Tenerife

“Fanta, Cola, Agua!”

The same guy has been walking up and down the black volcanic beach for hours now, trying to vend off his two heavy bags filled with ice and bottles. I feel sorry for him, that must be hard work. As I watch him tread back and forth, I join my fellow lizards and lay on my nice soft towel in my bikini soaking up the sun. Every once and awhile, we girls take a dip into the cool ocean water and then return to the same position which benefits our skin the most with vitamin D, also occasionally flipping over to equally roast both sides.

That, my friends, is life on the beach.

Coming from a country which at the moment is rainy, dark and cold, it is quite pleasant to be located on this tropical desert island! It’s heavenly being able to walk around in a skimpy shirt, with shorts and flip flops versus wearing warm boots, jeans, and a huge winter coat!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect of the Canary Islands when I first learned that we were going there. Truthfully at first I wasn’t even 100% sure where they were! But, now I know! The Canary Islands are Spanish, and they are very close the edge of the North-Western tip of Africa! I feel crazy thinking about how close to Africa I am… and this is my first time in Spain!

Most of our days here have been sunny, therefore we take the 15 minute walk down to the most preferable beach and then set up camp there for a few hours, doing as I described above. I can definitely feel that I am on a European beach when I observe topless women and men in speedos… ew.

Traditional food from the Canaries is few but delicious. Mostly what people eat here is the fresh fish, calamari, white fish, tuna, shrimp, YUM. There is also a special Canarian dish which I was not aware of before I came here, and it is basically small boiled potatoes with special sauces to accompany, called Mojo sauces. Other delectables found on the islands include tapas and fresh fruits, (pineapple, star fruit, bananas, grapes, oranges, etc.).

One thing that I was not expecting was how difficult it would be to bring back my Spanish language skills. Learning and hearing Swedish for the past six months has really put a dent in my proficiency in Spanish! It’s very awkward when I start speaking Spanish and then slip a Swedish conjunction in there. (haha)

Today our clan of Swedes took a hike through a national park. It was a great opportunity to observe the nature here and also to observe a certain culture! There are people who have built year-round ocean-front-homes made out of sticks, tents, and palm branches, and they have such a beautiful view! Before we went on the walk I was informed that this was the hippie-village, which made me chuckle. We came down into a valley and not only were there nude bathers, but also several of these interesting crafts of homes.

Still off to enjoy more and more of this wonderful holiday! ‘Till next time!