The most expensive free trip ever!

OK. So we got some REALLY funny looks and responses when we said we were going to Benidorm, but it turned out to be a fantastic week. As I indicated in the last blog, Craig wanted to visit as we had watched and enjoyed every episode of the sit com. We ensured that we went 'all inclusive' when we booked our on line, last minute package deal with a company called Beach Sun holidays and set off in a hire car for Manchester, where we stayed over night and headed to the airport at 04.30 in the morning for our much anticipated flight. The only drama of this stage was that Craig left his sunnies in the hire car and I had to run up and get them, returning with only minutes to spare!
Arriving at Alicante airport we were herded onto busees for our "45 minute" trip to Benidorm. We arrived at our apartment block (we had discovered that this was actually a 10 to 15 minute walk up a dirt track to where we were to get our 'all inclusive' part of the package on the day before we left Scotland). THREE hours later, hot and bothered, we checked in and found a spacious, clean but fairly basic apartment. We had, however, very good views over Benidorm however.
In due course we pottered up to the Flamingo, Benidorm where we were to be fed and watered 6 times a day for FREE for the next week. We checked in and were provided with our lime green fluro wristbands to confirm that wee were bona fide users of the restaurant and bars. There was food of some description available all day, except for an hour or two here and there and we could eat and drink until midnight and start again at 8am (for FREE!).
We spent the next weeks wandering around Benidorm and lazing by the pool (wasn't game to put my head under the water though!). There was a cast of thousands around the pool with skin colours varying from chalk white to burnt pensioner. The first thing we realised (with great glee!) was that the sit com is actually a documentary. Let me just say the "Sticky Vicky" is real and I'll leave it at that. Her daughter is also learning her Art! We also saw the guy from the 20 foot high bike that he rides on with stilts with a tin foil suit on advertising local amusement parks etc, went to the Benidorm Palace, Benidorm island, Tabarca island off Alicante and a FREE bus trip to some markets north of Benidorm.
There were also fantastic markets around the corner from our apartment block where we bought a few tacky souvenirs (made in China of our course!), some Benidorm hats and some 'I love Benidorm' beach towels. Everything was very cheap. We had been told that the old town of Benidorm was nice but it actually turned out to be street after street of tourist type shops and was a bit of a disappointment. There was tattoos and English pubs everywhere (most of which were affliliated with some football team or other!). We also found the apartment block where Benidorm, the series was filmed. Don't worry, we returned to our 'all inclusive' resort to eat for FREE most of the time!
The highlight of the week was the FREE bus trip that we signed up for. We were worned that this would include a 45 minute 'presentation' but not to worry as it wasn't time share. We were first on the bus and spent the next half hour wandering through Benidorm pickin up other wood ducks like ourselves. The bus trip itself was pleasant (apart from the little old lady coughing her guts up regularly across from us!). The hostess was English and had live in 'Beni' for years and it seemed that she was trying her best to persuade others to do the same, telling everyone where the best housing estates (where the English live), English schools, markets etc were along the route. Very tempting (not!).
We arrived at the 'showroom' after about 2 hours on the bus which we spent winding through pleasant country side. We were ushered to our seats and offered champagne or orange juice (guess which I picked - I needed a drink!) which was all included in our FREE trip! We then had to endure one and a half HOURS of the presentation which was basically to try to suck us in to buy a reflex foam mattress and merino wool underlay and blankets which were (of course!) only available in Benidorm at this special price. I must say that the presentation was extremely well done by a very entertaining lady. We're not sure if there were plants in the audience as a few people 'already had the products' and were waxing lyrical about how wonderful they were. For their efforts, the company got around 5000 to 8000 pounds of sales from a busload of about 25 people. Even a lady who had deliberately left her credit cards at home was reassured that the company trusted her so much that she could gave the goods delivered to her home in the UK and THEN pay for them! Poor soul, she was a really reluctant buyer! I heard a comment getting back on the bus that it was actually the 'most expensive free trip ever!'. We were herded back onto the bus and headed for the coastal town of Moraria where it started to bucket with rain on our arrival and the markets quickly disappeared. We spent our time there sheltering in an English run cafe eating the most expensive, worst tasting baked potatoes I have ever been unlucky enough to be served up with. We had a pleasant bus journey back to our hotel arriving 4.30pm and headed off for some much needed FREE alcohol.
The Flamingo Benidorm had a plethora of free activities for us to partake in such as karaoke, bingo, free magic shows, a game called opent the box, water polo matches etc etc. It was so exciting! I even got my photo taken with a python around my neck. The Miss Flamingo contest had attrated a large audience of testosterone laiden males who no doubt expected a trail of beauties pirouetting around the stage, however it turned out to be 4 fairly average women playing party games such as seeing how many pairs of mens trouseers they could collect in a bag in fivve minutes. I had a table full of young, cute, Spanish guys in front of me who all willingly gave up their daks in the spirit of the occassion. Awe inspiring!
The other excitement towards the end of the week was that our travel company went belly up and we had to pay an extra 190 euros to finish our holiday. We weren't sure if our airport transfer company were going to honour our agreement, but they duly turned up to take us back to the airport for our sad departure from 'Beni' (I think the legal discussion that Craig had with them by telephone the day before may have helped). What a great experience Benidorm was, but not sure if we will be tempted to return. Feeling grateful that we had escaped the pick pockets we boarded our flight to Manchester, where we waited around for our 5.30pm flight back to Corfu and Shirley Valentinne. The easy jet flight (surprise, surprise) was delayed and we got back on board around 2am. What a long day!
We hung around Gouvia marina for a few days waiting for our friend Kim to arrive by Ferry from Italy and did the usual household chores in preparation. Some nice person had disconnected our shore power and our fridge was a blob of mould, so that had to be cleaned up too.
We have had a lovely week with Kim pottering around Paxos and Levkas and are heading over to the mainland today. We have had the priviledge of catching up with some old friends and have enjoyed the company of Maree and Sandy (and Tracy) from Freedom, Steve and Sarah from Zanetia and Keith and Sue from Broke Aweigh (who are very annoyed about being mentioned in a blog about Benidorm!). It's so nice to be back on board.
We are heading to Messalonghi for the 27th of August and driving to Athens on the 28th to drop Kim off and pick up our next seet of visitors, Kathleen and Helen. It is lovely to have friends on board!
Well, gotta go and do some sailing. Will keep you updated very soon! Take care everyone....
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