Cliff Driving

I am an American and I don't speak Mallorquine. I do have to admit I have the tremendous advantage of speaking Spanish, all be it South American Spanish and not Castilian, Spain, Spanish but, it's still a big help.

I arrived in Deia, Mallorca 3 weeks ago and have created this blog as a way to record my experiences here in this beautiful land.

I will cover topics about daily life, challenges you encounter, things to do, the people who live here, the people who visit here, the incredible hiking trails and anything and everything else I find interesting from the perspective of an American for all those wanting to come to Deia for a long or short stay.

My first topic will be the roads. First of all, they are tiny, very very tiny. On the MA-10, the road from Deia to Soller, a small car fills up the entire lane and there are only two lanes, one each way. Beyond the lane there are parts where if you move more than a foot over to the side, you can plunge to your death or near death down the cliff. So, if you have fear of heights you must take this into consideration before coming here. On the positive side, everyone drives relatively slow. I guess they all really want to live. There are many hikers and cyclists on the road because the scenery is so, amazingly breathtaking with the Mediterranean sea, the cliffs, the greenery growing from the rocks and the waves crashing against it all. Since most of the time I'm driving I have not had the chance to fully take in this scenery and have only had glimpses of it when I dare to look away from the road, if only for a second or two. The first time I drove into the nearby town of Soller I wondered if I was really on the road because it seemed more like a wide sidewalk or an alley for one car. No, it was really the road. You navigate through it very carefully so as not to hit your rearview mirrors on the side of the stone buildings, yes, its that narrow! So, needless to say you better make sure you are not going down the wrong way on a one way street because turning around is a major problem. Of course, these narrow stone streets and the stone houses around them are what give these old Mallorquine towns their unique charm. Oh and you do need a car to get around. So do whatever you need to do, take a pill, take a deep breathe if you need to but do take a drive on these roads because it's worth it, despite the obvious dangers.