Tenerife Holiday pt 1

We had often seen folk post pics from hot countries in the middle of the Scottish Winter and thought "we should do that". Well, finally we did! I can't remember exactly how it came about, almost certainly with Mary finding cheap deals online and then me saying perhaps the North of Tenerife rather than the touristy South. We had done Los Cristianos an age ago and while aspects worked well, too much locally was aspiring to the slags and lager louts holiday market. 

We hoped Puerto de la Cruz in the North was different to that and so it turned out to be. I had hoped to take time to find out as much as possible about trail runs and botanical gardens before we went, and just about did. Mary was more ambitious and dusted off an 8hr cd box set of learn Spanish. She actually took it on holiday. I'm pleased to report it was used every day. To support my new iPad at a suitable angle for flipping through the day's photos. Never got opened though.

I hate travelling. Airports are the arseholes of the world and I was not looking forward to a long day of perfume-and-cigarette-shop hell. Mary also believes the hype about arriving 2hrs early, so after 2 bus rides through Edinburgh in the middle of the night, we sat in Edinburgh Airport for the full 2 hrs, yawning, before climbing aboard a Jet2 flight for 4 hrs more hell.

fucking great, the duty free trolley, let's get hammered

They were actually encouraging folk to buy bottles of hooch, saying over the p.a: treat yourself, you're on your holidays. Instead of holy shit you are too big to fit in your seat, would you like a salad instead? There were far too many things to mention here that made my list of things wrong with the world. And it didn't get any shorter after it took an hour of standing about to get through baggage reclaim and get on a bus. It may have been more than an hour. I was trying not to be a downer, given the whole holiday situation.  

through the coach window

I had not realised despite hours on google "walking" the streets of Puerto de la Cruz, just how steep Tenerife is. It is an ex-volcanic island of about 60 miles long and rises to Mount Teide, 12,198ft high (Spain's highest peak) which makes for very steep roads, some almost immediately as they rise out the sea. Although we were only a couple of roads back from the beach it was quite a hike up the steep road and more than once I had to stop running and walk.

The language is Spanish and broken English (fluent in latter) and the water is drinkable although is supposed to taste quite salty due to minerals. Electrolytes! Perfect! Sports drink on tap. (Didn't notice any taste.) The weather when we were there was mostly sunshine all day (9am to 6pm) and about 22' (just into the early 70s.) Again perfect for running about in shorts and a vest. If you were out all day (without sun screen) you just about got mild sunburn or red shoulders. Big question... was there butterflies? (Spoiler alert, yes!)

lots of these spiders, normal size, big webs

never saw any giant bitey ones, or scorpions or cockroaches

By the time we got into our hotel room and changed, there was an hour of daylight so we wandered around town a bit. Most impressive was the huge surf rolling in and exploding on the sea walls. We thought it must be the result of a massive storm but seemed to go on all week.

Every morning at 9am the sun appeared from behind the hills inland of our hotel balcony. We chickened out of anything ambitious and opted for a local run taking in some of the local gardens and finding out where the supermarkets were. I had been looking at blogs and info online and it appeared the botanical gardens were the likeliest spots to see butterflies. There wasn't that much info and one of the blogs most useful was from our own Nick Morgan, however his visit had been in July 2013 and there wasn't that much crossover. Different places and different species.

let's get this thing done!

It was bizarre seeing Teide in the background of so many landscapes. I think it was about 12miles away (as the crow flies) and we thought the white bits were rock not snow but could easily be wrong.

There was continual huge surf but the surfing seemed to be restricted to small sections of beach where you would not get dashed onto jaggy rock. 

As we ran along the coast on day 1 we saw occasional butterflies. I had seen at least one from the coach ride and something large flew past the hotel heading off to roost at sundown the night we arrived. So I was optimistic. And tried not to chase every fluttering thing I saw. Most prevalent were Small Whites. In fact I didn't see any large whites the whole time, a mild disappointment since they differ from UK ones more than the commonplace Smalls. 

First real treat, and on day 1! was Vanessa Volcania, the Tenerife version of a Red Admiral. I was stoked to see a couple on this bushy shrub early on and thought they were going to be all over our holiday. Not so. Only saw them 2 or 3 times and always feeding on flowers planted specifically in town, never out in the hills.

Mary later labelled it vanessa hotpants.

Orange colour is more scarlet and they are a little larger than v atalanta.

I was so pleased by the presence of lepidoptera, that when our chosen route was closed due to landslip, I was happy to make our way back to the hotel and maybe check out the botanical gardens later. On the way back we saw our first Monarch and also the Canarian Speckled Wood. It is more orange tinted than the UK version but otherwise identical. We saw loads of these over the week. They have exactly the same nature as the UK ones. Which is they will fly at anything in "their" airspace. They like to sit on a light or brightly coloured leaf in dappled sunlight. Sometimes obliging for a photo, other times not so much!

Monarch

speckly

I had programmed a couple of the local gardens into my Suunto. We went to the Orchid Gardens. There was an entry fee, but well worth it. The small gardens are beautifully maintained and very calming with a pond (dragonflies! yeah!) and a cafe (beer! yeah!) and quite a few butterflies passing in and out.

There was a giant and ancient tree (dragon tree maybe) and lots of orchids. Sort of plants you would only see in greenhouses here. They were outside but mostly in the shade, which didn't make for the best photos. I have to admit I was more interested in the dragonflies, Speckleds and Monarchs floating about.

There was a bit but not loads of xmas stuff going on.

It was the week leading up to Christmas after all.

Mary had coffee and cake, I had beer. I then felt a bit giddy while trying

not to behave too badly clambering through the shrubs to get photos of dragonflies.

Up until I met them, I had had mixed feeling about Monarchs. Mainly because graphic designers who know no better will use them as a stock butterfly image. And so they have become disneyfied to the extent you will see them in the background of an ad on a Scottish bus advertising a Scottish product when clearly they are not a native insect. They are the only butterfly icon/emoji on facebook, so get used widely even though we don't get them in the UK. They are widespread in the US. And so we are yet again being reduced to the 51st state. And it rankles the way an american spelling does in a British book. Not a big issue, but I was very pleased recently to hear the migration of the Painted Lady outstrips (is further than) that of the more popularized (sic) Monarch. 

However the Monarchs are large, visually striking and not that skittish. (Positively tame compared to likes of swallowtail.) And orange. I love an orange butterfly. Anyway I rather enjoyed all the monarch action, and in my mind aligned the disagreeable associations with the real culprits who (no surprise there) are humans, not butterflies.

Mostly solitary. And fly with big floppy wing beats. Though we did see a gang of them at some flowers in another city garden. More later.

I noticed through my beergoggles there were dragonflies around the pond. Trying to step delicately as close as possible, I nearly took a header into the carp infested waters. Woopsie! The one looked like the sort of common darter we get at home, however the other blighter which seemed to be allergic to the smell of beer, had red wings, and I was pretty sure that was a first. And not on any of my UK laminates. I pursued it with the vigour of a drunk and took dozens of very bad photos, thinking if I continued to take the same image repeatedly it would surely improve over time. I failed to get anything marvelous, but just enough to identify the specimen as maybe Trithemis arteriosa, a red veined dropwing.

We did a supermarket sweep on the way back then I popped out to check the nearby Jardin Botanico which was interesting, but it was late in the day for butterflies and mostly only trees and shrubs, not flowering plants.

hawk on a distant wall

Mary cooked a meal and we had wine and beer.

(Treat yourselves; you are on holiday!)

Day 2 and we felt we should go adventuring. We had been googling the buses and the local company Titsa (oh the endless fun) had many regular services and some of them passing the end of our road. We got ready and left far too late. But the bus arrived, like us, 10 mins late and we jumped on and headed off into the unknown. We changed buses at La Laguna, and bought a travel card. This interaction was the highlight of my week of Spanish communications. I told the woman behind the counter in Spanish that I didn't speak English. We all had a smile at that, then she sold us a card that we would swipe on the ticket machine when getting on, but also when getting off. It would eventually run out of fares but we could replenish it. We paid 22 euros I think and used it for maybe another 6 rides (2 of us using just the one card) and it never required a top-up. Love Titsa.

From La Laguna we got driven up into the hills and got off in the middle of nowhere next to a restaurant and signs pointing at walks in different directions. We had heard there would be signs saying TF 10 all the way to the coast. Well yes and no. It is marked reasonably well but you have to keep your eyes open for the yellow and white oblong markings and best carry a map and possibly have the route in your gps as well. 

It started well if a bit greasy underfoot in the shaded undergrowth of a steeply downhill trail. Grippy shoes necessary. I was nearly on my arse in the first mile. In the second the trail popped out onto the road. We thought we maybe missed a turn and so asked a local who, along with the language barrier, only confused the situation. As we wandered up and down the tarmac thinking this can't be right, another 2 couples appeared also scratching heads and consulting maps. Eventually we saw the white and yellow marks and followed them down the road, then off a small trail which crossed the road again a while later and headed down some steps. There was a medium sized gathering of followers all going through the same but we were the only ones running. After the next wrong turn we met some of them again briefly, taking photos of goats/sheep until the farmer asked us not to. Only grumpy person all week. Another Spanish gent reckoned he was hungover. What reason could there be to not photograph goats?

mental pinnacle

that's more like it!

After another mile or 2 the trail improved greatly. The foresty bits yielded to smaller scale shrubs, cactii and succulents, allowing spectacular views out over the surrounding hills. We could see the distant coast and the path was usually at least a metre wide flat hard dry dirt trail and decent running, though you might not want to race it.

no paparazzi please!

just amazeballs

I always enjoy seeing lizards when abroad. We saw loads and took a few photos. That photo above is probably the one that sums them up best. They seem to go from stock still to 90mph in a heart beat. Flying over the rocks without touching them. And you could hear them scuttle about in the dry leaves as you went past.

Although the trails look spectacular they felt safe. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to cut steps on steep ground and there were rails if the drop-offs were too vertiginous. I didn't ever feel I needed a climbing harness or in doubt of the way forward but there was enough vertical scenery to make it feel like an adventure. This was probably the most visually dynamic place of the holiday and well worth a trip. If you are driving, you might want to park at Punto del Hidalgo, walk up to Chinamada, then return. That is the best section of the trails. Although it is not a long trail (we covered less than 9 miles) it felt like a long day out, due to the heat and the difficult ground which can only be covered at walking pace in many places. Where possible we ran although there was a good deal of stopping for photos. I was slower than Mary and usually at the back. I couldn't see any reason to hurry and there was so much to photograph.

looking across to the trail we'd be on 5 mins later

yellow and white trail markers (at most junctions)

photo Mary

Mary reported seeing a large yellow butterfly, and that it hadn't stopped. She wasn't able to identify it as either a Clouded Yellow or Brimstone, (or rather the Tenerife version of brimstone, Gonepteryx cleobule.) I was excited to see one flying parallel to the trail and ran a hundred yards back up the trail following it and taking photos. However it didn't land and I watched helplessly as it soared out over a cactus filled gorge. The bastard.

yes very clever, goodbye!

pretty sure it was Gonepteryx

Meanwhile Mary was feeling a bit lightheaded in all that blaring sunshine. We carried a few snack bars and juice but Mary hadn't bothered to eat much. I reminded her of my foolishness on day 1 in Spain with Nick and not eating enough, then pretty much collapsing in the heat. She stopped for a snack and 2 more-friendly-than-usual lizards appeared. Thinking they might want to be stroked and cuddled I put out an enquiring hand. The nearest very much got the full picture and in an instant skimmed over the rocks and disappeared into a crack like the proverbial drainpipe rat. Not that friendly then! Just checking.

photo Mary

photo Mary

Just at the bottom of the trail there was some scrubby ground and a few flowers. My eye was caught by a monarch and I shouted to Mary. She continued up the path a bit, but I was caught up in chasing butterflies for 5 mins or more as several appeared while I followed the first one in and out the bushes. They looked different from the monarchs I had seen earlier and yet still had those black bodies and wing edges with white spots. It was only a while later I found out they were Plain Tigers or African Monarchs, and different from the other monarchs. And they are fab. Deeper red/brown colour and less pronounced veining on upper wing, with distinctive underwing designs.

underwing design (male, I think)

female?

bit naughty feeding during

while keeping your other half just hanging around

Happily Mary hadn't wandered far by the time I emerged from butterfly heaven. I saw her up the path ahead and ran to catch up. We wandered into town and got a lemon beer and plate of chips, both which went down very well with the troops. Just about the right time, a bus appeared and we got a ride back into Puerto de la Cruz via La Laguna again. Perfect!

Later on I was dicking about in the bathroom with the facing mirrors which produce endless reflections. I tried to get my reflection via the iPad cam in the shaving mirror as well. Dedicated readers will not need a reminder of the Flann o'Brien reference in, I think, The Third Policeman. Less dedicated readers can scroll through towards the end of this post.

from Cruz del Carmin to Punta del Hidalgo

under 9 miles but a long day out and it took its toll....

Part 2, the vomiting, coming soon!