Sally has her Birthday in Tenerife
09 November 2019
Paul Kember
After the passage from the Salvegem Islands we anchored towards the east of Tenerife at Bahia de Antequeia to get some sleep. With the sun fully risen and no phone coverage the next morning we inflated the dingy and headed ashore riding the surf as we went in on to the lovely black sandy beach! There was also evidence of fairly recent landslides that had covered the track on the edge of the bay and the abandoned harbour. We knew the only was was up and we followed a path from the beach that looked like a goat track. We saw goats as we climbed and also actually discovered that these footpaths at this end of the island are known as the "goat paths" from a group of German walkers. We climbed 500m, before we able to get any mobile phone coverage on, at times along a river bed, but generally a rough pathway. The views were certainly worth it as the photos show. Our mission was to arrange a surprise visit on our neighbours who were visiting family on the island. With the mission successfully arranged and a berth in the marina in Santa Cruz booked we returned to Mirage for lunch before departing for the marina.
Upon arrival at the marina we did the usual chores, arranged a hire car before meeting up with our friends on Otis for an evening drink and nibbles after a brief familiarisation of the port and adjacent areas of Santa Cruz.
The following morning with the hire car collected we headed off to the secret rendezvous at a shopping mall about 50km away. We crept up on Pauline and Bernie, with help of Judi and Don, and shocked them both by appearing next to them on a bench without them noticing. Their faces were a picture! Bernie then treated us all to lunch in a typical Spanish cafe in Tanaimo. During lunch we arranged to spend the following day with them leaving Judi and Don to catch up on their chores. After lunch we completed the circumnavigation of the island making use of the hire car (from Playa de la Arena) via Santiago del Teide, El Tanque on to the north coastal road of the island. It was very picturesque and the northern side is more lush due to the greater rain fall as a result of the effects of Mount Teide. Unfortunately we had left our camera behind so photos are very limited.
On the 25th, Sally's Birthday, we collected Pauline and Bernie from his brothers apartment and went on a road trip to a part of the island Pauline and Bernie had never visited. The road to Buenavista was a fantastic road with huge elevation changes, up and down, and many many many hairpin bends. The road was very narrow, with passing places at times, but this didn't stop tourist coaches from travelling both ways on the road and causing massive rolling road blocks! Why the island doesn't say coaches can only travel in one direction is beyond us! We couldn't stop at all the designated viewing places but the photos we have taken certainly show the road and scenery off. Both Pauline and Bernie said that they had never seen a road like this and probably wouldn't again in their lifetime. For lunch we stopped, randomly, at a roadside bar/restaurant and had what can only be called an absolutely amazing meal, thank to Paul, that was way too large in size. The place specialised in pork dishes and we all had to take a doggy bag home. Sally thought the restaurant very reminiscent of her time in Germany with even a jaegar schintzel on the menu. The afternoon involved a trip to a non-descript beach and seeing plenty on banana plantations before finally dropping Pauline and Bernie back at his brothers apartment with its view of La Gomera from the patio. Thanks to Pauline and Bernie for a wonderful time and to Judi and Don for their help and hospitality in the surprise. It made Sally's birthday all the more special.
On the way back to Mirage we met up with friends, Lorranine and Chris, who were on their yacht, Jobiska, for supper at San Miguel Marina. Lorraine and Chris have a Moody 38 as well and are also crossing the Atlantic this year. This will be their third crossing and we were picking up lots of ideas and tips from them during the meal. We eventually got home at midnight!
The third and final day with the hire car was used, due to the absolute torrential rain, to buy the heavy food stuffs ready for the Atlantic crossing and to top up the boats fuel canisters. This is much easier than by bike or bus. The rain brought a large amount of dust from the Sahara desert meaning the boat needed washing a second time!
The other major trip whilst in Santa Cruz was a 40 minute tram journey to the old city of La Laguna. This city, the previous capital city, is located 500m above the city of Santa Cruz. Originally Santa Cruz was the capital but due to continuous attacks from pirates, the Dutch and the British they moved the capital city to La Laguna for security. Santa Cruz is now the capital city again as pirates no longer attach the island!
San Cristobal de La Laguna, the full name, is the second biggest city after Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the full name, and it is an important historic site, so much so that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its grid plan was designed in the 15th century and became a model for cities in the Americas including Cartagena de Indias in Colombia and Old Havana in Cuba.
The highlight of La Laguna is its old town we walked around which is a real step back in time and full of elegant buildings from the 15-17th centuries. The town has a particularly high concentration of churches and religious buildings as well as fine palaces and houses of the wealthy at the time.
Our first place to visit was the cathedral on the main square, the Plaza de los Remedios. The Cathedral of La Laguna was built in the early 1900s and its Neoclassical design was inspired by the cathedral of Pamplona in mainland Spain. Parts of the inside are from the 16th century and there are also some paintings by Tenerife artist Cristobal Hernandez de Quintana who lived in 18th century.
To the west of the cathedral we walked to Iglesia de la Concepcion which was built in 1502 and has a beautiful tower and a wooden Mudejar ceiling. Mudejar architecture is a mix of Moorish and European styles and is very prevalent in San Cristobal de La Laguna once you know what to look for! The church has a tall bell tower that we climbed and got some excellent views over the town.
After the Iglesia de la Concepcion we walked around the city looking at the many old buildings, that fortunately for us, even if in private ownership have information boards outside detailing their history and original use. What surprised us was the lack of tourists in La Laguna, but I suspect it may be to do with the long distance it is from the main tourist hotspots in the south of the island.
The remainder of the time in Santa Cruz was used to work on the boat, walking and cycling (including a trip to the golden imported sandy beach of Playa de las Teresitas). After washing Mirage (twice) we polished the topsides to give protection from the sea and the Caribbean sunshine and fully reorganised the insides of Mirage moving things we hope we don't need until the Caribbean and beyond into deeper stores areas along with cold weather clothing.
With a clean and full boat we left the marina Santa Cruz and sailed down the east coast of Tenerife on our way to La Gomera. We passed many of the places we had visited or seen from the hire car ending at a beautiful anchorage Playa de la Tejitas by the Montana Roja. During the sail we had almost continual views of Mount Teide, Spains highest mountain at 3718m high sticking out from the cloud. Unfortunately the rain had prevented us from hiking up closer to see her on the final day of our car hire......something for next time!