WALKING
Ten years ago I set off
from the top of Adeje town, with my daughter, son-in-law, a friend and a dog,
to WALK the Barranco del Infierno = “Hell’s Ravine”. There was a track of
sorts, rarely level and very narrow, and there weren’t many places at which we
felt safe meeting other WALKERS. Some of the steeper stretches had knee-high
steps rough-hewn out of the rock – in other places we were scrambling on hands
a knees. Each time we rounded a bulge in the mountainside we could see the
track WINDING ahead endlessly, and the sea behind us vanished. Despite the
other people on the track, we felt like genuine explorers. There was no shelter
from the fierce sun, but WE WERE WEARING hats and sensible shoes and carried
WATER. We saw many painfully-pink tourists in flip-flops who hadn’t been that
sensible.
Gradually, as we
climbed higher and further inland, the reason we had come on this comparatively
arduous trek became apparent. A stream trickled over rocks by our feet, ferns
and shrubs grew beside the cacti, and trees reminiscent of those in an English
WOODLAND shaded us. WITH renewed energy we walked through this WONDERLAND to reach
our destination – a small clearing at the foot of a vertical cliff down which a
WATERFALL fell into a black pool. This waterfall only flows when there is
snow-melt or rain-water from the Adeje mountains, but on an island with no
natural springs it was a treat just to sit on the small beach and listen to the
splash.
We paddled, of course,
and dipped our hands and faces in the icy pool, and then started back. The 90
minute return journey took us from cool woodland to baked goat-track again, and
by the time we reached the car I was knackered, but it had been WORTH it.
Six months later I had
a hip replacement, and I haven’t done anything like that since, but there are
many lovely walks to be had on Tenerife. If you’re fit and WANT to tackle any
of them as a change from the beach, look on the relevant WEBSITES -
Try http://walkingtenerife.blogspot.com.es
The free paper Island
Connections reported this week that nine Cabildos (Councils) in the south of
Tenerife are planning to open a website in the next few months featuring walks,
among other rural tourism options. You will be able to download GPS
co-ordinates too – technology goes trecking!
The following advice
comes from Maurice, an online Tenerife friend who is miles fitter than I am!
I suppose you could
say, "walks are what you do daily but serious walks are actually Treks.”
If you look at www.webtenerife.co.uk/activities/amongst-nature/footpaths/ you will find a list of good treks & descriptions
etc.
Not too many people know that the Teide National
Parks Authority do 'guided' walks - mostly in Spanish - and they also have easy
walking maps (graded walks) for the National Park. They are written in Spanish,
German & English and are available from The Park information centres at El
Portillo, the Parador & Boca de Tauce.
There are quite a few
walking groups based in Puerto de la Cruz, Los Gigantes, Los Cristianos, Teno
& Anaga. Some are 'private' and some are small businesses (usually self
employed guides). Various nationalities are involved but German, Spanish &
English prevail.
WATER
. Regular
followers of my blog will have noticed how often I mention water – or rather,
the lack of it. We manage remarkably well for an island with no rivers, and
this is due mainly to geology but also to hard work. Rainwater and snow-melt
from the mountain filter down through the permeable volcanic rock to 1000 underground
galleries and 500 WELLS. The pine trees in the forest contribute by condensing
moisture from the clouds – the needles on Canarian pines point the ‘WRONG WAY’
to ensure the water doesn’t evaporate. 50% of the water collected goes on
agriculture and the rest must supply the needs of 2 million residents and 10
million annual visitors. So please don’t WASTE IT! (The photo below is one of the water galleries, which can be full of toxic gas, so don't walk into any!)
WRITING It
wasn’t until I had lived here for a few years that I considered writing a novel.
I have always loved WORDS, so perhaps it was bound to happen sooner or later,
and retirement gave me the leisure to try. Also when I told my younger son I
was bored, he told me to write a book!
I find Spanish cafeterias
strangely restful places to write, because although I can speak Spanish it
isn’t my native tongue, and it’s easy to filter out the background noise. When
I am finally published I shall have to get my book translated into Spanish for
the cafeteria owners who bring me coffee and turn the light on so that I can
write.
I belong to a tiny writers’
circle here, but I am too far away to attend many writing events in the UK. I
took out a subscription to the Writing Magazine last year, and its online forum
Talkback helps to lift the feeling of isolation from the English literary WORLD
– I WISH I had started reading it years ago!
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