Back in 1882, Thomas Edison, being a smart-arse at the best of times, threw a switch and lit up a street in New York, which heralded modern electric street lighting, (using electric bulbs). However, in the tiny Alpujarra hamlet of Collado, (near Murtas) this achievement has still not reached its boundaries – “There’s no rush” Endesa/Sevillana must think, because only 128 years have passed.
Needless to say, this humming metropolis of 15 inhabitants disagrees, because, the immortal words of Ray Davies of the Kinks, “So tired of waiting,” spring to mind.
It would cost about 30,000 euros to install a transformer and get electricity to the hamlet, but nobody has got the money. Their hopes were raised about two years ago when the electricity company asked permission to install pylons right next to one of this small group of cortijos, because the company was setting up a line to the other side of the valley. The owner of the land agreed, thinking that they would get a better price for their own project, but they were disappointed. Now the landowner is kicking himself, thinking that he should have told Endesa to bugger off. Let there be light!