A Very Canary Christmas

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

I think I am in love… with the Canary Islands. My Christmas gift to myself was to spend 5 days on my own enjoying the sunshine in Gran Canaria. I had expected nice weather, but I hadn’t expected it to become one of the best trips I’ve taken yet, again thanks to the awesome people I’ve met along the way.

First of all I need to say my stay was incredible thanks to my accommodation at El Warung in Las Palmas. There NEEDS to be more places like this for travelers! In my last minute planning, my only option was to book a hostel in the capital of Las Palmas. I was kind of bummed and thought surely the capital would be touristy and not for me, but it actually ended up being a very local experience and my stay was nothing less than perfect. The place I stayed, El Warung, was a true backpacker’s. It was more like sharing an apartment with other fellow travelers and the owners of the joint, Manuel and Christian, were very involved in the experience. I got in late the first night but already Manuel invited me and some of the other travelers to go see some live music and have some drinks. I also enjoyed the company of the others staying there from all over the world, especially since it was Christmastime and we were all lone travelers.

Although traveling on my own, I was not alone for Christmas. One of the teachers from Ubrique, Carolina, is from Gran Canaria and had invited me to have dinner and stay at here place on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve). Her family lives in another town in the Northwest of the island called Agaete. Carolina and her boyfriend Niko picked me up on the 24^th and took me to her mother’s house. Aagete is so incredibly beautiful, set right on the coast against the mountains, and her family accepted me with open arms and made me feel so at home. On Christmas Eve, Carolina, her boyfriend Niko, her sister Marie, her mother and I had a delicious meal that had been prepared all day long. After dinner and lots of dessert, we listened to carols from the Canaries, Galicia and even Venezuela because there family has roots in all of these countries. We also busted out some Latin dance moves to work off that big dinner. Marie loves all types of music so we had a really great time! At midnight, as custom has it, we toasted with Cava (sparkling wine).

The next day I walked around the town with Carolina and Marie until it was time for the big feast part 2. Joined by her other sister and her husband as well, we all shared an amazing home-cooked lunch. That’s an understatement; we ate like kings. The day passed by easily –food, drinks, presents, music - and I got to see one last beautiful ocean sunset before catching a ride back to Las Palmas with a friend of the family. It was truly an unforgettable Christmas and I owe them for making me feel so special so far away from home.

When I returned back to El Warung in Las Palmas, I found that Papa Noel had come while I was away leaving truffles for everyone in the apartment! I guess it’s true that he can find the good girls and boys no matter where you are in the world.. even if you’re on an island thousands of miles from home. J

Seeing as I was on an island and I only had 5 days, I did take plenty of time for exploring and new adventures. One day I ventured on my own to the south of the island. Maspalomas is a major tourist resort where almost everyone speaks English. In fact, the next beach over is called Playa del Inglés. I embraced the endless sunshine, relaxed and walked along the sand dune beach. In the late afternoon I caught the bus to another destination I’d been aching to see – Puerto de San Mogán. This little port town was just as quaint and beautiful as I thought it would be. The little canals make the nickname “little Venice” very appropriate. I saw another amazing sunset, where I could even see Mt. Teide – the highest mountain in all of Spain – across the water on the Island of Tenerife. I also treated myelf to a delicious meal for one before catching the 2 hour bus back to Las Palmas in the North.

The other adventures I had on the island took place with the staff and other guests staying at El Warung. My second day there, a few of us took the bikes for a ride around the island, stopping for my first lesson in Free Diving. It’s like a combination of snorkeling and scuba without the gear. We donned some sweet wetsuits, goggles, flippers and snorkles, and learned to dive freely, holding our breaths and compensating for the air pressure. I only made it about 6 meters for my first time but we got to see some really cool sea life. I hear the second time you try it you can double your depth, so I’m anxious to try again sometime! On my last day on the island, some of the others were going paragliding. I didn’t think I had time because I had to catch a flight, but Christian convinced me to go to at least watch. I obviously got convinced to partake and it was AMAZING. I knew I’d be flying that day, but not like THAT! It was the best view of Las Palmas and it felt so cool to fly freely over the mountains and the sea. We got done with plenty of time to spare, so Christian from El Warung drove me to the airport, stopping for lunch, beers, and even a view of a cool tiny little beach town called Tufia. The Warung staff also took us out to see live music not once, but twice. And when I got home on Christmas, one of the guests, Stefano from Rome, had even cooked a beautiful pasta dinner for all of us. I’ve never felt more at home in a hostel. I no longer think of it as accommodation, a place I’ve stayed – it was an experience and the people I made are friends and I hope I can go back someday!

Overall, I packed a lot into such a short visit. 5 days was hardly enough to explore one island, let alone all 7. I’ve decided The Canaries are incredible and I WILL be going back, someday…. But for now, it is one of the best memories I’ve made and I’m extremely grateful to everyone that helped make the holidays so special for me. Next stop: Madrid to see my family!