We have got family over at the moment, so me and El Rubio went to the zoo with his cousin Cecilia who is 1.5 years older and my sister, her mum.

I have heard good things about that zoo previously, but never been. And I was really pleasantly surprised.  The last time I was in a spanish zoo was 22 years ago on a holiday in Santander in Northern Spain. I was 12 and camping with my mum and sis (and I kissed a boy on that holiday, but that is another story…) and ate spaghetti bolognese and oxtail soup.

No idea what the zoo we visited was called (give me a break, it was 22 years ago, and I have had a baby since then which is a way of getting senile, seriously I cannot remember a thing any more these days). But the zoo was not a pretty sight. Kinda like the animal version of those Rumanian orphanages. There was big cats in tiny circus-like cages pacing back and forth (you know the type I am talking about: small box, bars on one side and solid wall on the remaining three). A stench of animal piss and shit, no stimulation for any of the animals who all seemed to have various manic-nervous behaviour issues. We didn’t stay long and my sister and I were in tears.

So went we went to the Zoo in Fuengirola, I am happy to say that it was as far removed from my previous horror experience as possible. I will tell you more about it soon, but someone is clinging to my leg making typing difficult.

And here comes second installment in Naranjas tourist information:

Ok, so let’s say that you are here on holiday. You have probably hired a car or you are just strolling around. You might find yourself lost or just looking for a specific place and will then have to ask for directions. A common occurrence for tourist and natives alike.

But you might have to use a bit of tact if you are asking for directions, especially if you are out in the more rural areas of Spain. Because even if Spain is part of Europe and we are in the year 2007 there is still a fair amount of illiteracy present. Mostly amongst the old of course, but some of them are not that old.

And for them it will be a bit embarrassing if you stick them a piece of paper with an address on it and ask where it is, as they will of course not understand it. Which might just lead them to give you directions made out of the blue in order to save face and not have to admit that they cannot read the note.

So if possible ask rather than giving a piece of paper with an address if you encounter an elderly person.

This of course mean that they have to understand your dodgy Spanish though…:)

I’ve decided to delve into a bit of public service and giving you some tourist info, Naranja style.

First up is Malaga Airport. The airport is currently under re-development as they are creating a massive extension to be able to handle the large and growing amount of people coming to Malaga airport. For you, travelling to Malaga airport, this means that weather you already live nearby and are simply going to collect visitors or if you are flying in Malaga airport to start a holiday, there is a few things it would be good to check in advance.

If you live on the Costa del Sol or vicinity and you need to pick someone up at the airport, go to the Malaga airport website first to check if the flight is arriving on time or if there are any delays. I have used this service myself many times, and it is fairly reliable. But several times I have left the airport which is approx. 40 mm drive from where I live , checking that the flight is on time just before I left, only to arrive to pick up my friend who is an hour late. Surely, if the flight is leaving from the UK an hour late, they should know this straight away. But mostly they seem to be on the ball and be on top of delays or early arrivals. Btw. you can check the arrivals and departures in English on the Malaga airport website.

If you are flying into Malaga and you are renting a car on the Costa del Sol my advice is to check again with the car hire company exactly where and how you are going to meet them as the situation changes daily in Malaga Airport. They might not have had the time to update the info on their website, and if you booked your car long time ago things could have changed considerately since then. And make sure to bring a telephone number with you so you can phone them when you arrive in case it all goes tits up.

More tourist info to follow later!