Tenerife long story short

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Svakog puta sebi obećam da ću pisati čim se vratim s putovanja, ako ne i na samom putovanju. I slažem, očigledno.
Ono što je dobro jeste da su utisci i dalje jaki. Tenerife, najveće ostrvo u grupi Kanarskih, i dalje me zove. Zov miline.

Every time I promise myself that I will write as soon as I return from a trip, if not during the trip itself. And I lie, obviously. What is good, though, is that the impressions are still strong. Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary group, still calls to me. A call of gentleness.

Ovo je bio moj drugi susret sa Španijom. Prvi je bio na maturskoj ekskurziji, svega nekoliko dana u Barseloni i malom, slatkom, Ljoret de Maru.
Ovo je ujedno i moje najdalje putovanje ikad. Ali da li sam bila u Španiji? Formalno jesam, subjektivno geografski nijesam, kulturno i jesam i nijesam. Sudeći po graničnim procedurama, jeziku, ljudima, definitivno sam bila u Španiji. Geografski i klimatski više sam osjećala Afriku, a bilo je dana kada sam očekivala da na neku kaldrmu Orotave iskoče Lusesita i Gustavo, a selo Maska (Masca Valley) ima mi neki Maču Pikču šmek (nije da sam bila tamo, ali tako nekako ja zamišljam krajolik).

Nego, da krenemo redom…

This was my second encounter with Spain. The first was on a high school graduation trip, just a few days in Barcelona and the small, sweet, Lloret de Mar. This is also my farthest journey ever. But was I in Spain? Formally yes, subjectively geographically no, culturally both yes and no. Judging by border procedures, language, people, I was definitely in Spain. Geographically and climatically, I felt more of Africa, and there were days when I expected Lucecita and Gustavo to jump onto some cobblestone street in Orotava, and the village of Masca (Masca Valley) had a sort of Machu Picchu vibe (not that I’ve been there, but that’s how I imagine the landscape).

Anyway, let’s start from the beginning…

Nakon što sam se teška srca oprostila od svoje Behemot, sa rancem na leđima i avanturom u venama pokupila sam moju saputnicu, J. Poranile smo na aerodrom, kao dvije prave perfekcionistkinje. Ali naš avion nije; naprotiv — kasnio je, kao i sama informacija na aerodromu, zbog čega je nastala opšta konfuzija i blaga panika oko leta za Barselonu. Izvukle smo se iz horde bijesnih i uplašenih putnika i nastavile da ispijamo treći galon kafe, jer noć je trebalo provesti na aerodromima. Sljedeći let je bio u 5:45 ujutru, zbog čega smo bile opuštene; činilo se da je mala vjerovatnoća da ćemo i na taj zakasniti.

After saying goodbye to my Behemoth with a heavy heart, with a backpack on my shoulders and adventure in my veins, I picked up my travel companion, J. We went to the airport early, like two true perfectionists. But our plane did not; on the contrary — it was delayed, as was the information at the airport, causing general confusion and mild panic about the flight to Barcelona. We extricated ourselves from the horde of angry and scared passengers and continued to sip our third gallon of coffee, as the night was to be spent at airports.
The next flight was at 5:45 in the morning, which made us relaxed; it seemed unlikely that we would be late for that one too.

Stigle smo na vrijeme za drugi let i ja nijesam imala problem da prespavam sve letove i sva čekanja, tip sam osobe koja može i stojeći da spava (J, nemoj me ubiti). U trenucima budnosti, ćaskala bih sa J. ili bi se udubile u neku knjigu na Kindle uređaju. Vrijeme je… prolećelo. ‘Oće to tako u avionu.

Dočekao nas je jedan prelijep izlazak sunca na ovom vulkanskom ostrvu, drugom koje sam posjetila prošle godine i u životu (Sicilija u junu je priča za sebe).

We arrived in time for the second flight, and I had no problem sleeping through all the flights and waiting times; I’m the type of person who can sleep standing up (J, don’t kill me). In moments of wakefulness, I would chat with J. or we would delve into some book on our Kindle devices. Time… flew by. That’s how it is on a plane.

We were greeted by a beautiful sunrise on this volcanic island, the second one I visited last year and in my life (Sicily in June is a story of its own).

Naša prva stanica bila je Jardín Botánico u Puerto de la Kruzu. Volim da posjećujem botaničke bašte i prijalo mi je da se opustim malo nakon što sam napravila kiks uletjevši u jednosmjernu ulicu, tj. parking. Čitavo putovanje praćeno je sa 10+GB materijala fotografija i video zapisa na mobilnom telefonu i fotoaparatu. Pamtim kad me je J. pitala da li sam spremna za road trip Engleskom. Ma spremna sam, rekoh joj, da vozim kojom god hoćeš trakom i kojim god hoćeš smjerom.
Planta de la buena suerte definitivno je imala svojih blagodeti; bile smo srećne… Prilično.

Our first stop was Jardín Botánico in Puerto de la Cruz. I love visiting botanical gardens, and it was nice to relax a bit after I made a blunder by driving into a one-way street, that is, a parking lot. The entire trip was accompanied by 10+GB of material in photos and video recordings on our mobile phones and camera. I remember J. asking me if I was ready for a road trip through England. I’m ready, I told her, to drive in any lane and in any direction you want.
The planta de la buena suerte (plant of good luck) definitely had its benefits; we were happy… Quite.

Vjerovatno nije mnogo zabavan ovaj logistički dio, međutim ne preskačem ga, jer se i u tim trenucima odigravalo štošta u mom svijetu. Mogu reći da je na ovom putovanju bilo više novih iskustava, a jedno od njih je i vožnja van Crne Gore i prva vožnja auto-putem. To je stvorilo dozu neizvjesnosti pred nepoznatim, ali nakon Brisela, Briža i od Pariza samo beret, bila sam spremna na izazove. Bring it on!

Probably the logistical part isn’t much fun, but I don’t skip it because even in those moments, a lot was happening in my world. I can say that this trip involved more new experiences, one of them being driving outside Montenegro and my first time driving on a highway. This created a sense of uncertainty before the unknown, but after Brussels, Bruges, and only a beret from Paris, I was ready for challenges. Bring it on!

Nakon što smo obišle pola Puerto de la Kruza da nađemo parking, a onda isti našle i smjestile se u hotel, popile pola nekog španskog piva, u poluležećem položaju utonule smo tako duboko u neke ravni astralne projekcije da sam se nakon povratka u relani plan osjećala kao da sam se ponovo rodila. Nesanica/nekvalitetan san uzeli su danak.

After circling half of Puerto de la Cruz to find parking, and then finally finding it and settling into our hotel, we drank half a Spanish beer each, and in a semi-reclining position, we delved so deeply into some levels of astral projection that upon returning to the real world, I felt as if I had been reborn. Insomnia/poor sleep took its toll.

Tako ponovo rođene posjetile smo Playa Jardín i lutale kroz Puerto de la Kruz s pauzom u nekoj kafani đe smo probale Papas Arrugadas s Mojo i Rojo sosevima. Kakav vremeplov u djetinjstvo kad su nam pekli krtolu s korom. Ranije nijesam previše obraćala pažnju na gastro ponude, ali uvijek sam voljela da probam kad putujem. Međutim, svaki obrok na Tenerifima bio je da poližeš prste. Uz ove krtolice, kako ih zovem, uzele smo i koziji sir. Nakon hrane i kafe, nastavile smo da šetamo.

Thus reborn, we visited Playa Jardín and wandered through Puerto de la Cruz, with a pause at a tavern where we tried Papas Arrugadas with Mojo and Rojo sauces. What a time warp to childhood when they used to bake potatoes with the skin on. I hadn’t paid much attention to the gastronomic offerings before, but I’ve always loved to try new things when I travel. However, every meal in Tenerife was finger-licking good. Along with these potatoes, which I call “krtolice,” we also had goat cheese. After the food and coffee, we continued our walk.

Arhitektura mi je bila izuzetno neobična. Komentarisala sam “Osmansko carstvo upoznaje Mediteran” u više navrata, iako ne postoji neka jaka konekcija između ovog ostrva i starog carstva.

Nijesam trenutno sigurna koja je simbolika, ali ovo putovanje ima neke veze s brojem dva. Drugi vulkan koji sam posjetila, drugi susret sa Atlantikom, drugi put u Španiji, drugi put da sam na putovanju nosila čarape sa sandalama, drugo putovanje s J.
Vrijeme je bilo… Pa u najmanju ruku four seasons. Kiša nije padala mjesecima prije našeg dolaska i izgleda je odlučila da se dobro ispada kad smo mi kročile na ostrvo. Meteo alarm uticao je na otkazivanje ture na Teide, ali što da se radi… Ostavile smo dosta i za DRUGI put.
Nakon šetanja gradom, u nekom pabu smo gustirale pivo i guštale zalazak Sunca.

The architecture was exceptionally unusual to me. I commented the “Ottoman Empire meets the Mediterranean” on several occasions, even though there isn’t a strong connection between this island and the old empire.

I’m not currently sure of the symbolism, but this trip seems to have something to do with the number two. The second volcano I visited, the second encounter with the Atlantic, the second time in Spain, the second time I wore socks with sandals on a trip, the second journey with J.
The weather was… Well, to say the least, four seasons. It hadn’t rained for months before our arrival, and it seems it decided to pour down right when we stepped onto the island. A weather alarm influenced the cancellation of our tour to Teide, but what can you do… We left plenty for the SECOND time.
After walking around the city, we enjoyed a beer in a pub and relished the sunset.

Ovaj je dan počeo balkanski, to jest bosanski. U sred Puerto de la Kruza prethodnog dana našle smo restoran sa balkanskom hranom; pa smo doručkovale burek i probale domaću tortu koju nas je ljubazni domaćin častio; oduševljen činjenicom da smo iz Crne Gore. Kiša je prijetila da poremeti planove, ali ja sam tih dana bila u Popajevom fazonu “ne priznajem prepreke i par svađa sa stražarima“.

Uputile smo se ka Orotavi na zakazanu Casa de los Balcones turu. Šmek kaldrme i mirisa kiše podsjetio me je zaista na sve one telenovele koje smo gledali kao đeca i sasvim solidno usvojili španski jezik. Vježbao se španski opet, nije da nije.

This day began in a Balkan, that is, Bosnian way. In the middle of Puerto de la Cruz the previous day, we found a restaurant with Balkan food; so we had burek for breakfast and tried a homemade cake that the gracious host treated us to, thrilled by the fact that we were from Montenegro. The rain threatened to disrupt our plans, but those days I was in a Popeye* mood, “I don’t recognize obstacles and a couple of arguments with the guards.”

We headed to Orotava for a scheduled Casa de los Balcones tour. The cobblestone ambiance and the smell of rain really reminded me of all those telenovelas we watched as kids and quite solidly adopted the Spanish language. Spanish was practiced again, indeed.

*The Books of Knjige, sorry not sorry about the reference

Drveni balkoni su me očarali, kao i sve ono što pripada prošlim vremenima. Ali to je druga tema i za neki drugi put.
Šetale smo uličicama ovog gradića i djelovao je prilično pusto, nijesam primijetila mnogo turista na ovom dijelu ostrva.

Krenule smo prema obali. Zamalo pješke, jer se činilo blizu, ali srećom se vratismo do automobila. Krajolik s crnim pijeskom kom kontrast udaraše živopisno zeleni kaktusi i jedno sivo nebo izgledao je prilično pust.

Svratile u Casa Julian (J, hvala na nalaženju imena) na brutalno dobar ručak. Imala sam osjećaj da smo došle “Kod (nekog) Rajka” i razvalile se od preukusne domaće hrane i vina. Razvaljivanje se ne odnesi na vino, tu smo samo jedno popile.

The wooden balconies fascinated me, as did everything that belongs to times past. But that’s another topic for another time.
We walked through the streets of this little town, and it seemed quite deserted; I didn’t notice many tourists on this part of the island.
We headed towards the coast. Nearly on foot, because it seemed close, but fortunately, we returned to the car. The landscape with black sand against which the brightly green cacti and a grey sky stood in stark contrast looked quite desolate.
We stopped by Casa Julian (J, thanks for finding the name) for a brutally good lunch. I felt like we had come to “At some local guy place” and pigged out on delicious homemade food and wine. The pigging out does not refer to the wine, of which we only had one glass.

Ručak je pratila šetnja po plaži. Morala su se stopala zamočiti u okean. I odraditi čitava foto/video sesija.

Ostatak dana je prošao penzionerski. Nakon laganog pića odšetale smo do hotela đe smo pile vino kupljeno u marketu i stavile masku za lice uz slušanje svih španskih pjesama koje smo ikad znale.

Komšije su burdikovale pod prozorima do zore obje noći.

Lunch was followed by a walk on the beach. Feet had to be dipped in the ocean. And a whole photo/video session was conducted.
The rest of the day passed in a retiree-like manner. After a leisurely drink, we walked back to the hotel where we drank wine bought from a market and applied face masks while listening to all the Spanish songs we ever knew.

Neighbors partied under our windows until dawn both nights.

“A ponovo počinje kiša, kao što već kiši u listopadu na otocima…” I tog je jutra kiša padala, ali ni sekunde više nijesam mogla odložiti trčanje. Bila sam pomalo anksiozna zbog kašnjenja s treningom, jer sam se u tom periodu spremala za polumaraton. I baš me je ovo trčanje koštalo povrede zbog koje sam na kraju odustala od polumaratona.
Možda je to prvi put da sam trčala po kiši i stvarno sam imala prelijepu rutu uz okean. Od putovanja u Berlin trčim na putovanjima, kad god mogu. Sviđa mi se taj ritual.

“And the rain begins again, as it already does in October on the islands…“* And that morning, the rain was falling, but I couldn’t delay running any longer. I was a bit anxious about falling behind on training, as I was preparing for a half marathon during that period. And it was this run that cost me an injury, which ultimately led me to give up on the half marathon.
Maybe it was the first time I ran in the rain, and I really had a beautiful route along the ocean. Since a trip to Berlin, I run on trips whenever I can. I like that ritual.

*Ne daj se Ines, a song by Arsen Dedić

O’puvale smo španski omlet nakon mog trčanja i popile po jedan Barraquito (kafa sa likerom tipična za Tenerife; probati obavezno). Iako je ostrvo prilično popularno turistički, ne pamtim neke luksuzne ugostiteljske objekte bilo đe na ostrvu. Djelovalo mi je kao da su minimum uložili u inventar, a više u kvalitet hrane i usluge.

Sljedeća stanica bila je Costa Adeje, vjerujem najpopularnija regija ostrva. Do tamo smo došle preko Santiago del Teide i više puta stajale usput da se čudima načudimo. Ostrvo je prepuno kontrasta. Sa obale si začas visoko u planinama vrhunskim (auto)putevima.

Čim smo spuštile bagaž kod pomalo mrzovoljnog domaćina, Patrika, produžile smo do obale na ručak, famoznu paelju u La Gran Paella Valenciana. Uzele smo porciju za dvoje. I pojele četvrtinu. I sad se smijem koliko su nam se konobari rugali zbog toga. Bili su prirodno ljubazni, a hrana preukusna.

We devoured a Spanish omelet after my run and each had a Barraquito (a coffee with liqueur typical for Tenerife; a must-try). Although the island is quite popular touristically, I don’t recall any luxurious catering facilities anywhere on the island. It seemed to me that they invested the minimum in decor and more in the quality of food and service.

The next stop was Costa Adeje, I believe the most popular region of the island. We got there via Santiago del Teide and stopped several times along the way to marvel at the wonders. The island is full of contrasts. From the coast, you quickly find yourself high in the mountains on superb highways.

As soon as we dropped off our luggage with our somewhat grumpy host, Patrick, we continued to the coast for lunch, the famous paella at La Gran Paella Valenciana. We ordered a portion for two. And ate a quarter. And now I laugh at how much the waiters teased us for that. They were naturally polite, and the food was delicious.

Ovog je dana Sunce obećavalo i pobjeđivalo je kišu toliko da šetamo bez kišobrana, kupimo koji suvenir i odemo polako da se spremimo za pab. Gomila je britanskih pabova u ovom dijelu ostrva, kao i Engleza i Amerikanaca među posjetiocima. Definitivno mnogo življi dio u odnosu na prethodna dva dana. Ali i dalje ne mogu da se odlučim koji dio mi se najviše dopada.

Bend je svirao i provod je bio odličan. Put do kuće je trajao i trajao. Konstantno nam je štekala navigacija, a mrkli mrak i kiša iz neba-iz zemlje nimalo nije pomagala. Na kraju smo alternativnim putevima i španskim selima došle natrag do smještaja. Znale smo da zalutamo nekoliko puta tim selima i prosto je frazi “španska sela” za mene i J. istekao rok.

Tog je dana trebalo da imamo Sunset & Stars turu, ali je bila otkazana zbog meteo-alarma. Neki španski Micev je umiješao prste. Kakvo crno nevrijeme? Znaju li oni kako pada kiša na Cetinje? Tumačim kao znak pored puta da moramo doći opet. Samo bih (nekog) sljedećeg puta išla na turu od 0 metara nadmorske visine do 3718 metara. Jer sam priganica, naravno.

That day the sun was promising and overcame the rain so much that we could walk without umbrellas, buy some souvenirs, and then slowly get ready for the pub. There were loads of British pubs in this part of the island, as well as English and American visitors. Definitely a much livelier part compared to the previous two days. But I still can’t decide which part I liked the most.

The band was playing, and the evening was great. The journey home seemed to go on and on. Our navigation was constantly malfunctioning, and the pitch darkness combined with rain from the sky and the ground was not at all helpful. In the end, we took alternative routes and through Spanish villages to get back to our accommodation. We knew we had gotten lost a few times in those villages, and the phrase “Spanish villages” (when something is completely unknown) had run its course for me and J.

That day we were supposed to have a Sunset & Stars tour, but it was canceled due to a weather alarm. Some Spanish version of our Micev (weatherman from Montenegro) had a hand in it. What severe weather? Do they know how it rains in Cetinje? I take it as a sign that we must come again. Only next time, I would go on a tour from 0 meters above sea level to 3718 meters. Because I’m a daredevil, of course.

Tenerife je pravo ostrvo da dođeš jedno mjesec dana remotely rada i probaš da surfuješ. I planinariš, naravno.

Tenerife is the perfect island to come for a month to work remotely and try surfing. And hiking, of course.

Ne znam koliko se osjeća dinamika kroz ovaj putopis, ali uvjeravam vas da smo padale s nogu. Ovo je bio dan kad smo odlučile da se ne držimo striktno svega naumljenog, nego da uživamo i upijamo malo sporijim tempom.

Tako da je agenda bila:

– Lagani doručak uz okean
– Plaža
– Piće i večera
– Put onija baba

‘Ajmo se vratiti na ovu plažu. Po preporuci najvećeg Tenerife eksperta čiji identitet sebično čuvamo dolazimo do plaže do koje se dolazi jedno 10-15 min laganijeg hoda, makar dok se ide nizbrdo. Plaža je pun pogodak, zavučena i dostupna manje lijenima. Hvala izvjesni Diego Hernandez.

Ono što nijesmo očekivale je da je plaža prijateljski nastrojena prema nudistima. I obreli smo se tu J. i ja, tri Italijana, dvoje čikica kao od majke odavno rođeni, neki momak i đevojka i neko momče što je knjigu čitalo. Izgalismo tog dana uz pivo, okean i dobro društvo.

I’m not sure how well the dynamics come across through this travelogue, but I assure you, we were falling off our feet. This was the day we decided not to stick strictly to everything planned but to enjoy and soak up at a slightly slower pace.
So, the agenda was:

– A leisurely breakfast by the ocean
– The beach
– Drinks and dinner
– Back to accommodation (no way this could ever be translated properly)

Let’s go back to this beach. Following the recommendation of the greatest Tenerife expert, whose identity we selfishly guard, we come to a beach that takes about 10-15 minutes of leisurely walking to reach, at least while going downhill. The beach was a hit, secluded and accessible to those less lazy. Thanks to the certain Diego Hernandez.
What we didn’t expect was that the beach was nudist-friendly. And there we found ourselves, J. and I, three Italians, two old-timers as naked as the day they were long ago born, some guy and girl, and some lad reading a book. We spent that day sunning ourselves with beer, the ocean, and good company.

I jedan važan dodatak ovđe: Patrik je legenda zapravo. Samo komunicira kao da je nešto ljut. Nekako sam naslutila da ispod tog površnog sloja čuči jedna zanimljiva osoba koja surfuje i skija, a o čemu svjedoče fotografije, brojne medalje i pehari; i da zapravo može lijepo da proćaska.

And one important addition here: Patrick is actually nice. He just communicates as if he’s a bit mad. Somehow, I sensed that beneath that superficial layer there lurks an interesting person who surfs and skis, as evidenced by photos, numerous medals, and trophies; and that he can actually engage in a nice chat.

Za naše saputnike iz aviona što su se smorili na Teide: Evo što da radite, stručnjaci!

Doručak pored Los Gigantes klifova bio je uvertira za ono što će nas raspametiti. Moram priznati da predio spektakularnije izgleda na fotografijama, nego što je nama tog oblačnog jutra sve djelovalo. Možda je do vremena, možda nijesmo sa dobre strane prišle… Svakako nije bio plan da se dugo zadržimo.

Na dionici Los Gigantes-Teide izdvajam iz sjećanja najveći nagib kojim sam ikad vozila (rekla sam J. da neću stati ako izađe neki pješak, jer nema šansi da krenemo ponovo nakon toga), a dobro sam se izbirikala s vožnjom po ostrvu i raznim parkiranjima uzbrdo i nizbrdo, da ne kažem da sam dobro utvrdila vozački ispit.

U nacionalnom parku Teide provele smo ostatak dana uz mnogo pauza i šetnji. I ostali do predveče. Ne znam kako da se obuzdam sad sa silnim fotografijama. Nijesmo znale đe prije da gledamo i nevjerovatno koliko diverziteta na jednom ostrvu, kao kroz čitavu našu državu.

Ako mene pitate, tog smo dana prošle kroz pustinju i prašumu, a u jednom trenutku smo bile na krovu svijeta, možda i na nekoj drugoj planeti sa zelenim stijenama.

For our fellow plane passengers who got bored on Teide: Here’s what to do, experts!

Breakfast by the Los Gigantes cliffs was a prelude to what would blow us away. I must admit the area looks more spectacular in photographs than it did to us that cloudy morning. Maybe it was the weather, or maybe we didn’t approach it from the right side… It certainly wasn’t the plan to stay long.

On the Los Gigantes-Teide stretch, I remember the steepest incline I’ve ever driven (I told J. I wouldn’t stop if a pedestrian came out because there’s no way we could get going again after that), and I’ve gotten quite nimble with driving around the island and various uphill and downhill parkings, not to mention that I’ve solidly confirmed my driving test.

We spent the rest of the day in Teide National Park with many breaks and walks. And stayed until the evening. I don’t know how to contain myself now with all these photos. We didn’t know where to look first, and it’s incredible how much diversity there is on one island, as if through our entire country.

If you ask me, that day we went through the desert and rainforest, and at one moment we were on top of the world, maybe even on another planet with green rocks.

Ni fotografijama ne uspijevam prenijeti atmosferu, a kamoli da moja umješnost sklapanja rečenica ispuni taj zadatak. Samo mogu reći kako jedva čekam da se vratim, eto… Mora se doživjeti, nema druge.

Jedna od većih pauza bilo je atraktivno turističko mjesto Roques de Garcia u blizini kog je i planinarski centar za odmor (i koji suvenir).
U blizini Roques de Garcia nalaze se krugovi koji su mene podsjetili na naša guvna (ili gumna, kako ko kaže), a koji su podignuti u čast tagorores. Na tim tagorores Guanča narodi su raspravljali o pitanjima važnim za njihovu zajednicu. U parku nijesu identifikovani stvarni tagorores, ali se vjeruje da su oni zaista tu postojali, obzirom na to da su Guančesi provodili ljeta u ovoj regiji.

Uveče smo stigle u glavni grad koji me nije oduševio naspram ostatka ostrva. Tražile smo hranu prilično gladne i “La Mafia” nas je opljačkala za dvije pašte i dvije čaše vina.

Pritom nam je smještaj bio u dijelu San Cristóbal de La Laguna koji je ličio na neki geto, tako da smo jedva čekale da se srušimo u krevet.

I can’t convey the atmosphere with photos, let alone with my ability to construct sentences. I can only say I can’t wait to return… It has to be experienced; there’s no other way.

One of the longer breaks was the attractive tourist spot Roques de Garcia, near which is a hiking center for rest (and some souvenirs). Near Roques de Garcia are circles that reminded me of our threshing floors (not sure about the translation, in Montenegrin it’s known as “guvna” or “gumna“), which are erected in honor of the tagorores. At these tagorores, the Guanche peoples discussed matters important to their community. No actual tagorores have been identified in the park, but it is believed that they truly existed there, considering that the Guanches spent their summers in this region.

In the evening, we arrived in the capital, which didn’t thrill me compared to the rest of the island. Looking for food, quite hungry, “La Mafia” robbed us for two pastas and two glasses of wine.

Moreover, our accommodation was in a part of San Cristóbal de La Laguna that resembled some kind of ghetto, so we couldn’t wait to collapse into bed.

Odabrale smo da do Masca Valley dođemo neznatno dužim putem i opet obiđemo ostrvo, ovog puta njegovom istočnijom stranom. Pamet mi je stala od broja vjetrenjača koje smo viđele ovim putem.

We chose to reach Masca Valley by a slightly longer route and once again circle the island, this time along its more easterly side. My mind was blown by the number of windmills we saw along the way.

Mislim da smo ovđe viđele najviše turista tokom boravka na ostrvu. Maska je malo selo, od svega stotinjak naseljenika, ali prilično je prometno. Poznato je po treking turama kroz bujnu vegataciju palmi i čempresa, a ja ću ga pamtiti po tome što je Sunce konačno upeklo, što smo probale sok i sladoled od kaktusa i po putu koji podsjeća na serpentine Njeguši-Kotor.
Lijep đir, što se ono veli.

I think we saw here the most tourists during our stay on the island. Masca is a small village, with only about a hundred inhabitants, but it’s quite busy. It’s known for trekking tours through lush vegetation of palms and cypresses, and I’ll remember it for the sun finally beating down, trying cactus juice and ice cream, and for the road that reminds me of the Njeguši-Kotor serpentine roads.
A nice tour, indeed.

Nijesmo se htjele vratiti istim putem, već smo produžile uzbrdo, ka drugoj strani sela, uz pauzu za ručak u restoranu odakle puca pogled na kutak kugle zemaljske đe vrijeme sigurno protiče sporije.
Zadovoljne i site, krenule smo da se spuštamo do Buenavista del Norte, grada đe smo upale na tuđu hacijendu, đe kaktusi rastu na drvetu i đe je groblje s najstrašnijim pogledom na Atlantik.

U ovom dijelu puta postaje izražena moja opsjednutost plantažama banana i probavanjem vina od banane. Ne priznajem prepreke i par svađa sa stražarima i želja da vidim o čemu se radi na tim plantažama prateći mapu, dovela nas je na tuđu hacijendu u okviru koje se nalazi plantaža banana. Srećom nije bilo stražara, da testiramo ove prepreke i svađe.
Da smo zalutale na privatni posjed, shvatile smo u neka doba đirajući kroz pozamašnu plantažu.

We didn’t want to return the same way, so we continued uphill, towards the other side of the village, with a pause for lunch in a restaurant from where there’s a view of a corner of the globe where time surely moves slower.
Satisfied and full, we started descending towards Buenavista del Norte, a town where we ended up on someone else’s hacienda, where cacti grow on trees and where the cemetery has the most increadible view of the Atlantic.

In this part of the journey, my obsession with banana plantations and trying banana wine became pronounced. Not recognizing obstacles and a couple of arguments with guards, and the desire to see what’s happening on those plantations following a map, led us onto someone’s hacienda within which there’s a banana plantation. Luckily there were no guards to test these obstacles and arguments.
That we had wandered onto private property, we realized at some point while touring through the sizable plantation.

Nastavile smo avanturu nevaljalih djevojčica prema Icod de los Vinos i Casa del Plátano s pauzom kod preslatkog San Pedro de Daute. Rekla sam da nemam favorita, ali predomislila sam se — ovaj potez kandidujem za najljepši dio ostrva.

We continued our bad girls’ adventure towards Icod de los Vinos and Casa del Plátano, with a stop at the utterly charming San Pedro de Daute. I said I didn’t have a favorite, but I’ve changed my mind — I nominate this move for the most beautiful part of the island.

Prečudno mi je bilo što je platano španska riječ za bananu. Etimološki se obšanjava riječju batana kojom domoroci s Kariba nazivaju voće.
Ulaznica za muzej košta 5€ i uz nju se dobiju dvije banane i istorijski osvrt na njihovu proizvodnju, kao i (legalna) posjeta plantažama. Na kraju smo probale marmeladu od banana (ajme meni, gospe moja), vino. J. je kupila liker koji i dalje pijemo kad se sastanemo. Velika količina banana se izvozi sa ostrva, a interesantno, kilogram je skuplji nego kod nas.

It was peculiar to me that “platano” is the Spanish word for banana. Etymologically, it’s explained by the word “batana,” which the Caribbean natives use to name the fruit.
The museum ticket costs 5€, and with it, you get two bananas and a historical review of their production, as well as a (legal) visit to the plantations. In the end, we tried banana jam (my, oh my), wine. J. bought a liqueur that we still drink when we meet up. A large amount of bananas is exported from the island, and interestingly, a kilogram is more expensive than in our country.

Finale ovog putovanja upriličeno je jednom laganom šetnjom prije odlaska na spavanje zbog ranog leta.

The finale of this trip was marked by a leisurely walk before going to bed early due to the morning flight.

Neću ponovo dosađivati s logističkim detaljima. Potrajali su letovi, pročitale su se knjige i srele smo neke ljude koje smo srele na letovima pri dolasku. Djelimično su podijelili svoje utiske s nama i obje smo u nevjerici koliko nam se razlikuju. Došle smo do zaključka da su ljudi htjeli Maldive (ili štogod egzotično) za male pare. Pitanja koja su uglavnom postavljali bila su vezana za smještaj. Mi smo išle skromnu varijantu — oko 300€ letovi + smještaj + rent-a-car + gorivo. Pritom smo iz razgovora zaključile da su oni bili samo u dva grada, dok smo mi obišle ostrvo dva puta i pola nijesmo viđele. Bilo je i komentara kako su se smorili na Teide, dosadilo im je odmah i nijesu imali što da rade. Teško mi je da razumijem ove impresije kad smo mi otkrile novi svijet.

Raspisah se polijepo, a konstantno se ograničavam da ne odem u predugu formu. Materijala i inspiracije za to svakako ima. Svaka slika (fotografija) vrijedi 1000 riječi, svaki video ima mnoštvo slika unutar sebe, a ovamo su gigabajti materijala. Pa vagajte. Ja sam se obogatila.

I won’t bore you again with logistical details. The flights were long, books were read, and we met some people we had encountered on our arrival flights. They partially shared their impressions with us, and we were both in disbelief at how different our experiences were. We came to the conclusion that people wanted the Maldives (or something equally exotic) on a budget. The questions they mostly asked were about accommodations. We went for the modest option — around €300 for flights + accommodation + car rental + fuel. From our conversations, we gathered that they had only been to two cities, whereas we circled the island twice and still hadn’t seen half of it. There were also comments about how they got bored on Teide, lost interest quickly, and had nothing to do. It’s hard for me to understand these impressions when we discovered a new world.

I’ve written quite a bit, constantly restraining myself not to go into too lengthy a form. There’s certainly enough material and inspiration for that. Every picture is worth a thousand words, every video contains a multitude of pictures within it, and here we are with gigabytes of material. So, weigh that. I have been enriched.