The Costa del Sol, España

Mountains upon mountains. The faded greens of baked vegetation and the brilliant array of browns and stones lie in the waves of heat rolling lazily in from the sky. As the trees part they reveal something quite different from the awe inspiring nature that was before. Buildings upon buildings sprawled on the side of steep slopes and lurking in the crooks of sweeping valleys. Tall and towering, they present a united front of dominance.

Man has forcefully and aggressively staked claim to this land like a gnarled and greedy hand wrapped around a thick, chilling flagpole, burying it punishingly deep into newly discovered land. But this united front is anything but and the dominance and control you perceive is a hasty drawn facade, as if a thin curtain as quickly and cowardly been drawn to cover a forbidden secret. The united front is not arranged with precision like an army or controlled with the fairness and unity of a well respected general. It is a squabble of bloodthirsty hyenas fighting and clawing at each other in a desperate attempt to shine brighter and bigger and better to the gullible, sun-loving tourists than its competitors. This is a fight to the death that has resulted in many casualties.

The dominance that seems to be radiating from the skyscrapers and sprawling hotels, the shining electric gates, the vast number of faux smiles and accented english words spoken by waiters is fake. Nature cannot be this easily controlled and subdued. The mountains are lying dormant, like cunning volcanoes, or hibernating, like calculating bears. Their steep sides and rocky outcrops, deep valleys and gorges are not to be messed with.

As one person coming to this conclusion, you realise how small we are to nature. The world was here long before us and is wiser and stronger and more powerful than our tiny, young human minds can even imagine. We cannot comprehend the force that we have reckoned with.