This street bowling looks like a nice relaxing pastime for which friends can receive some gentle exercise, socialise and watch the world go by. However I have witnessed the dangerous dark underbelly of this so called leisure pursuit and some of the shady characters that partake !!!!!!!!!
I believe the Germans also have a sport / pastime similar to this as I found out to my cost and theirs !!!!!
One afternoon whilst in the Cabo de Palos area I arrived at a show home at 1:30pm only to find it closed (they normally shut between 2pm and 4pm). With two free hours on my hands I though this was a perfect opportunity to drive up the La Manga strip and have a look around.
Having gone through the couple of hundred sets of traffic lights on the strip I reached the end, and turned round. It was out of season and the roads and strip in general were deserted. As I was riving down the road I noticed something very small and round zooming down the road towards me. As it got closer it looked like a ball of some kind and as it zoomed fully into view it hit something in the road, bounced up and hit my car with an almighty thud.
I stopped the car and jumped out to inspect the damage. Fortunately the metal ball had hit a rubber skirt that sat under the spoiler, knocking it loose.
I looked round thinking where the heck had this come from. There was no construction taking place nearby and even so it was siesta time, I had not passed any lorries or machinery that it could have fallen from, the only thing was a group of senior citizens way off in the distance, walking in my direction. I picked the ball off and headed to meet them to see if they knew anything about it.
When I got to them, I got out of the car (metal ball in hand) to be greeted by cries of disdain in German. When the realised that I was British they angrily asked why I had their ball. I explained what had happened, the damage that had been caused and what would they like to do about it? I was amazed to find that they all agreed (about a dozen of them) that they had never hit a car before, I should have been looking where I was going and it was my fault. They wanted their ball back, end of conversation.
Obviously I realized that I was not going to win this one and with the damage to my car seemingly easily repairable I decided that the best course of action was to give the ball back, however I was not going to give them the satisfaction of handing it directly back to them, so with one big swing of my arm I sent it back ff down the road at great velocity (there was no traffic - trust me). With a smug grin, I pointed towards the rapidly disappearing ball and said "there you go" only in horror to watch it deflect off a raised manhole cover, hop over the kerb and straight into the Mar Menor, disappearing like a depth charge (no pun intended). En mass the bowlers turned towards me open mouthed in disbelief.
Needless to say I was in my car and beating a hasty retreat before I think it had clicked with them what had just happened. The Audi garage charged me €24 for a new clip to secure the spoiler leading edge on the car, so I suppose our German friends had the last laugh after all.
I hope you El Raso posse are a friendlier bunch, than the La Manga crew?
PS. It will be a real shame if they do develop the waterside area of El Raso. I think that it is one of the Urbs. that has got it just right, not to over developed, wide tree lined roads, plenty of green areas, a good little commercial centre and yet close to great beaches and Guardamar. Even if planning is given it will be a few years before the builders or bankers are brave enough to invest again.