What a multilingual.... just back from sunny Spain. Sounds like a mega stereotypes, but it was actually mega sunny. 36 degrees on the dot.
Some people say that the Canary islands are more Africa than Spain, and somehow I tend to agree, but anyway that's where I went for the week end. Incredibly cool.
As you probably don't know, my dear invisible friends, I used to live in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (why such a long name, I've never really got it...) 6 years back. When I was young - er.... and full of hope for the future. Already a heavy drinker, anyway.
But let's move on.
I packed 500 different things, considering any possible kind of weather, from draught to typhoon, knowing very well that there the weather never changes.
My flight was at 2pm, so I obviously left at 10am. Why? No idea. I got to the airport at 11am and got incredibly bored drinking latte at Starbucks. The good thing is that now I possess a beautiful thing called Kindle! A thing similar to a computer that you use to read books... very clear, innit? Like an electronic reader, let's put it like that. It's super cool... you can store up to a million books. More less. But it's great, mega light and small, you can fit it in your bag and carry a whole shelf of books.
Well... the flight was obviously delayed and then I spent the next 4 hours looking at the ocean, reading and eating Jelly Babies. Not too bad. Obviously I was wearing winter clothes (in Manchester we're in the deep end of winter, now....) and the shock came when I got off the plane.
Flying to the Canary islands is quite impressive. You soar over miles and miles of ocean till you notice a small cap of clouds on the horizon, standing over the water, and you know you've arrived. Here's El Teide, in Tenerife, Spain's highest mountain.
That's cool, believe me. Even because on Ryanair flights you don't get much space to move around and 4 hours can feel like an eternity. So the doors finally open and we dash off the plane... to faint straight away!
Gosh the heat... I wasn't ready for that... even because of my very helpful winter clothes! Well, at least I took my coat off...
Sweating like a pig I got on a taxi and went straight to the hotel! How unbelievable was that! All my memories were running back and crashing against me like high tide on the cliffs.
So weird... like going back to where you grew up, after many many years... I don't know how to put it but my heart was seriously racing and I couldn't stop smiling and telling the taxi driver about all the things I did in Las Palmas. luckily he didn't fall asleep.
Quick shower, took off the winter clothes and off we go, running into the sunset.
Sunset on the beach is the best thing in the universe. With a cold beer (and more than one) and someone pretty attractive sitting beside you it can get even better! But let's leave men out of the story...
I walked along the beach almost all night, feeling the rough sand under my feet and smelling the sea, dragging it down deep into my lungs. Loved it to the bone. The same beach I used to walk on 6 years ago, and everything seems exactly the same...sigh! I'm the only one who changed... yeah got wrinkles, now!
Well, i got pissed and got to bed at 2 in the morning. It wouldn't have been too bad if the day after I didn't have Tenerife. But this is life. Got up with a humongous headache and so tired that i couldn't even open my eyes. Somehow I walked down to reception and asked the guy to call a taxi for me. He started speaking to me using some mysterious language and I could just nod without really knowing what I was agreeing to. The taxi driver insisted in speaking to me... what's wrong with these Spaniards? it's 7 in the morning, it's still dark, I'm fighting a massive hangover... leave me alone!
Finally we got to the port and the time came to pay. "It's 4 euros 40" I grumble something and I gave him a tenner "Have you got something smaller?" a part from my brain? I grumble again and I open my wallet... gosh so many coins! I start counting but it's a hard task for me so I just tell the guy "Sorry but I do not understand euros in the morning... can I pay in pounds?" he looked at me a bit puzzle so I yawn and pass him some coins... he seemed satisfied so I got off and walked to the ferry.
here comes the next big task of the day and it's not even 7:15am....the ticket checker!
(to make it easier for the public I translate the conversation into English)"Good morning" let's put it like that....grumble. "Ticket please" I produced the ticket "ID please" I produced the passport... and then he stared at me... and I stared back... what are we doing here? "Erhm... I keep the ticket you can get on the boat!" "Oh ok... thank you!". So I climbed up and I entered the boat.... to freeze on the spot! My dear invisible friends, how mega cold it was! My jumper wasn't enough at all! I sat somewhere and became a small (relatively) ball trying to keep myself warm. What a nightmare! Together with my headache, hangover, nausea and rolling boat on the ocean... well, it wasn't a pleasant journey at all!
Somehow I managed to keep the vomit down (beautiful) and landed safely to Tenerife... after ONLY 3 hours!!!
We went to a nice tapas place in front of the beach and we talked and talked and talked... great food, great view and great company! Best ever. She took me around the island, from playa to playa and we had ice creams and drinks. Gosh it was so hot and the sand so white... it killed me!
Yeah but this is not very interesting, isn't it? You insensible lot... it was a great day with a great friend. Full stop.
The trip back was almost fine, but my biggest mistake was to go out again in the evening. I was so tired that I could barely stand, but somehow I managed to walk for almost three hours... silly me! But it was just so beautiful that you couldn't go inside, you had to stare at the sea.
The day after I just went walking around Las Palmas, remembering many many things. The place where I used to live, work, where I used to have breakfast, go shopping, drinking and so on...just strange, every little corner had a story to tell about my past. It felt like time never actually passed and I'd just left yesterday.
After spending all Monday on the beach pondering (and tanning and swimming) I think I found a few options: go back, plant a tent on the beach and leave there; pretend to be an asylum seeker; win the lottery and buy a place there; get a job there (but that's boring and possibly the most difficult of all...); get a job with ryanair (it's on route....); marry a very rich Canarian man... or just get over it.
Well that's it... not an interesting story to tell till the very end: I get to airport on Monday only 2 hours earlier (I'm improving...), get back into my winter clothes and buy some stuff. Rum Arehucas, gofio (a type of flour), mantecados (biscuits), aloe juice... and then sit down with my omni Kindle. We finally get on the plane and guess what? Delayed... what a surprise. One hour stuck on the plane waiting... ah poor Ellie. At least I had mantecados... and I promise, I didn't touch the rum!!!
And then again, after 4 hours... thermal shock! 15 degrees here... and you can guess how I spent the night!!!
O.o
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