Africa in Europe

Today I move on to Tenerife in the Canary Islands by bus and flight.  I like to think of the Canary Islands as Africa in Spain or Europe, since it is just off Morocco and Western Sahara,

My bus to Madrid airport leaves at 1100 so I had time to kill.  I had finished all my breakfast supplies in my room so it made sense to go out for breakfast for a change.

That was more easily said than done.  Only some high end places were open; McDonald’s opened at 1030 and Burger King at 1200.  I finally settled on a tuna-filled baguette and coffee for EUR2.50 and EUR1, which proved to be quite a steal in the heart of the city’s tourist district.

I walked to the station and took the bus to Madrid Airport Terminal 4, a journey of 2h30.  Going airside around 1400, I found the lounge to be full.  I needed food but everything was pricey; about double the street price.  McDonald’s seemed like the best option especially when I could have a smallish  burger and a salad and drink.

I walked off my lunch by exploring the airport before being let into the lounge some 45 mins later than my first attempt.

My 2h50 flight from Madrid to Tenerife North cost EUR40 return plus taxes which took it to around EUR68.  What a steal.  But the airline Iberia Express charges for everything including water and the seats seem to have even less legroom than other budget airlines, if that is at all possible.

We departed at 1740 and landed at at 1930 due to a 1h time difference.  Tenerife North was the site of a collision between two Boeing 747s in 1977.  It was cloudy, windy and cold at 17 degC.  I put on the zip-on portion of my shorts to transform them back into pants before hopping on the bus for the 30 minute ride to Puerto de la Cruz, my base for a week.

To my surprise, the weather was different in Puerto.  It was slightly cloudy with enough sun and much warmer.

It was a steep downhill walk from the bus stop at Tucan to Apartamentos Alta, my home for the week.  It was an old-fashioned, ultra-spacious apartment where I had a huge living room, kitchen, balcony, bedroom and bathroom.

I skipped dinner and made do with muesli, kefir and fruit sourced from the supermarket across the road just before it closed at 2130.