Near Tarifa, Andalucia - SPAIN

MONDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 1998

Today was the first full relaxing day we've had yet and I didn't spend a second away from my seaside perch in the campsite. I did spend hours trying to stop the washing from blowing away in the ferocious Atlantic wind. Dave spent most of the morning downtown collecting a few items and getting a haircut (which didn't turn into a disaster) whilst I minded our beachfront position. I must of looked quite a sight to everybody else, all decked out from head to toe in warm clothing, surrounded by enormous amounts of ever flapping washing, listening to my walkman with large headphones that look more like ear-warmers.

I spent most of my time gazing out at the crystal clear waters of the straits and the fifty or so windsurfers that swarmed near and far from the beach. The waters were alive with all the fluorescent colours available and in the high Atlantic wind were flying along the water.

We watched another perfect sunset at 6pm and had a candle lit dinner by the sea of soup and toasted bread. Not because we wanted to but because the light in the van was getting dim and our last morsel of food was a packet of soup. Although you could have eaten anything and would be perfectly contented because of the magnificent setting, with hues of pink dashing across the horizon. Of course, the efficient Germans parked behind us were BBQ'ing meat. The smell would waft over us and we wondered how they came across a steak with the nearest supermarket over 100km away.

By 8pm we were in a frenzy of packing for Morocco which ended up taking nearly two hours. As we pulled all the junk out of the loft we realised what a daunting task it will be to finally sell the van and get out. Nearing 12am I sat outside with the owners kitten and took in another breathtaking sky, somewhat lit up by the light of Tangier, and watched the setting of the moon. yet again those Berber cars trundled along the mountains over in Morocco and I marvelled at how on one side we felt so at home and culturally familiar whilst on the other side the Muslim world beckoned. Tomorrow we'll set afoot on the last continent to conquer on our travels and happily set off with our backpacks on foot - the way it should be done.