Arrived at Sid's pad 

I arrive, I'm near Sid’s place, I'm almost a day early, it's Thursday afternoon and I am expected Friday ,my new plan was to find a shady spot and while away the hours reading and generally laying about, looking at the map the town which is Yaizas postal address looks ideal, small, with river marked as running through the center, must be somewhere pleasant thereabouts surely.

As I get near I start to see my optimism was mis placed, it's 34 degrees the landscape is scorched and dusty, there is a river bed but it  looks like it has been dried up for years.
Walking around hoping for inspiration as to where to spend the night people greet me, there is much smiling, the whole town seems to be wandering around, taking advantage of the cooler air. A young man and his girlfriend spoke to me in English, they have seen the van and know where I am from. I take the opportunity to ask about camping sites, they laugh, the area is not conducive to camping, there are none. I showed them Yaiza’s address and they were able to point me in the right direction.

The whole atmosphere is so pleasant, and the people so nice. I reckon now I can park up anywhere quiet and spend the night. To pass the time I thought I would seek out Sid's place, if I know where it is I will be well placed for the meeting tomorrow.

Surprisingly I happen on the area pointed out to me by the young couple almost as soon as I leave the main road, just need to look for names and I'm sorted. No need it turns out, a fenced off plot has on it a prefabricated type house and I can see a number of dogs, when I slow down to look pandemonium erupts, a woofing and a barking, I have to stop because in the middle of the pack I can see some ears, not just any old ears, Sid’s ears. Yaiza comes out with the baby, I'm rumbled, it's 10 pm now and I apologise for disturbing the family and say I will come back in the morning, obviously not in a sufficiently forceful manner for 20 minutes later I find myself parked up for the night in the compound. Before we could open the gates the dogs are put away, I notice the grounds are separated, two exercise areas, a training area and kennels, plus of course the dwelling.

Yaiza is charming she offers food ,  I say I would just like to meet Sid and Lily for 5 minutes before I get some sleep. All the dogs are let out again, it is usual for them to be out until it gets dark, it's a bit cooler but still 28 deg. The dogs all greet me with varying interest, lots of barking and two of the three Malinois bring me the remains of some tennis balls.
Sid is hanging back and Lilly is nowhere to be seen, the whole pack is friendly, there are I think 15 dogs including two pugs three  Malinois, a beagle, Lilly and Sid, another little schnauzer like terrier, a Chihuahua the pair of teckle crosses, a greyhound and a most splendid Airedale. Throwing the bits of ball I am soon covered in dust and slobber, lovely.

Sid is not frightened just not bothered about the ball , when I call him he comes and we have a big kiss and I find his scratchy place, Lilly comes haring round the corner, generally bossing the other dogs about, she seems fearless, she too comes when I call her, immediately rolling over for a tummy tickle, our introductions couldn't have been nicer, we will get on well we all smell the same!


 Friday the day I should have arrived, I'm a bit late getting up, I thought the dogs would act as an alarm, outside I can only see the Malinois laying on the covered porch hoping for an invite indoors, surely I think, the other dogs aren't still locked up in the kennels, they are not, it is just so hot even at 09.30am the shade of the kennels is the preferred place to be. I am invited in for breakfast which turns out to be home made chocolate cookie type things and freshly squeezed oranges, very nice, next a shower, is there a message here? Today is the day for Sid and Lilly to be wormed. The appointment is after lunch so outside to play more broken ball, the  Malinois are keen for a game and the beagle needs to get in first. Yaiza has to help me find Sid and Lilly, they are laying in the shade, no wonder it's 11.30 and the temperature is 34 deg. Sid has a bit of a hoppity skip around, you can see how he is carrying one of his hind legs, the whole pack looks relaxed and contented and as I find out later the extended family love the dogs too and there are plenty of playing and cuddles .

When Yaiza and the baby come out to sit in the shade, Sid is first to get to them, he wants a cuddle, I can see straight away he is a kind sweet dog, 

 I leave them to it and look for the Airedale, he is so handsome and very nicely mannered  it is good he is booked in for a clip and groom he is panting and clearly is struggling with the heat, southern Spain is no place for a hairy dog. His mate the greyhound is a bit aloof and is not keen to say hello or is it hola? I will try him again later.

Lunchtime comes and I am presented with a large dish of what looks and tastes like bolognaise sauce, strangely this is topped off with three fried eggs, just the sort of thing I might have chosen to have when getting my own dinners, I like it.
Vets next I am thinking, but no everyone goes to bed, I am offered the couch and off they go. To pass the time I watch some children’s TV, it has been left on, the program I am watching graphically illustrates another vast difference in the attitudes of our respective countries. The plot seems to be that a man and a lady, dressed in safari outfits, are in the savannah (is that right the grassy bit in the middle of Africa)) they are trying to catch a particular lion, I know this because the nice lady speaks directly to camera and shows us pictures, the chap is odd I can't make out what he is up to, he is wearing a bush hat with a video camera attached to it, can't work out why, anyway they decide to make a big net type trap, they need some bait, fortuitously the lady finds a partly dismembered wildebeest type animal, she does no more than whip out a machete and cuts off one of the unfortunate wildebeests legs, this takes some time and is graphically photographed, I have to look away, give me good old Mr Muggle any time.  
Wake up time, before we go we need to take a shower, not together I hasten to add, shower is nice but by the time I get my socks and sandals back on I am dripping with sweat again.

Jose, Yaiza’s husband is doing the vet run, he is in the car revving up, I have to jump in quick, we are away,  calling in on Jose's friends on the way  and again the people are smiling and friendly. 
It's a long way to Cartagena  and the vet and  I am glad of the air conditioning in the car, 30 mins later dogs all done and back to the Finca, vets were very helpful.
Jose takes me on a little sightseeing trip around the port of Cartagenait is very swish,  the army and navy have bases there. Jose tells me of the economic difficulties in the area,  some of the problems brought about by agriculture suffering from lack of water, there have only been three days of rain so far this year.  He teaches me new words, the phrase which amuses him most is pogo pogo wish I knew what it meant,  Mr Google says pogophobia is fear of beards, can anyone help, Jose is a star, I like him.
Nearly time for the boys t,o start their big adventure,  from what I've seen so far I, m sure it will be alright in the end