Promises of the Winter Sun

The winters here can be somewhat depressing, the darkness feels heavy and can last for what seems like an age each day and, even with the coming of daylight, there is a grimness to the grey wash that seemingly prevails everything. In my experience my mood can mirror this; there are no motorbike breaks and my system is definitely starved of Vitamin D! The Canary Island[s] offered the promise of rest-bite and a much needed break, they also usually guarantee clear blue waters and underwater frolics. 

Nuestra Señora del Carmen (in Plaza de la iglesia)

Los Cristianos differs from its louder, brasher neighbour (Las Americas) as it developed from a small fishing settlement, indeed there are 16th Century references to Los Cristianos by Hernán Guerra as a harbour and it remained an important port in the proceeding centuries. References record that the settlement didn't really develop due to the threat of pirate raids, this sounds like make-believe and like something out of a book, but a true part of the island's past. The first permanent settlement of Los Cristianos was in the 1860's when it was described by Pedro de Olive as "a hamlet in Arona, with three one-storey houses, a two-storey house and a hut." Los Cristianos' natural harbour lent it well to trade and in 1909 the first quay was built to ship the produce of a local distillery; it is still referred to as El Puerto Viejo (the old quay). Arriving in the town, for me, is like seeing an old friend, one that has a metaphorical arm around me. A big part of my psyche, both happy and sad, belongs on the island and for those reasons and experiences it will always resonate in my soul. The chimes from Nuestra Señora del Carmen are now a familiar music that signals reverie and a more leisurely attitude. Immediately noticeable is the cheaper cost of living - a marker for just how hard hit we are with inflation here! But as the sun kisses one's skin la dulce vida (to translate from Italian to Spanish) is here again! 

Dawn through the Guaza 'saddle'

I watched the sunrise - it is probably not for the first time here, but certainly within memory and for the ability to appreciate it it might as well have been - over the Guaza 'saddle'. The cold of the night quickly dissipates when the sun peeps over the crest and within half an hour it is warmer than a summer day at home. One of the new experiences I have had on this break is an early morning walk, and one that is joyous; every morning we passed an elderly lady on the beach, always in the same location, in the midst of her morning Yoga routine. This lady must have been in her 70's but looked one - two decades younger. After this (and on our return route) we would see her coming out of the sea from her post-Yoga swim....what a way to start the day! I have to remind myself that I am on holiday and the Utopian dream I have in my head of a 'simpler life' also needs work to make it a success. No longer, though, can this (or any activity) be put off 'until tomorrow' or 'we'll do that soon' for it will either never come or come so soon it passes us by. Life is perilously short. With that in mind I was relieved when I was able to book some dives with Sa Caleta.  Even after booking I was palpably relaxed and was like an excited boy waiting to get on the boat and get submerged. I learned, with dismay, that the turtles from El Puertito (a site I had dived and written about here) had to be moved due to people interfering as humans always seem to default to, trying to grab their fins etc. Why we can't just leave well alone I'll never know. However, they have a new habitat off the Tenerife coast and our first dive would be with them and sting rays.

An Atlantic green turtle off the southern Tenerife coast

Turtles are an enigmatic creature, to me they have a somewhat forlorn facial appearance but very expressive eyes. Up close they look at you with a piercing quality. The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is distinct as it has a large teardrop-shaped carapace (shell) and large flippers that have been used to slap me in the past to gain my attention. Those that reach maturity can live to be 80 years old in the wild. Seeing them again and being so close to them was, as ever, an uplifting experience mentally, emotionally and spiritually which signalled how the rest of the dive would proceed. Despite my dive computer battery going flat, the dive was serene, a school of Barracuda hovered overhead and curious wrasse were keen to see what was going on. Then, from the 'desert' of the sandy bottom, a sting ray 'flew' into view. It glided underneath me before turning to presumably to resume the never ending hunt for food. We hugged the volcanic rocky shelf, swimming through shoals of fish before making the ascent to the boat. 

The wreck of El Condesito

There was another dive the next day, to an old favourite; the site of El Condesito near Las Galletes. El Condesito is a cargo ship that sank on 1st January 1972 near Las Galletas on the south coast of Tenerife. The wreck is now a well-known recreational dive site. The ship was transporting cement for the construction of Los Cristianos. The ship ran aground about 50 meters (165 feet) from where the Punta Rasca Lighthouse later was constructed (no lives were lost). It was this sinking that prompted the construction of the lighthouse three years later; there are differing stories as to what happened, with some stating the ship suffered engine trouble during a storm and others that the captain and crew were drunk. Until recently the hull, engine room and cabin were intact with only the bow having been torn away. However, the wreck is increasingly unstable but can still be penetrated from many entry points. Access is easy from the forward hold swimming through the remains of the cargo. The bags of cement she was carrying have now solidified into blocks, and all around the site are white solid "stones" that are actually the now-solidified bags of cement. There is a 36 m (118 ft) drop-off nearby which is often dived by more experienced divers to see the famous Black Coral (which I have dived) before ascending to "off-gas".  As ever, the size of the Trumpet Fish in the ship interior was phenomenal, the wreck acts as something of an artificial reef for a variety of species. It is nestled in a series of 'horseshoe' volcanic rock formations that are explored as part of the dive at the site. There was, though, relatively little to see after the wreck proper. I knew that this would be my last dive here for this visit and as the time was quickly drawing to a close there is a realisation that normality will soon resume.

This trip represented a much needed break for Nicola and I and our first time away for nearly three years! Doesn't time go by with increasing speed?! Whether here or other locations there is little doubt that we will not leave it so long next time. Thanks to all for their hospitality.