The Álora Tripe Riots and a Massive Drugs Haul. Full Story.

The Álora Tripe Riots and a Massive Drugs Haul. Full Story.


What a week! I thought all the excitement was over until next Easter but how wrong could I have been.

The fun began on Tuesday when the Álora Guardia Civil raided a finca  just outside Álora and found 2082 marijuana plants in peak condition. Three Brits and a Spaniard are helping with enquiries.

Here's a picture of the 'plantation'. The pool looks a bit murky doesn't it?. Observant  readers should be able to identify the location from the chimney in the top left hand corner. If this is your villa and you are renting it out to a respectable family from Weston Super Mare I should get back sharpish before it is embargoed and sold off. 
This proximity of this local dope factory may go some way to explain why, in times of 'la crisis' when money is scarce, the heady aroma of what I believe is called 'skunk weed' lies heavily in the air, especially when the wind is in the north west.

Speaking of ´la crisis', the word on those streets frequented by the 'Brit Community' this week was that Friday 18th. October was going to be 'Crisis Day'. According to an unnamed source in the Cudeca charity shop there was a riot planned for Friday in the centre of Álora and the advice was; ´Keep off the streets!'. (regular readers of this blog may remember the 'Chinese Whispers' story of 19th. October 2012; exactly a year ago to the day). Also, according to a usually reliable (when sober) scource the local bars were going to be giving away tripe to the rioters. You couldn't make it up could you? 
Let's unravel this by applying the rule; 'If you heard about it in Cudeca there may be an element of fact in there .........somewhere'.
Here's a photo of ´the riot'. It contains a clue to the obvious misunderstanding.

 

'Lucha' means 'struggle' but can also mean 'fight'.

A new hospital has been built near Cártama to meet the needs of the people of the Guadalhorce comarca (region). It has stood empty for at least two years and we are all getting a bit fed up because there's no money for staff, power and equipment. (sound familiar?). Our alcalde (mayor) José (Epi) Sánchez (no relation) is leading a plataforma (campaign) to demand the opening of the the new hospital and  a meeting of supporters was held in La Plaza de la Fuente Arriba (top square) on Friday evening followed by an orderly march around the town. No foreigners were to be seen on the streets, including Mrs. Sánchez and me. We got the time wrong and turned up an hour late by which time it was all over bar the shouting . Here's some more pictures of the riots.

Along with posters advertising the meeting on Friday were some others announcing 'El Día de los Callos'.

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Sometimes the posters were stuck up  close together, as clearly illustrated in this view of Manolo's Cafe Bar Madrugón. Perhaps one of the small minority of British residents with Spanish skills and who read posters  thought the two events were connected. I feel sure that this explains the misunderstanding particularly as Callos is usually translated as 'tripe' (especially on menus with an 'English version'). Most Brits hate tripe  and the prospect of all the bars in the top square dishing it out willy-nilly was probably enough to keep 'em all indoors anyway, riots or no riots.

More than a cursory glance at the two posters, however, would have revealed that the two events were to take place on different days. Perhaps I am asking too much.

As we know, Callos is not just tripe. It does contain some tripe but mucho mucho más. It is one of my favourite dishes. 
You get all this yummy stuff in one bowl:

garbanzos (chick peas)
cebollas     (onions)
ajo              (garlic)
manitas       (pigs feet) (NB. no attempt at apostrophe)
oreja           (pig's ear)
tomate         (tomato)
callos           (pig's stomach)
rabo             (pig's tail)
añejo           (don't ask)

morcilla        (black pudding)
chorizo         (chorizo)
water
lots of herbs and spices


See, not just tripe

and free to boot..
 Manolo in El Cafe Bar Madrugón likes a joke so he told me that he would charge me for being a 'guiri' (foreigner). Ho ho ho. Here he is with his son, Javier, also a bit of a joker, with our alcalde.

 You may note that Snr. Sánchez (call me Épi) is holding an empty olla (pot). Mrs. Sánchez and I had to eat the dregs which were very tasty. Astute Sánchez (me) blogfollowers (and I use the plural with more than a little hubris) will remember that Manolo was banned from serving hot food a couple of years ago. Guiri eh?
I hope I have cleared up any misunderstandings.

The really big event of the week was also on Friday despite the dire warnings of civil disobedience.
It was the opening of the Second Annual Exibition of 'The Independent Artists of Álora' in the Casa de Cultura at 9.00pm ; enough time for el Alcalde to stop the riots, go home, have a shower, put on his best togs and open the exhibition. It was a big success. 

              Where's Wally? Can you find Mrs. Sánchez?


A quintet from the Orquéstra Sinfónica de Málaga played. Food and wine were artistically scoffed and quaffed and several paintings were sold there and then; two of them by Kent Harrison. (we've got four of his on our walls). Terry Durham sold one of his excellent three. Terry has a one man exhibition here next March.

We ended up at Lodantonio's and had a late tapa of pulpo frito (fried octopus). Antonio has sharpened all our kitchen knives and they are, well, sharp.

My shoulder is a lot better, thanks.

                                    Terry Durham



20th October 2013