After three days in the doldrums, the wind finally arrives on Tenerife. In the morning, I see five rainbows in quick succession from the balcony and know that something is going to happen today. I pack my stuff and beam up to El Medano – once again I can’t find the exit.
On the beach, 300 tourists are building rafts as part of an occupational therapy programme. When it starts to rain, a quarter of them crowd into the three containers at the Playa Sur surf centre. Then the wind slowly picks up. I frown. Almost full offshore. No rescue.
With stilettos on the Teide
Eureka! We’ve made it. We’ve found our way out of the urbanisation! I speed up the bends to Teide in our little Toyota. At an altitude of 1000 metres, I remember that I forgot to make a note of the route. Hopefully we’ll make it out again in the next few days…
The sky is blue and we soon have the clouds below us. Red rock, black pumice, the scent of Canary Island pine. Wonderful. There are no straights. There are only curves. The Ipod yodels in the back seat and we yodel at every bend. (more…)
One-way streets into the urbanisation
Windfinder sounds the alarm. Early in the morning, I look for a way to kite in the neighbouring village of El Medano. It’s not easy. All the roads in our empty private urbanisation are one-way streets. I end up back at the hotel seven times, with no way out. Nevertheless, I find the one-way street system symbolically very fitting.
Yesterday evening, a short walk along the beach promenade. Every waiter in every empty restaurant, without exception, is courting us. There is a shopping mall in the basement. All the shops are empty. At the end, Elvis closes his Memphis Bar. It’s eight o’clock in the evening. (more…)
With kiteboard in the Condor to Shining
Off to Tenerife! I register my kiteboard with Condor. I’ve long since come to terms with the fact that, as a heavy kitesurfer, I have to pay an extra €50 for my sports luggage every time, while the poor golfers are always allowed to take their much heavier luggage for free. But today Condor is serving me a new scoop.
My kiteboard is registered with Condor before I have all my new equipment together. I estimated the weight at 15kg. Condor charges 25 euros per flight for a board bag up to 25kg. My bag is weighed: 17.3kg. For the 2.3kg “overweight” the lady at check-in charges an extra 30 euros. [Update 10.01.10: Condor has refunded…] (more…)
The Author
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.