The Costa Tropical

The Mad Goatman of Salobrena

The further east you go along the Costa Tropical the more odd and unusual things you tend to come across. It appears as if the Costa Tropical is gradually being dragged into the 21st Centuary with a much greater mix and diversity of poeple not just from other countries but other parts of Spain and is no longer as isolated as it used to be but there remain pockets where the mindset has not kept up with the pace of change. Many of the families here whose roots go back for generations are still very old fashioned, set in their ways and have an entirely different view of the world.

 

Last friday while with friends in Salobrena I was reminded of this when I saw a gathering outside of the Town Hall at about eight o’clock to watch a protest by an irate smallholder who had recently recieved a huge claim for money from the Town Hall in regards to his land and some issues regarding its use or boundaries. The goatman had duly turned up at the local government building with his goats which had built up an appetite and began to eat all the planting outside the building. The Town Hall shuts at about 2:00 so they were possibly not aware of his protest.

The hundred or so locals who were there were bemused by the the goatman trying to carry out his usual tasks of milking while his dogs kept the goats from wandering off to far. The local police did become involved and there was talk of taking him to the jail in the  Guardia Civil building in the next street, he appeared happy to go along but when he warned the police that his goats (numbering about 200 would just stand outside the building waiting for him they decided they would not gain much. 

It appears that he may even end up with more fines for damage to the plants around the town hall and for clearing up the mess left by the goats – I am sure whoever is responsible for cleaning the entrance to the Town Hall was in for a bit of a shock when they turned up to work.