Smashing time in Palma Mallorca! - 25/06/06

Buenas tardes, amigos! ¿Como estas?

Greetings from Palma Mallorca in Spain, the playground of the rich and famous in Europe. =) This is another one of my travellogues after my recent one about Santorini, Greece. Hope you guys like it and maybe someone can recommend me to Lonely Planet, 6 Degrees??? Haha!

Anyway, was here for a 3 day weekend getaway after my recent 2 week work stint in London. In theory, I´ve worked really hard during my time there, with all the ´late hours´ etc (it´s World Cup season, who´ll believe it?). Hence, the need for a break in the sunny Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. Actually, the travel bug just bit me real bad and I decided I just have to make it up to myself by diving in Mallorca since I had to terminate my Greece hols due to the London trip. Yadayadayada...

I am sure Palma Mallorca is familiar to my European friends but to all of you out there who are not familiar with it, it is the one single place that many Germans and the English (plus the Spanish of course) come every year to escape the cold weather back home, to retire with all their trappings of material wealth (check out the huge yachts!) or simply to hang out and enjoy the underwater adventures (this is really a great place for diving!)

The weather is absolutely perfect, sunny everyday with not a single drop of rain. People are generally friendly, helping the distressed traveller whenever they are approached. And great cathedrals and historic architecture; not forgetting the impromptu dancing to the accompaniment of live music at some festival in Palma (the historic centre), cuatro fun!

For the divers out there, this place is great. Went to a marine reserve yesterday and this place called El Toro aka Bull in Spanish. There were lotsa marine life, with large octopuses, schools of barracudas and even moray eels everywhere I turn to. Waters are reasonable at 22 deg and a 5mm wetsuit will do just fine!

Of course, given the touristy nature of this island, you can imagine the sheer variety of shops peddling their wares to visitors - from high-end Massimo Dutti to cheaper stuff like Zara/Mango. To say the least, I had to seriously control my spending habits after throwing caution to the wind and blowing quite a bit on my first day here.

On a lighter note, one of the ´highlights´ of my trip was to be accosted by a half naked middle-aged Spanish drunk clad in swimming trunks when I was savouring my Italian gelato yesterday. Of course my Spanish ain´t that great with just two elementary classes (sorry, Ana!) but the blabbering guy in his drunken stupor didn´t help either. =)

Anywayz, this guy was trying to be ´friendly´ by offering me his beer, which I was absolutely not interested in and so moved away. He then approached a couple of local teens who were messing around with a soccer ball. This guy was so ¨shameless¨and just went up and slammed the ball sky high each time he touched it with absolutely zero ball control when all that the boys wanted to do was dribble. It was sheer wonder that he did not smash the windscreens of the cars parked nearby with his silly antics.

Oh yeah, did I mention he came with his wife in tow? While her husband was fooling around with the kids, she had to pick up his slippers which he conveniently tosses aside and keep a watchful eye over the half finished bottle of beer. And all the time, she was sitting there so patiently and looking on... Talk about female subservience, hah! (Hope I dun get too much flak for this).

Anyway, I am off to London tonight before catching a return flight to Singapore. It has been a most wonderful trip in Europe for the past month or so and you guys and gals should come here and enjoy the nice romantic views of the Baleric Sea and the sights before the hordes of Chinese/Japanese tourists come! (only saw 3 Chinese when I was here). Till my next travel episode...

Adios amigos!