I am presently in Andalucia (Rota) and cannot for the life of me understand how the locals can tolerate the dumpsters, on almost every corner, full of rotting, horrible smelling garbage. It doesn't seem to bother anyone but me! I run or rollerblade daily, and the stench is sickening. Often enough to make me run for cover indoors. Trash collection appears to only occur a couple times a week, so the result is these stinking full dumpsters all over the place. I just can't understand how the local townspeople stand for this. What gives? Also they never clean the streets; they are filthy and covered with dog poop.

I've spent most of my time in Spain in the North, and they just don't seem to have this problem. The street cleaners are out religiously on a nightly basis.

Has anyone else ever pondered this smelly theme?

Perhaps there is a strike of the rubbish collectors...

Fernando

I imagine it's rather hot in Andalucía/Rota in August so imagine the garbage just cooking in those dumpsters. I'd bet it's like that everywhere there are dumpsters in any hot part of the world. I've heard similar stories from people in New York City in the summers. Something one gets used to, I guess.

Sorry you had a stinky run. Blah.

Saludos, MadridMan

I think I am just spoiled after spending time in the North of Spain!

Thanks guys.

I'm presently searching for a set of nose plugs and goggles:)

It's actually MUCH less hot down here this summer than it was last summer. Perfect summer weather this year.

Uhh, I guess I would never get used to that MM... "cooked" garbage is perhaps one of the most disturbing smells. Specially if you are on vacation. I understand OWL concerns...

But it is not a matter of north/south. Perhaps Spain is not one of the cleanest countries in the world, but we certainly don't like to see trash on the streets, and even the smallest village have its trash collected on a regular basis. From time to time local employees go to strike to press in order for their wages to be rised. If the town/village is very touristic, they can press harder because tourists will go away, and the council will have to agree with their complaints. It is not a wise attitude (after all, with no tourists trash-collectors would not have their jobs), but it happens from time to time in some places (certainly it isn't frequent).

Fernando

I find the placement of the dumpsters to be unfortunate. You have a beautiful setting often ruined by dumpsters. In Málaga, I was surprised that they have trash collection every day including the weekends!! Even with daily collection, there was still the lingering odor of the dumpsters when you would walk past. it is especially bad during the hot months.

It's funny, because not so long ago a Spanish friend of mine (who spent a year in the States) told me that he couldn't believe how there's exposed telephone/electricity wires and poles along almost every American street. In Spain these wires are mostly underground; away from the eye. He found this to be such an eyesore. And to be honest, I had never even really noticed...I mean I've always knew they were there, but they're so normal to me that I never even stopped to think how ugly they are.

The reason for my above tangent is because maybe people here in Spain just are so used to the dumpsters being ON the streets (instead of behind the buildings, where they usually are in the U.S.)that most of them (like me with the wires at home) are so used to them being there that it doesn't seem so bad.

There's got to be some fancy sociological term for this cultural "blindness".

El Buho - Sociologically I don't know, but I believe psychologists call it "habituation". The opposite, maybe what you're experiencing in Rota, is "sensitisation". I for one hope I never become habituated to Spain.