Santa Cruzing: Part 3

The next day, we drove out to a beautiful wharf in Santa Cruz city. We were bleary-eyed and the sky was ominously grey, but nevertheless we were excited for our second official excursion - a whalewatching trip on the iconic Freebird catamaran!

All Aboard

The waters were surprisingly calm, given the ominous weather, and there is a sense of peace to be found in wrapping oneself up in a million layers on a chilly boat - like an oasis of warms! The Frosts found a cosy spot on the less-busy upper deck, where we could look around for a panoramic view of the ocean around us.

Soon enough, we heard shouts go up from the main deck below! Then shushes, then a charged quiet. Less than half an hour out to sea, and we had found a pod of curious pilot whales!

Our Friendly Pilot Whale Pod

(excuse the not-exactly-Blue-Planet-quality photography! My hands were *David Attenborough voice* quite literally shaking.)

It was amazing to listen to the expert guide explain that they regularly found these whales around this area, as they prepared to dive down to catch the squid that live here. They were so innocently curious about us, and got so close to the boat, I found myself very moved: this is the only way to see whales - out in the wild where they belong!

Seeing these pilot whales - only a little bigger than dolphins - has whetted my appetite to go whale watching again. Perhaps one day I'll take a cruise around Norway or something! Who knows.

Next we headed out for a swim into the ocean, with my Mam. I was a bit apprehensive, but the water temperature was blissfully warm, and after clinging to the spindly stepladder for a bit, I was soon treading water out in the open. The sky had cleared up, and the navy waves glistened and glittered like polished mosaic tiles.

I had bought some goggles at a little Canarian "Sport Store" (I got to use some of my Spanish! "Lo siento... Cuanto es?... Si! Uno, por favor... Gracias... Adios!" It gave me a kick, anyway.) back in Las Calletias, so I enthusiastically strapped them on and dunked my head underwater to admire the bottom of the boat, and maybe see if I could see a couple of fish down by the seabed.

... A couple of seconds later I rocketed back up out of the water, spluttering and splashing!

"HOLY SHIT!" I shouted. My mum desperately tried to soothe me (shut me up) but I would not be calmed. I tried to describe what I had seen as soon as my eyes went below the surface: huge fish, like great silver medallions, were all around us! A school stretching out beneath us, and beneath the boat, so close, even brushing our legs at some points!

Mum didn't believe me - until I let her borrow my goggles! "HOLY SHIT!" she shrieked as she crested the waves.

Open Water Swimming

As we cruised back to the capital's glossy modern docks, wrapped contentedly in our towels, I felt revived by the events of the day - and incredibly, acutely lucky, which is not something I feel very often! To think that there were times in my early-adulthood where I wasn't even sure that I would make it to the age I am... Needless to say, there are moments in life that make the shit parts seem... actually... worth it. This was such a moment.

Back to Dry Land

Our final day out in Tenerife was to the capital city: Santa Cruz.

I know. FINALLY. We got there. Thanks for sticking with me!

I’m not sure what I was expecting: perhaps something quaint - a slightly larger, slightly more populous Candelaria - but the reality was so much more than that.

This finale to our trip was definitely the day I was most looking forward to - the feeling of sickness was finally banished and the weather prognosis was good. Also, this was more of my holiday comfort zone: improvising; getting lost in a maze of winding streets; decoding maps, catching public transport and trying to converse with locals. I was determined to convert my parents to my way of adventuring.

The morning started, however like every other morning of our holiday had: with an immense all-inclusive buffet breakfast. We felt that we had to load up on carbs for all the walking we would be doing, and in the spirit of improvisatory adventuring we had no set idea of what time we would return to the safe space of free food and anytime-naptime.

Setting off from the hotel, we wandered down the road and set up camp at the bus stop. We had timed it to have about ten minutes to spare before our ride to the capital swung by. The minutes ticked past, and slowly the bus stop began to fill with families and couples with exactly the same idea as us! We had started to get concerned, when the sleek green and white bus pulled around the corner.

The bus ride was smooth and air-conditioned, and the sun streamed in onto my pale face as I watched the volcanic coast spread away from me. We remarked to each other on the pothole-free roads and flashy new bus: efficient public transport into the city is every suburb-dweller's dream! As we followed the snaking coastline, Santa Cruz emerged, glittering.

The city of Santa Cruz sprawls across a hillside, watched over by the mighty sleeping volcanoes. Her twisting, tumbling streets give way to the sea gradually, reluctantly, with a teeming foam of built-up beaches and quays.

The principle landmark of the city is the elegant opera house. Its sweeping lines and dazzling silver facade are reminiscent of the iconic Sydney Opera House, which I am yet to visit, so I don’t really have a benchmark to compare it to - regardless, I was overwhelmed by its beauty.

From the second we alighted from our bus - reacclimatising, after emerging from our air conditioned bubble - the opera house drew our eyes seawards, like a glorious, gigantic seashell, echoing the sound of the waves with architecturally perfect acoustics.

The Tram and the Opera House

As much as we wanted to go straight over and check it out, we instead took a tram into the city. I don't remember exactly what we were looking for - I don't even know whether we knew what we were looking for - but with the sun streaming in and the gardens and Spanish verandas rolling past, it was hard not to enjoy the ride.

Views in Santa Cruz

After passing statues and fountains, shopping malls and a university, we eventually got out and walked for a while. The streets were sleeping, near silent - it must have been siesta time. (Crazy English tourists be crazy.) However, the shady trees and buildings protected us from the worst of the sun's midday malevolence.

After about twenty minutes of walking, I found what we must have been looking for - either my mother planned it this way, or the universe secretly conspired with her subconscious to make my Dad happy.

The Museo Courtyard

After missing out on the 'Teide by Night' tour of the mountainside telescopes, coming across a giant satellite dish (GIANT. See tiny me for scale) had to be the next best thing for my space-lovin' Pa.

If the outside of the museum is anything to go by, this is a major attraction for anyone even remotely interested in astronomy, and if we hadn't been so lucky with the weather we would probably have paid to go in. However, if you're Skint Santa Cruzing, like we were, then the sculptures and remarkable panorama of the city are more than worth the trip, without needing to spend anything!

Some of my Favourite Opera House Shots

After a bit more exploring, we headed back to that incredible opera house. The interior was equally modern, striking and well-designed. We pulled in for a well-earned pit-stop, using the public toilets and open-plan cafe.

We lounged in the sunshine with a coffee in one hand and an ice cream in the other!

Just below this vast concert hall, where the city meets the sea, artistic music fans have lovingly painted their icons on the sharp, sharks-teeth rocks, This surprising hall of fame features such greats as Mozart, Freddie Mercury (he's there twice!) and Ella Fitzgerald, all the way to Amy Winehouse.

Although these detailed, characterful portraits differ in artistic style, the names are written in bold shadowed yellow, pulling these fragments in together to create a dynamic piece of art, free for everybody to admire and possibly add to. I found it oddly moving, and it gave me lots of names to go home and tap into youtube!

The Rock n' Roll Rocks

The parents, who had visited Santa Cruz briefly on (ironically) a cruise, strongly suggested - no, insisted - we pay a visit to the Arboretum, a kind of botanical garden that was a five minute walk from the opera house. Brad and I weren't so sure, but as our parents offered to pay, we figured there must be something to it. So, even though it didn't sound like our cup of tea, we gave it a go...

Flowers Are Pretty

I know it's stating the obvious to say this, but flowers really are pretty. There's something about looking at flowers - maybe their unmoving calm juxtaposed with their vibrant riot of colour - but they just make me happier. And though I may have been dubious at first, surrounded by the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen, with the birds singing in the trees around us, my skepticism melted away and I really enjoyed myself. I couldn't help myself! It was a delightful outburst of nature in the middle of the hyper-developed city, and it made for a refreshing few hours.

Nice call, Mum and Dad.

Inhabitants of the Botanical Gardens

My favourite part, without question, was encountering a full-on FLOCK of enormous monarch butterflies - and an army of caterpillars - who appeared to have recently hatched from their cocoons, which were still stuck to the surrounding branches! I also saw a few frogs hopping about. All in all, a pretty decent show of flora and fauna for December!

By the time we finished taking in the sights, smells and sounds of the gardens, we were beyond knackered. Especially me, who still wasn't feeling 100% herself yet! With smiles on our faces, we piled back onto the bus, ready to embrace our final evening with buffet food and cheap wine.

Smug After a Brilliant Day

Slightly icky start aside, Tenerife was a fantastic holiday. A real breakaway visit to a starkly different landscape with gentle, wholesome sunshine and winding, welcoming streets.

I'd recommend going at the time of year I went as well - a week before Christmas. The towns are off-season sleepy yet festively cheerful, and there's no feeling quite as odd as seeing a Christmas tree silhouetted against a blue sky and bathed in tropical sunlight. There's a pleasantly disjarring eccentricity to all the decorations. The overall warmth of the island, the weather and the people, really won me - a Mediterranean-obsessed' gal - over to the Canaries for a while.

So, IN CONCLUSION, my TOP 5 SKINT TENERIFING TIPS are as follows:

5. Blackened beaches! Crunch some volcanic sand beneath your feet. Sunkissed skin and lungs full of salty air are absolutely free.

4. Visit a vineyard! The one we visited was not that pricey; seven euros a bottle is not to be sniffed at. The tour was educative and the tasting was a hoot. And you're supposed to be getting drunk, so no one will judge you - it's a win-win!

3. Say hi to the neighbours! A surprise highlight, for me, was discovering the cultural gem of Candelaria, just down the road. Wherever you're staying on this enchanting island, take a meander down the coast a bit and see what you find.

2. Tackle Mount Teide! You can take the rickety cable car like we did, or (as I would probably do next time) give it a good hike. The breathtaking views of the Martian landscape will give you breathing room, and bring you a strange sense of peace. Nothing like a big volcano to make you feel extra tiny.

Aaaaaand...

1. Have a Santa Cruz day! Whether you walk the winding streets or take the trams - or, like us, both! This can be done very cheaply if you're just stopping off now and again for coffee and/or (let's face it, probably AND) ice cream! If you're super skint, and you get breakfast where you're staying, why not pocket a few rolls and packed-lunch it?!

I hope this inspires you to one day do some Canarian exploring of your own!

Much love,

Char

xxx