Sights and Sounds of Arroyo de la Miel

Some photos of Arroyo taken when I was out on my walks. We are five minutes walk to the town center of Arroyo de la Miel, which is really convenient. We walk everywhere, and all over town.

Here, on the ‘outskirts’ of town, it is very peaceful and quiet. You get the odd noise or sound from your immediate neighbours, but otherwise, it is so quiet one wonders if anybody lives in the neighbourhood.

There are quite a few avians in the area. Throughout the day, you hear pigeons and doves go coo-coo coo, coo-coo coo in the background. The peace and quiet is occasionally breached by seagulls’ squawks as they fly passed. At times, their squawks sounded like they were laughing and other times, like they were crying. They can be very noisy. Green parrots nestling in the trees in the area will screech when they are startled. In the evenings, swifts screech as they hunt for food.

This is a recent installation on the main street. A ceramic seat. It looks interesting, and it serves as a bench for people who need a rest. However, I feel it looks quite out of place and does not really belong as part of the old town.

Benches are a common sight in Arroyo de la Miel. They are on pavements, outside apartment blocks, outside the shops, squares, playgrounds, by the side of roads – anywhere where it might get used. And they do get used.

As I mentioned, the place is very hilly, and full of slopes. And there are many old folks here. The benches are very useful to them. They can take a break from their walks and have a rest.

A duck pond in the neighbourhood. According to Roger, the pond was built so that migratory ducks could stop to have a break before going on their way. If that is true, whoever thought of the idea should be given an award.

People here like dogs. I think I am not too far off to say one in four households has a dog. It is very common to see people walking their dogs throughout the day – and late into the night too.

With such a big number of dogs, there is the problem of dog turds on the streets. Some dog owners are inconsiderate and do not pick up after their dogs although they are required by law to do so.

I remember the first time I was here eight years ago, the stench of dog urine on a hot summer day was really awful, and dog poos were everywhere. You have to be careful where you put your feet when you are out. Imagine – you are visiting your friends or going out to a restaurant, and you stepped on some dog poo. Hmm… Kind of awkward, isn’t it?

The situation has improved over the years, but there is still room for improvement. I guess there will always be room for improvement, as there will always be dog owners who take the easy way out.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ~ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>