After giving up on UK, having a major mid life crisis and giving most of my belongings to charity, selling some to raise money, packed a suitcase and flew away!!! ....not sure why i thought South America would be the place, as i only knew a hand full of words. After two months travelling the top half of Peru and Ecuador i realised.... i'll end up on the street if i don't find a place to live and work!!!...
Alicante! 440,000 people, great climate, inbetween a number of places I'd been to where English is widely used.... but not in Alicante! and those who can, often just won't, not even to help you!!, so no chance of work!
I stupidly found myself signing a 3month contract on a shared apartment with a nice lady who speaks some/learning English... as soon as she had the money her English ended, and it has been uncomfortable and very lonely here!! Also, the Spanish here have no concept of respect when it comes to noise, not to mention the obvious mini factory in the flat above. Every door must be slammed in every flat as hard as possible! !, washing machines upto 5am regularly!, a battle of stereos, kids shouting, kicking balks against your wall... and the added horror for me, this unfriendly crazy cow collects wild cats from the street as she come home from a night out (burp!), the noise, smell, mess and flees!! Yuk! ...the cats are just as bad! (0;
When i was viewing one apartment, i asked the owner if he speaks English... he harshly replied in English 'i don't like to speak English'. nothing else was said.
If you were to stand still in a street, you would be trampled in seconds, no-one has respect for personal space, it really is a minefield of dodgems on the sidewalk, no manners, near never an apology when they harshly knock you out of their way, or you let someone go by, a car go, whatever its not even a nod of thank you!!.
Shame!, the place is beautiful!, so much to see and do... even with a budget of zero!!, a shoppers (window shopping) paradise! Look out for the large malls on the outskirts of town!, The Outlet Store, La Puerta De Alicante, and Plaza Mar 2. For you walkers!! The lakes are lovely, ignor the rubbish but they were made as land fills i guess? But 3 have developed into true beauty, and the cemetery is quiet moving, even a athiest would feel something special seeing the beauty, the care, the.... money gone into making it somewhere special to experience. The tram is cheap to get to Benidorm & Denia, i'm using it for my escape next week!
Crime!!! Well if you include graffiti it is huge here..... but other than that i have seen no evidence of crime, oh! but always check your change in small shops, they follow you around the shop making you feel like a criminal then short change you! and in supermarkets check your receipt! as they have no idea of matching prices on shelves with actual cost.
Not a place for someone one their own unless you like dodgems and speak fluent Spanish, can't say I've learn much Spanish in 3months with no-one willing to help/talk to you!!. With this crazy woman i always try to speak in Spanish, she always replies in normal 300mile an hour non understandable Spanish even when she has something important to convey!
Peru near no one spoke even little English, but so friendly and helpful, Ecuador few spoke some, and always so friendly and helpful, Alicante.... yippy! Less than a week and i'll be gone!.... still beats UK though! Hahaha!