Welcome to my travellog. Here you can read about my journeys day by day.
Dec 08, 2007 09:00 PM Pyramides of Guimar
Getting up quite early for the fourth consecutive time we arrived in Guimar at about 10 a.m. When walking towards the pyramides we came across a Sunday market at which all kinds of locally grown fruit and vegs were sold.
After eventually getting to the pyramides we learned there are students tickets available (not mentioned neither on the website nor in the LP guidebook) and this way we paid slightly more than 7 euros per person instead of 10 (which is the normal adult fare).
The pyramides are a mystery themselves as it is not clear whether they were built for ritual purposes (like e.g. pyramides in Central and South Americas) or are just structures that were erected as agricultural facilities.
After finishing with pyramides we took a bus to Candelaria, a costal town whose only attraction is a huge Basilic that houses a figure of Virgin Mary, the most revered one on Tenerife. In Candelaria we also went to the beach for a moment to take a look at its coal-black sand.
As it was still mid-afternoon we decided to take a bus to the capital city of Tenerife. In Santa Cruz we just had a stroll around and visited the fair of local craft that was held there at that time.
|
Dec 07, 2007 09:00 PM On the top of Tenerife
To see the sunrise on the very top of Pico del Teide (3718 meters above the sea level) we had to get up at 5 a.m. nd set off from the refuge half an hour later. Although we missed the track when climbing up (and this way lost about 20 minutes) we managet to get on the top of Mt Teide before the sun appeared on the horizon. But a much more unique phenomenon than the sunrise itself was the shadow of Mt Teide cast on the colourful sky.
To get down from Pico del Teide we had two options: either to to take the cableway or to climb down. We chose the latter one and this prooved to be the right decision. The landscape was great and was changing much from the top of the mountain all the way to El Portillo, a tiny village from which we had a bus taking us out from the national park. The best vistas were at the altitude of about 2500 metres, where a unique view of something like a semidesert opened.
In terms of distance hiked today we estimated it at about 30 kilometres or even more. We got back to our campsite through Los Christianos, one of the main tourist resorts on Tenerife.
|
Dec 06, 2007 09:00 PM Six hours of climbing
Another early wake-up, this time at 5 a.m. to catch a bus to Los Christianos from where we had another bus to Parque Nacional del Teide where the highest peak of Spain is located.
We arrived in Los Christianos well ahead of time of departure of the bus to the National Park so we went for a cup of coffee to a nice bar near the bus terminal.
Having arrived to the point where the track to Mt Teide starts we immediately begun climbing to get to the refuge Altavista before dusk. The ascent was quite light at the beginning but then in became much steeper. En route for the refuge we made a detour to the Montana Blanca and had a while of rest there. We got the to the refuge at about 5 p.m. To stay there isn't cheap. We had to pay 20 euros per person per dorm bed. The building was renovated this year and thanks to it is very comfortable for a hight mountain refuge. We were so tired after a few hours of walking (bear in mind there is half of the oxygene in air when compared to the lowland) that we fell asleep as soon as they opened the dorm rooms.
|
Dec 05, 2007 09:00 PM Traditional architecture in La Laguna
To get to La Laguna (full name: San Christobal de La Laguna) in the morning we had to get up at about 6 a.m. as the bus stop from which our bus departs is in El Medano, an hour of walking from our camping site. For the ride to Santa Cruz we paid as much as 5.90 euros and the trip took less than an hour. Having arrived we bought a 30-euro bus card giving huge discounts on the bus fares (up to 60%).
From Santa Cruz we rushed to La Laguna as we found the first one much less interesting than the latter. After arrival we immediately realized that the guidebook was right the town is rich with with fine and unique architecture - both houses and sacral buildings. All the architectural sights are concentrated in the old town and are available within a walking distance. A bus ride from Santa Cruz to La Laguna takes up to 25 minutes and costs less that one euro provided you use the bus card.
It's good to know there are two types of bus cards - 12-euro and 30-euro; the second one gives sometimes slightly higher discounts. Both can be used by several persons.When going back thanks to the 30-euro card we paid 2.35 euros instead of 5.90.
|
Dec 04, 2007 09:00 PM Rat wars - stage 2
We set our alarm clocks at 5:30 a.m. to pack all the things and fold the tents. The first thing I discovered when I crowled out of the tent was that the rats visited us again. This time they made a hole in the big backpack and punched a hole in my camelbag (which was in the backpack) letting out some water. The clothes got wet and we decided to put off our trek. I was really angry about my leaking camelbag but now I can't do anything about it.
The rats were a huge pain in the back and we decided it's best to change the site. We moved the tents to the other end of the camping site hoping there are no rats.
The afternoon we spent on the beach sunbathing and throwing ourselves against the strong surf of the Ocean. After dusk we went back to the campsite bar to rearrange our plans for the upcoming days. Tomorrow we're going to La Laguna to have a look at the traditional Canarian architecture.
|
Dec 03, 2007 09:00 PM A short hike to Montana Roja
When we got up in the morning I realised a rat had penetrated through my backpack. I found no holes in my big Deuter backpack so it may have got inside through a zip not fasten tightly enough. Losses: a milk chocolate and salted crackers not to mention hole done by the rat in my smaller backpack.
Having listed all the losses we took small backpacks and went out to climb Montana Roja. From its top opens a great panorama over the Atlantic Ocean nd a huge part of the island, including the highest peak - Mt Teide (which, frankly speaking, can be spotted from any place in Tenerife unless the weather is poor and it's cloudy). After climbing down we went to El Medano for a dinner and to do some shopping to self cater. El Medano is a small coastal town with probably best waves for kite surfers.
We got back to the campsite after dusk and started preparations for a four day trekking. Knowing that rats look for food we left no such staff in the backpack we kept outside the tent and all the food we stored inside.
|
Dec 02, 2007 09:00 PM Twisted ankle and lost camera
Having departed at ca. 6 a.m. we arrived in Tenerife after 3.5 hours. Time difference from the mainland Spain is one hour. To get to the camping we took a taxi. It was definitely a rip-off as we paid 20 euros for an 8-kilometre long drive for six people. But after a sleepless night we were to tired to even think of haggling for a cheaper price. At the camping site I realised my camera is gone. I wouldn't say I was happy with this fact as one of the main purposes of this trip was to take lots of pictures.
Spending many hours in journey is exhausting and we decided to spend the afternoon on the beach. It's not far from the campsite - a five-minute walk. In the evening we took several pics (we still had two other cameras) of the sun setting over the Atlantic Ocean. When going back to the camping site we found the rear gate closed and had to go along the fence to get to the main gate. During this walk through trenches full of prickly bushes Agata twisted her ankle - not a very pleasing end of the first day on Tenerife, especially if we want to climb Mt Teide in the coming days. Hope she'll recover and we can climb the highest peak of Spain together.
|
Dec 01, 2007 09:00 PM Off we go!
Today started the biggest (in terms of people travelling together) backpacking trip I have ever been a part of. It is also the longest trip in terms of the distance travelled from Poland (nearly four thousand kilometers one way). The destination is Canary Islands and more precisely - Tenerife. We've chosen Ryanair, a low-cost air carrier. We started in Wroclaw from which we flew to Barcelona-Girona airport. The flight took about 2.5 hours and was on time. Now we're sitting in the main hall of the airport awaiting the next flight to Tenerife. Unfortunately, this means we spend a night at the airport. There are six of us so the time shouldn't be boring.
|
Sep 18, 2007 06:00 PM Home, sweet home...
The plane landed a bit ahead of time. After 24 days of travelling the longest journey in my life has come to an end. After several hours on a train I got to my home town Legnica to share my impressions with the family.
|
Sep 17, 2007 06:00 PM Unrest in Budapest
In the morning we tried to get inside the building of the Parliament but for the third time we were turned down. We also went to the Etnographic Museum where we spent several hours. We continued sightseeing with Bartek, a guy from Poland whom we met yesterday when in the Jewish Museum. We visited the museum of Hungarian history and the Art Gallery, housing works of world-famous artists.
In the evening we had a chance to see how the civil unrest looks like in Hungary. The streets were full of armed police. Around midnight we transfered to the airport as our plane to Warsaw departs tomorrow at 6 a.m.
|
