Lothar Bünde is 64. He has lived in a cave in the Ses Mosques torrent in Cala Blava (Llucmajor) for some twenty years. His days are much the same. He heads off to an Eroski supermarket with a chair and sits outside with a cup, hoping for some coins. When he has enough, he buys a large bottle of Aurum beer, his preferred brand.
"I live alone in the cave. No wife or anything." He is content with this way of life and hasn't considered any other option. Not even turning to social services. "The police have come a few times and told me everything's fine so long as I don't light fires."
He has a tattoo in Turkish on one forearm: "I hope you're happy again. It's from many years ago. I don't want anything, I don't want women, just my cats." And there are a number at the place he calls home. He listens to music on a radio. AC/DC are his favourite band, Bon Jovi another. He recites words: "It’s my life. It’s now or never. I ain’t gonna live forever. I just want to live while I’m alive."
"I like living here. I've been here for more than 20 years now. I'm Lothar Bünde from Germany, and I came to Mallorca more than 20 years ago. My family in Holland died in a bus accident ... It's been a long time."
He once worked as a painter in Bahía Grande. He wasn't paid much, so he quit. "What is work?" His t-shirt hides a scar about 20 centimetres long across his stomach. "I was stabbed in Bahía Grande. I also have a tumour."
Llucmajor Police say that he doesn't cause any trouble and that he has been referred to social services on several occasions. But Lothar has always refused help. "I like living here," he repeats. "It's my life."
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I hope Lothar continues to live the life that makes him happy, and that no-one tries to take that away from him. I also hope that he and his cats remain safe and well (lots of Heart Emojis!!!).