Visit to Buenavista Golf Club in Tenerife

Over the two consecutive years, I had made trip to Tenerife and had lived there for 2 months at a stretch. Brother says come to Tenerife this year again and I am reminded of the scenic beauty of the place, the brown hills kissing the sky, the wild flowers lining the roads and rock gardens everywhere.

Whenever I visit my family, long drives dominate most of my trip. My brother lives in the suburbs away from the main town, in the quiet village of Buen Paso. Most of the natives in his area are farmers nursing patch of gardens, growing fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s a hilly region and quite a difficult walk for me, but whenever I do walk, I pass by beautiful houses that have most creative balconies with artistic decorative ornaments, flowered potted plants and many of the walls have fresh grapes growing against the walls.

As I sit here, thousands of miles away, I am reminded of the long drive my niece took me to go to extreme northwest of Tenerife, to Buena Vista. We drove up to the Golf course that was designed by Severiano Ballesteros and was opened in October 2003.

I wanted to go inside to have look but only members were allowed.  I was able to see only from a distance although I would have loved one of those buggy rides down the course of 18hole, a 72-par-course down the total length of 6019 meters.

This golf course is the second best golf club in Europe with some holes so close to the coast that players seem to hit the ball right into the ocean or into the lake of holes 9 and 18 that are connected by waterfall.

We parked the car in the parking lot and could see the whole course from there.

Since we could only admire from a distance, we clomped on wafer and nuts imagining ourselves on the terrace overlooking the golf course and pretending to enjoy an invisible game of golf.

Well. Someday, I will sneak into the club with some member of the club, maybe…..on my next visit.

Garachico – A picturesque suburb of Tenerife

Each time I come to Tenerife, this quaint little town, Garachico fascinates me.

I have blogged about this town several times.

Last year I made a general comment on castle ‘San Miguel Castle’

“Garachico was once a port where ships anchored but this port was completely destroyed during the volcanic eruption. However the castle with the stone doorway of ‘San Miguel Castle’ still stands there at the end of the promenade. This is the finest building, a 16^th century stronghold belonging to the Count of Gomera’ that survived a volcanic eruption in 1706 unscathed.”

Last week, I visited again and decided to walk inside the castle (which is now a small museum) to see the interiors of this stone structure. It was like entering a cave. It has windows on all sides. A big iron canon (with a thick layer of rust) stands in one corner, with its mouth jutting out of the tiny window. I could imagine the guards protecting their village in that era. There was a winding stoned steps leading up to the terrace of the castle. The view from the top was spectacular. Clean fresh breeze blowing over the vast sea and natural pools at the shores. On the other side of the castle lay a flowered lined motorway leading towards the by-lanes of the village.

I walked to the town square. People were in festive mood celebrating the annual festival ‘San Roque’. Every August, during the second week of the month, this village is glittered with music, dance and street market. There is no place to park. There were many people walking instead, their hips swaying slightly as they walk in a rhythm to the loud street music played at every food stall. The fragrance of freshly baked bread, pastries, cheese and roasted meat fill the air.

Farmers and artists display their products and handicraft stuff in their balconies and windows facing the road. There is procession during this festival, where people are dressed in their traditional clothes. They sing traditional songs, play the music on guitar and ‘Timple’. They bring along their farm products and their animals too and the prayers are offered to their deities.

What is interesting about is this village is the main square- ‘Plaza Juan Gonzalez de la Torre’. Numerous small red fishes swim in the small pond surrounding the fountain at the center of the plaza. There are wooden benches scattered all over the place where people gather in the evening for a friendly chitchat.

A big iron gate on one side of the plaza caught my attention. On the side of this huge gate is a plaque. I went up to read the plaque placed on a barbed gate

Behind the gate, there are stone steps leading down to the beautiful botanical garden called ‘Parque de la Puerta de Tierra’

The valley has been converted into a beautiful garden with neatly manicured trees. I wish they had installed some railings for support during climbing up the stairs. There were too many steps to climb and one needs stamina to enjoy solitude of this place. But it was very peaceful and picturesque.

I am never tired of visiting this place. There is so much to do, if nothing else, just go fishing? Yes, I blogged about that too…

“First thing that caught my attention were the rows and rows of boats parked side by side at ferry wharf. Creatively painted with bright colors and designs, they were a welcomed distraction.”

Modern civilization has not yet touched this rural suburb. There are no tall buildings or any fancy malls. This is a beautiful village with cobbled streets, centuries old stone buildings, tradition and culture retained and some of those quaint houses with beautiful patios, now converted into rural hotels. Here people can spend few days, away from hustle and bustle of the society, close to the nature, transported into the 18^th century…..

At Garachico Port in Tenerife

Sunday.. a day of rest, a day to do something different, to break the bones of routine. Some spend the day lazing around, sleeping or watching sports on TV, some go shopping or movies and some go outdoors in the open air to high seas to sweet talk with fishes and trap them into their nets. .

This Sunday I spend an evening at ferry wharf to watch the time breeze through some moments of bliss...

First thing that caught my attention were the rows and rows of boats parked side by side at ferry wharf. Creatively painted with bright colors and designs, they were a welcomed distraction. Lovingly covered with cloth or plastic, silently they rested at the end of the day..

Sundays are the days when they are used by the natives to go for a ride out in the sea, to some remote island close by, to find a quiet spot where they park their boat and do some fishing.

The boats are a luxury possessions, as expensive as buying a car. There is parking space on the big concrete space too that surrounds the pocket beach.

There is also this vast open space for recreational activities. This is ample space to walk freely and to rest on the wooden benches to rest the knees. There are children with their pets, running and falling, young people skating from one end to another, people walking in groups, sharing their stories after their ride on the seas.

Although water looked calm and serene, it was a bit oily beneath, probably due to   motor used for the rides and the fishes that swam as far as the shore struggle to breathe.

Not all park their boats at the shore. There are some, who dismantle their boats, separating the machine from the body and towing away their boats in their car.

We wait till the sun reflects its bright golden rays on the hills facing the pocket of beaches. The hill blushes, bathing in different shades spreading its positive energies.

People On The Hills

I would walk thousand miles to watch the wonders of the universe, if only I could. When tired of too much walk, I would knock on the door of the house on the hills and greet the strangers within. Who are those people inside those houses? What keeps them happy or sad? Do their heart shrink with desires, do they expect too much from life? Or are they content with little they have, happy to live side by side with nature? There is bountiful greenery around them, fresh fruits in their garden, a kitchen garden too perhaps. Sun sets every evening casting the red rays on their walls, filtering into their homes with warmer tones. They must be happy lot, they need to be, they cannot complain…or do they??

Visiting Home Away From Home

When we first moved to Buen Paso, a rural, hilly area of Tenerife, our house was in a remote place. There were very few houses around us, with natural scenery of Atlantic Ocean on one side and volcano Teide on the other side. The cold crisp wind from hills kept the temperature low at all times of the day. Every evening I watched the beautiful sunsets, either from my kitchen window or from my balcony or from my terrace. The colors and hues in the sky was a treat to the eyes, but how many sunsets to watch?

I wanted to go out to explore the city

Tenerife is a beautiful island with hundreds of beaches all along the coastline. It is a tourist paradise with clubs, water sports and many great places of interest. But my family stays far away from city in a small quiet town.

Going independently to town meant climbing four steep hills to reach the bus station. It was not worth it. I was confined to home because I cannot drive. Most of the time I passed reading books, making handicraft items, cooking or painting. 

Just below our balcony were open fields. A farmer would come everyday and tend to his vegetables, it was a hard work but I would watch him grow rows and rows of cabbage. Sometimes he would offer me his produce and it tasted so fresh and succulent. His field was evenly spaced out with proper drainage and water sprinklers at regular interval. There was a pretty house at a distance, a holiday home of some German family, which was active and lighted up during summer.

One summer, I spent my time in the balcony painting the scene outside my home. I am glad I did, because that scene is there no more.

Some five years ago, Government decided to build a hospital behind my house. The farmer was given enough funds to give up his land for redevelopment of this area. A big hospital stands now with a concrete motorway cutting across the field. There is a big parking area behind the highway but the house still stands and the ocean beyond.

There are row houses up across the pathway leading up the hill. Most of the people remain indoors so I don't meet any one even if I want to climb this path

The hills are till steep, there are beautiful sunsets and chilly breeze from the sea, but no more fresh cabbage for me.....

Postcard from Tenerife - 2

Icod de Los Vinos is the quiet town where I have lived for many years, it is in the north of an island, far away from the city. A walk down the main road is quite pleasant with coffee shops dominating the street. Many people come here from different parts of the island mainly for shoe shopping and for typical Canaria cuisine. The lane is narrow, one-way street with foot path separating the cobbled motorway by only a different smooth tile, there is no elevation, no step, it's a very comfortable walk, with plants and benches, at regular intervals, all the way.

The streets become alive at 9am. Every shop owner takes the responsibility of cleaning the area around his shop and that includes sweeping the foot-path outside his store too.

The cafeteria along the path, have their chairs spread on the foot paths. Parents, who leave their children to the school, come for a cup of coffee and a little chit-chat with their friends before they can get back to their routine work. 

All the stores are closed during lunch hour from 1pm to 5pm, it’s the siesta time, people have their hearty lunch and settle down to watch their favorite TV soap or watch a game of football. Market becomes alive again from 5pm to 8pm.

All shops close by 8pm, the locals will either head towards the night clubs, social groups, casinos or go for long walks along the coastal areas or simply settle down to their quiet life in pajama to watch the TV programs till their eyes droop off to sleep.