baz.