Tenerife's Village of the Damned

The corridor stretches interminably before me punctuated by open doorways, some of which are portals to small empty rooms while others lead to corridors which matrix into hundreds more rooms and yet more corridors. The walls are graffiti’d stone with naked wires protruding at intervals along their length and beneath my feet cement dust and rubble cover small beige tiles. In places the plaster has fallen from the ceiling revealing hollow space beneath the roof. Through the glassless windows the sun’s blinding glare bounces around the dry scrubland rippling the air on the horizon above the ocean.

The echo of my footsteps is joined by the incessant cry of the wind which is following my every move, darting through open windows and rushing down corridors. At each new doorway I stop and peer inside at rusting bed frames and discarded Coke tins. Most of the cells are small squares with a tiled bathroom in one corner where fittings have been roughly torn from the wall leaving patches of exposed plaster in the tiling.

Feeling like a character in a Sergio Leone movie or on a level of Silent Hill, each new doorway holds the threat that I might stumble across a squatter, an itinerant or the ghost of one of the inmates this village was built to house. I’m peering into the gloom of a particularly dark room when there’s an explosion of noise directly behind me which sends my heart crashing into my ribcage and my head and neck sinking into my shoulders . My hair follicles register movement as the panic stricken wings of a pigeon flap the air centimetres from my head. I must have spooked it as it dozed in one of the gaps in the wall. The pigeon takes an erratic flight path beneath the low ceiling before veering through a window frame to the right and into the glare.

A couple of weeks ago Jack stumbled across an article about a ghost town on Tenerife’s Arico coast beside the TF1 motorway; an entire abandoned village which was constructed to house lepers. Despite frequent trips to the south of the island and an afternoon searching that exact area looking for the ‘Happy Donkeys’ (that’s another story) we’d never spotted anything that could remotely fit the bill of what the article was describing. So on Thursday, on our way back from a meeting in the south of the island, we decided to seek the ghost village out.

Leaving the TF1 and driving down to the beaches of Abades the outline of the empty church with its huge stone cross and 30 or so deserted buildings shone out from the headland like a beacon. How on earth we had managed not to see the village before now is baffling. I can only think that as Abades looks newly built we must have taken the empty buildings for just a half completed project, which in essence it is; only this one’s over 60 years old.

The village was originally conceived at the end of the Spanish Civil War when leprosy was rife, Tenerife alone having 197 known cases. The policy at that time was to house sufferers in isolation in a climate that was considered beneficial to health; hence the choice of the arid, sunny and breezy east coast of Tenerife, miles away from any large population centres. Under Franco’s command plans to build a vast leper sanatorium and place it under control of the military were put into place.

Designs were drawn up by José Enrique Marrero Regalado, a local architect from Granadilla de Abona whose works include the African Market in Santa Cruz and the Basilica in Candelaria.

Work was suspended in the 1940s when the use of Dapsone in the treatment of leprosy provided a breakthrough in halting progress of the disease and it was determined that sufferers responded better to treatment in the comfort of their own homes.

Building work stopped and the site was abandoned.

In 2002 an Italian developer bid for the site from Arico ayuntamiento and work began to create a huge tourist complex with a golf course and 3,000 beds. But in 2003 the Ley de Moratoria Turística (building moratorium) was passed which severely restricted the size and type of tourism developments permitted within open countryside in order to protect the environment.

So once again plans were thwarted and the village remained as it is today; a ghost village just metres from the island’s main motorway and yet strangely invisible – just as its original inhabitants were intended to be.

There are many fascinating parts of Tenerife waiting to be discovered by those who chose to leave the standard tourist trail and explore the Real Tenerife.

Lying on a beach all day every day might make for a relaxing holiday, but memories of it fade as quickly as your sun tan. Island Drives is aimed at travellers who want to experience the real essence of Tenerife, not just its pools and beaches. If you want an unforgettable holiday as opposed to a good one, Real Tenerife Island Drives will make the difference.

Second-hand bus, one careful owner

Times is hard, very hard. While searching for something at the TITSA (Transportes interurbanos de Tenerife, the only public bus company in Tenerife) website, I couldn't help noticing an animated advert in the sidebar for "Sale of used vehicles."

It was well known that TITSA's finances were not in the best of health, which is why they were taken over by the Island Corporation in 2007, but one has to imagine that things have gotten worse. Well, it's either that, or they have lots of new buses to take their place, but that doesn't quite fit in with crisis.

They really do provide a brilliant service. Tenerife natives don't appreciate this, but TITSA services are MUCH more frequent, clean, friendly, on-time and very, very cheap compared to British buses. Use them: keep them afloat, 'coz you know what they say, you never know what you got 'til it's gone.

Meanwhile, can we interest you in this nice Scania, for only 3,600 euros? 

Beware, Pigs Might Fly into Tenerife

This morning, the Canarian Government were awfully proud of themselves in confirming that there were no cases of the gripe porcina (swine flu) in the Canary Islands. Then later reports contained the equally felicitatious news that the Canary Islands had no direct flight links with the areas (of Mexico or the Spanish mainland) affected by the disease.

Then two cases of Swine flu get confirmed in UK, and, of course, Tenerife does have direct flights will all parts of the UK. Bummer. Mega-bummer, when almost ALL your income depends on tourists flying into the islands. Maybe jesting, I hope, Francisco Mesa is already calling for them to "Close the airports!"  

Somebody's been having fun tinkering at Wikipedia too, 'coz at the page for Airdrie (so, OK, I had no idea where that is or how close to a major airport it might be), one is currently greeted with a photo of some pigs and the graphic description starting, "Airdrie ... is a squalid little town ..."

Describing the local residents, it calls them "toothless banjo-players, rat-catchers, winos and sash-wearing failed genetic experiments."

Well, they may as well bask in the compliments while they get the chance.

In the Canaries, the British had already been dawbed Vacas Locas (Mad Cows) after BSE (probably aided by our general behaviour and drinking habits), now you can be sure we'll be labelled as Cerdos Volandos (Flying Pigs) too. 

Next up will be the disinfectant baths at the airports, mark my words. Either that, or they'll issue us all with bells, like the medieval leper with a bell and sign declaring himself to be “Unclean! Unclean!” … stranger beware!

Tenerife's New Guidelines for being nice to tourists

Couldn't help being nosy when I saw this slogan painted on one of Tenerife's buses going to the Romería in Tegueste. Since it doesn't actually make sense translated literally, what did it mean?

Wanting to know, I popped along to sientoxciento.com to find out.

Apparently, it's an initiative (seemingly, the previous Tenerife Amable (Friendly Tenerife) campaign re-dressed) by the Island Corporation and the Tourist Board to encourage people to "feel Tenerife", whatever that means exactly (a 100% more Tenerify feeling Tenerife, I guess) and continues with an explanation that 5 million tourists visit the island each year and that every gesture counts.

Another way of saying it won't actually hurt to smile and be nice to people.

Companies are urged to participate, amongst other ways, by putting one of the campaign banners on their website, informing staff about it and teaching their personnel that kindness is a fundamental value of service.

Will it work? Well, I suppose it's the thought that counts. 

However, they have some rather nice Fondos de escritorio (Desktop wallpapers) of various landmarks in Tenerife, in various sizes to download at this page.

Photo by Petezin

Tenerife Rally Surprise

Every year in Tenerife, the rally would take me somewhat by surprise, generally as I would wake up to find our main (only) road closed with no prior warning whatsoever. This year, had I still been living in the same place, I'd have been ready for it ... and, it would have surprised me once again, this time by not happening! :)

It's always at around this time of year that I look out for details of the the first of the rallies on the Tenerife calendar. Last year, that was the 24th Palma Canaria Norte Rally, held in mid-May and, previous years saw the 23rd and 22nd.

Logic would, or it would if we weren't talking about Tenerife, therefore, dictate that this year would be the 25th Anniversary version. And it is, sort of.

A visit to the website of the Federación Interinsular de Automovilismo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Island Automobile Federation of Tenerife) reveals that the XXV RALLYE ORVECAME is listed, to be held on May 8th and 9th.

Obviously re-named this year, to something shorter, but totally unmemorable, it is, nevertheless, still billed as the 25th Anniversary event.

The route, however, is completely different to previous years. If you want to find out where it is to go along and watch, it's on mountain roads above La Guancha - San Jose and Realejos - Orotava. You can download the Map (PDF).

The rest of the Tenerife Rally Calendar for 2009 (PDF) - Tenerife events in blue boxes, both rallies proper and subidas (hill climbs) - I'll endeavour to transfer to our calendar for your spectating pleasure in due course. 

The right to a day of rest in Tenerife

Enjoying a day of rest can sometimes be very difficult, says this report, which goes on to say that, "There are people who take advantage of weekends and public holidays to undertake work in their homes, bothering the rest of the neighbourhood" (makes it sound like DIY is a much more novel concept in Tenerife than we're used to) and asks, "Can anything be done about it?"

How many of us would like to live without excess noise? Probably the majority, but the society in which we live makes it ever more difficult to achieve. Almost all of us, at some point, make noise that could disturb others, but is it normal for a neighbour to be hammering away at 8 a.m. on a Sunday or public holiday?

The question came up when a resident of Garachico on the north of Tenerife began undertaking work on their house at weekends and on public holidays, which upset others who were trying to enjoy these days to rest.

Was there a rule that covered this? What could be done to combat it?

It turns out that in Garachico, there is a local by-law (published in the BOP de Santa Cruz on April 2nd, 2003, on pages 5677 and 5685) and the ordinance prohibits all kinds of noise (motors, works, music ...) on public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays and, during the week, after 10 p.m.

(In answer to the question, "When can I do my home improvements?", you're going to have to do them between the time you get home from work and the 10 p.m. curfew, take time off, or pay someone else to do it in work hours.)

The document goes further, indicating, for example, that it is not permitted for animals to spend the night, loose on flat roofs of houses (a common practice resulting in dogs that bark at everything that passes), to sound the horn of vehicles, to rev up a vehicle and many other things that make a noise.

Construction works that use pneumatic drills, compressors, cranes and other types of heavy machinery, can only be carried out Monday to Friday (as long as they are not public holidays), between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Incidentally, most towns in Tenerife have similar rules: in others I've lived in the noise ban came in at 11 p.m., or construction work could be carried out on Saturdays, but only up until 2 p.m. (Check with your local town hall.)

Of course there are countless noisy fiestas, bars, traffic, airports ... to counteract all this "peace", otherwise it would be plain surprising that Spain remains the noisiest country in the world, or the second noisiest country in the world, depending on which report you read, with rules like this in force. 

Nevertheless, can we have an equivalent by-law in the UK to prohibit the use of bloody hover mowers on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays please!

Photo by mrdisaster

The History of Humanity in Tenerife

Provided Mount Teide doesn't erupt and wipe out the species first, it's never too early to organize the next party in Tenerife - especially the biggest one of them all, the Santa Cruz Carnaval 2010.

Today, Tinerguia announced the contest to design the poster for next year's carnaval. You may not be interested in that (or maybe you will, when you learn that there's a 3,000 euro prize, although I guess that's not a lot compared to the 60,000 euro purse for the racing pigeons), but what you may like to know is the theme for next year's event: La Historia de la Humanidad.

Which translates to The History of Humanity, for readers of English.

A far-reaching subject open to many interpretations and particularly apt, since it all started next-door in Africa, in or about the year 50,000 b.c.

A Very Short History of Humanity says, "Our history is filled with terror, death, treachery, and cruelty, but we are always struggling to be better than we are."

One wonders about the latter when you watch the antics of many. Indeed, from this history of humanity in one picture, it does appear that the only things we see in all periods of time are: sex and violence. All that seems to change through the various eras (and carnavals) are the costumes.

This really has less to do with the Carnaval celebrations than you might imagine, because the record for trouble is actually very good, but this image might give you some ideas on suitable outfits (definitely anything, or nothing, goes.)

And it would be nice to think that, whilst still having lots of fun, people could become more aware of mankind's progress and the wider issues that concern us. For more scholarly reference: UNESCO Collection of History of Humanity.

Carnaval in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, declared of International Tourist Interest, takes place between the 12th and 21st February, 2010, with the Gran Coso Apoteosis - Carnaval's Main Parade on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010.

Photo of a cayuco from Africa, by noborder network

Did the earth move for you?

Writer Joe Cawley has recently started counting earthquakes in Spain and he's up to 38 in the last 10 days, including 3 in the Canary Islands.

Earthquake tremors happen pretty regularly around the Canary Islands, so there is probably not much to worry about (she says, crossing her fingers), although I suspect some vulcanologists - folk who study volcanoes not the pointy eared beings off Star Trek - might be paid to tell the archipelago's inhabitants to keep calm and carry on.

Certainly, in context of the recent events in Italy, my guess is folk might be a tad mildly concerned. Indeed, this article in Canarias7 on Tuesday, suggests that the Canary Islands see themselves in the mirror of the Italian disaster and that, "The Canaries could suffer an earthquake similar to that which last week destroyed the Italian city of L'Aquila." Perhaps they could, being the operative word.

The article is quick to point out, however, that seismic activity in the islands is very different to that in Italy. Perhaps it is, but I'm not prepared to translate any of the science, because how would I know whether it was accurate or not?

Historically, however, according to investigations carried out by professor Carmen Romero of the University of La Laguna, the earthquakes prior to the volcanic eruptions of Siete Fuentes, Fasnia and Arafo, between 1704 and 1705, cost around 15 human lives in the Valle de Güímar and it's documented that at least 22 people have died in pre-eruption earthquakes in the Canary Islands.

Apparently, though, say the experts, it's not the earthquakes that kill. Poor construction and bad planning of where to build, causes the problems.

Now that, indeed, might give Tenerife residents cause to be really worried!

As I already, flippantly, replied to someone, the tremors were not strong enough to reach me, but then I'm currently in the UK, so I'd hope not really!   So, did you feel any of the latest tremors? Do you feel there's cause for concern?

Image: Instituto Geográfico Nacional, the red star marks the epicentre of the 2.1 magnitude quake which took place shortly after 6 a.m. on April 12th.

Easter Week in Tenerife

See the following page for information of Easter in Tenerife

Timelapse Tenerife

CANARIAS TIMELAPSE from luis garcia de armas on Vimeo. 

This is a trailer for a documentary entitled CANARIAS TIMELAPSE, from KROMA CANARIAS and LASAL, sponsored by the Canarian Goverment, Tenerife Tourism Corporation, Fuerteventura Corporation and Gran Canaria Corporation, with particpation from Televisión Pública de Canarias.

It shows the 7 islands from the perspective of time, over a whole year, using, as the title suggests, time-lapse photography. In particular, showing those  frequent seas of clouds that form over the islands to really superb effect. 

The full documentary premieres in Santa Cruz on April 22nd at Cine Renoir-Price, C/ Salamanca 16, 38006 Santa Cruz De Tenerife, at 20:30 hours. 

Via: Jose Frechín

Do you eat or listen to Arepa Funky?

If you're looking for something different to do on your Saturday night,  Canarian - Catalan group entitled Arepa Funky just arrived from Barcelona and will be playing at the Bar Plaisir, Calle Heraclio Sánchez (see map), 27, (parallel to the Avenida La Trinidad, where the tram terminates), in La Laguna.

Saturday, April 4th, starting at 22:30. Entrance FREE.

It was the name of the group that caught my eye - Arepa being a bread made of corn originating from the northern Andes in South America and made popular in the Canary Islands through emigration / immigration to / from Venezuela ...

Quite what that has to do with Funky music in general or this band in particular, however, remains a complete mystery to me. If someone would explain?

Anyway, the blurb says they have an ample repertoire of jazz, soul, blues or  experimental music, among other genres and at their MySpace page, you can hear for yourself before you invest the time, but I think you'll agree that they have an excellent tight and musically accomplished sound.

Via: Disfruta Tenerife

Hiking Tracks in the Teno Rural Park

The Teno Rural Park, in the far north west of the island is one of the most fascinating (I would say that, it was my home for almost a decade) and unspoiled areas of Tenerife, worthy of exploration and appreciation. Now you too can explore it's charms along it's network of hiking trails.

Download a PDF (in English) giving you the basic information on these footpaths from the Teno Rural website, where it's also available in German and Spanish.

How many chickens are there in Tenerife?

No, it's not a trick question. We all know that old saying, don’t count your chickens before they hatch, meaning don’t assume that you’ll get the things you want until you have them. Presumably, there's no translation of this concept into Spanish, because the Tenerife authorities appear to be counting, if not their chickens, the number of euros of european funds that they think they have to build the port at Granadilla.

The wording on the above sign board says "The present Project is co-financed by the European Union" and mentions an investment (obviously the total, not just the EU bit) of 114,582,734.45 Euros (and I really have to wonder at the person mean enough to mention 45 cents on a 114 million euro project too. )

Folk have been saying that the sign is a lie because EU funds had not been granted and, it appears that Brussels has confirmed this and deny that the works on the port are co-financed by the EU. This report goes on to say:

The European Commission confirmed on Tuesday in Brussels, during a meeting of the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament - which considered a complaint from the Citizens' Platform against the port of Granadilla - that it has not begun the process to provide funds to this port infrastructure in the south of Tenerife, but it has formally accepted the application for the funds.

It's not just the sign though, apparently, the argument that the Canarian Government used to beg the courts not to paralyse the work (the court did stop it) was that they were getting 68 million euros and would lose EU funds. These same ones they've only put an application in for and got no decision on.

Just the application form, nada mas. What the hell are they playing at?

More to the point, dare we hope that now they'll never get the funds?

Image of the offending sign, courtesy of Mataparda.

Fibromyalgia Therapies in Tenerife

An article in today's Diario de Avisos mentions the existence of a clinic in Granadilla de Abona, the only council run unit in the Canary Islands, offering physiotherapy and other therapies free to patients suffering with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as to women who have undergone mastectomies. Granadilla Town Hall will, hopefully, know where it is.

Warning to the tongue waggers of La Laguna

You'd almost think this was some sort of April Fool's story, but as I've already explained, that just isn't the custom in Spain and the Canary Islands.

"La Laguna, World Heritage Site and birthplace of wagging tongues", concludes one of the notices that Focho y Susana, the last proprietors of the El Coral fishmongers (founded in La Laguna in 1860), have hung on the doors of their establishment. A short time ago, they decided to close the business, located in the Calle Núñez de la Peña, because they considered it was time to retire.

Fed up with rumours circulating in the district, speculating over the reasons for the closure (from economic crisis and as far as pronouncing the proprietor's death), they decided to clarify matters by putting a notice on the door.

Signed by the owners of the business, the first announced the closure, saying:

"El Coral Fishmonger, founded in La Laguna in 1860, greatly appreciates their distinguished clientele and the general public, the trust during all these years and its subsequent contribution to growth of this family. Apologies for any inconvenience caused by the sudden cessation of activity. Thank you."

But this wasn't enough for local residents. Later, Focho put two more notices up on the adjacent windows. They don't mince words and, translated say:

CLOSED FOR RETIREMENT

I'm alive, thank God.

Up yours (er, culo = arse) tongue waggers!

And it's signed by the owner.

Obviously, we hear about this kind of ignorant speculation and gossiping going on everywhere, so I don't think La Laguna has a particular problem with the phenomenon, but I admire the El Coral spirit in firmly dealing with it.

Mistaken for April fools: On a Tea Break (2006)

"Holiday-makers flying back to Britain from Tenerife were told by their pilot that they could not land because an air traffic controller was on a tea break.

The passengers initially thought his announcement was an April Fool's Day joke, but it wasn't. The plane had to circle for almost half an hour before the air traffic controller came back to work."

Source: Masterwordsmith-Unplugged. Te he, you'd have thought the British would find the tea break story more plausible than to think it a joke.

If they'd been travelling in the opposite direction, to Tenerife, it would be unlikely to happen, unless they were travelling on December 28th.