Beards to Burgers
14th October
The contrast between Punta Barba anchorage and Arrecife Marina could hardly be greater or more delightful. The former is all natural, the latter a mass of concrete construction. I think the developers may have gone over the top as the upper floors of this vast retail and restaurant area are little used.
On the ground floor, however, many well stocked and chic clothes, shoe, baby and accessory shops cater for local and cruise liner trade and the hub of interest is right alongside us. Bars and restaurants abound, but within a Zoonie hull length from us we have the Cerveceria Surena bar where we can watch the Rugby World Cup games and next to it an Italian ice-cream parlour, Coralina Anema y Core, which will be frequented on a daily basis when Charly and Tom are here.
We are on F1 berth right next to the harbour wall so all the nocturnal goings of a land and water kind could not be closer to us. On Friday and Saturday nights disco music goes on until 7.00am but does not bother us at all because we use our ear plugs and we like the sound of people enjoying themselves anyway. We don’t even mind those who, for some unknown reason, have to shout their way home.
The water is full with fish and is a nursery for grey mullet of all sizes, the smallest and youngest near the wall and all around us. Sometimes during the night there is a flurry of moving water sound close by and we can only think a predator, under the cover of darkness, has come in to take a feed of them.
Participants of 3 rallies are present. The ARC Atlantic boats will leave soon for Gran Canaria to prepare for their mass exodus across the ‘Puddle’ leaving in the last weekend of November. We have 70 odd participants of the Mini Trans-At present. These game little boats left Duarnanez a few months ago on route to Guadaloupe via Arrecife. They are only about 20 feet long and their male and female crew meet for social gatherings at the top of their pontoon. They leave for their crossing on the 31st. October.
We were honoured to have Jimmy Cornell on our pontoon a few days ago. He started all the ARC Rallies and has written many books about World routes, passage making and destinations, which we have on board and are as indispensable to the cruising yachting fraternity as bibles to believers. He was inspecting the boats taking part in his (Canary) Island Odyssey Rally. Had I been quicker I would have thanked him for his hard work over the years on our behalf.
One member of his rally is a Norwegian yacht with a young couple and their beautiful blonde haired and blue eyed baby girl. They are doing the rally as far as the Caribbean and then returning home and letting her grow up a little before they continue. I liked the way, when they carried her, they both held her high so they were at eye level. Very proud and happy they were.
I was sitting in the cockpit with Rob and Derek, who had come to borrow some cotton to mend his tea-shirt, when a familiar couple came by. I looked at them and they at me and not trusting my memory thought they must just look like Mark and Tracey, whom we had met on their catamaran ‘Wet Dreams’ in Chipiona, but they were going in to the Med I thought, so it can’t be them.
I mentioned it to Rob and he checked their position via the AIS and VesselfinderPro app on his IPhone, “You’re right love, they’re here, two pontoons down in that direction!” Rob said, pointing.
A few minutes later we wandered along there to find them moored three boats from the wall. We joined them aboard to hear that as the Force 7 we had experienced on route reached them they took off all sail and motored, pounding so hard into the waves aboard their catamaran that Tracey ended up hurting her ankles.
They changed their mind about the med and are off to the Caribbean instead. Our shared insurance company has insisted they take on two crew with experience for the crossing, one of which must have a Yachtmaster Ticket. I had been worried that Tracey said she never drinks the water from the tanks, preferring to take bottled water for drinking. I did clarify with her that their water tanks are kept full as it seemed likely the weight of the water in the tanks was integral in the design of the vessel, for stability.
They were off to another marina to get some new batteries as they were having the same problem as us before we went to Vigo, old batteries that would not hold a charge. We hoped our paths would cross again.
We mused that being flexible with plans as Mark and Tracey had, or anything else for that matter, is essential, as being set on one idea can blind one to other, sometimes better, possibilities. I have always felt that choices are a luxury in life, just as having enough money coming in is a luxury because it gives one choices. I remember the first month’s pay I received as a teacher suddenly gave Emily and me choices of all sorts after years of frugal but fine living.
16th October Friday. Cheap car hire
We walked to a very hopeful solar panel shop only to be told the only English speaker would not be in till Monday at 4.30pm. Well that was no help because by then we would be busy with Charly and Tom, who were due to land at 7.20pm on Sunday.
We took a taxi to the airport thinking we would pick up the car we had booked on line and have a couple of days touring. Just as negotiations were at an end the young lady said “When did you book the car?” I think she meant to say “When did you book the car FROM,” because we suddenly realised we had claimed it two days early. It didn’t seem to matter as we planned to return it when we took Charly and Tom back to the airport. £50 for a new Ford Fiesta for the week, not bad eh!
We drove to Marina Rubicon at the south of the island as that is where our Australian friends from the rally last year had come in aboard Orion. It was good to see Jane, Greg and their crew Keith once again and catch up on news. Greg’s cousin Margaret was on board too. Sailing from Gib with them they had the same cheeky force 7 as us and poor Margaret, a novice, held the toilet rim for about 5 days!
After the meeting we explored the marina area and went into the nearby 5 star Vulcan Lanzarote Hotel through an old church entrance complete with relaxing gregorian chanting music. After a quick tapas lunch we reckied Timanfaya National Park with its camel rides and coach tours of the volcanic region. It was windy with low scudding (love that word) clouds.
17th October. The Man who lived in and loved lava.
Saturday had four highlights. First the homes of Cesar Manrique, probably a familiar name to all of you who have visited Lanzarote, secondly the Pirate Museum in the Castel of Santa Barbara (couldn’t miss that one could we!) built to foresee advancing pirate fleets from Africa, thirdly the charming, typical and unspoilt village of Haria and fourthly LIDL!
Known as The Man who Loved Lava, Cesar’s dream was for Lanzarote to be made one of the more beautiful places in the world through the careful design of man. He had to be one of the world’s first architects to promote the fusion of nature with the harmonic needs of man to create restful areas that enhanced nature’s dramatic beauty.
He qualified in Madrid as a professor of fine arts. After two years in New York he described the city dwellers as rats leading a life of artifice. He didn’t mince his words. The characterless boxy 60’s modernist concrete buildings that were emerging he described as designed by fascists! More appropriate an indictment at the time he said it, possibly, than by reflection now.
His ideas stemmed from various art movements including Cubism, Dadaism, pop art, Pollock, Warhol, plastic and kinetic art to name but a few. It means that his influence pervaded practical as well as aesthetic activities. His 2d colourful abstract art is everywhere even 23 years after his death. On the ties of a car hire company employees, on cars, since two major manufacturers commissioned him to design car murals, on banner flags, on rolls of fabric, kitchenware etc etc. Even now they are fresh and modern. His 3d sculptures celebrate the wind and whirl around like anemometers in the centre of roundabouts and at his home near Tachine.
He was very influential. He enforced a law that no buildings should exceed five floors. The one in Arrecife was built before his law.
He feared the island would be ruined by ugliness built cheaply in the pursuit of profit. He worried that too many cars would combine with the ugliness to put people off coming at all.
Today there is little building. Maybe planners realise that with the economic downturn there is enough accommodation for visitors. There are of course many hire cars. Visitors are used to the convenience of going where they want when they want back home. Understandably they require the same on holiday. Ironically, he was killed outside his Haria home when his jaguar collided with another vehicle. His twin sister and two younger siblings live locally and are in their nineties.
I wonder what he would think of Lanzarote now.
An excellent vantage point is why the Castello at Arrecife was built on this particular volcanic summit. Since the 16th Century contact with Africa and Europe has brought a mix of friendly and very unfriendly activities. Camels were brought from Africa to fulfil the same roles as shire horses in the UK. Much of the island was farmed on soil, before the volcanic eruptions of 1730-36 and 1864 buried everything. Camels pulled the ploughs and transported goods. The small number that remain are a reminder of camel trains now replaced by car trains.
In 1618 Tabac Arraez and Soliman landed in Arrecife with 4000 men aboard 36 ships, a terrifying sight. They plundered Teguise, a small town just inland and stole anything of value and 900 people. The wealthy were ransomed and the rest sold as slaves. So the fort was built to give early warning and time to prepare and defend coastal towns.
It’s a great place for all ages to visit. Everything is in English as well as Spanish and there are models and videos plus references to every pirate source you can think of including toys, books, cartoons, Johnny Depp, Gregory Peck, Errol Flynn (before my time you understand) comic books. But to the Canary Islanders pirates were not romantic or amusing.
Haria has a little artisan market area, as well as one of Cesar’s homes. The council are very supportive of their town and we ate in their main building within the market area which was thriving with locals and visitors.
At the top of the island, from the 480metre high Mirador del Rio lookout area, also designed by Cesar, we looked down upon the island of Graciosa, and our little anchorage. Black ravens soared on thermals of wind rising up the slopes of volcanic erosion, reminding me of the ravens at the Tower of London.
On route to the marina we ducked into LIDL to stock up while we had the car. I like the way they source everything they can locally no matter which country they are in.
Charly and Tom arrive.
We spent the morning preparing the fore cabin and the afternoon watching Rugby. At 6.30pm we drove to the airport.
19th October. Charly and Tom were both game for some exploring so we set off to Jameos del Agua, again designed by you know who. Nearby Mount Corona provided the volcanic lava channels (the alimentary canal or gut of the eruption) and lava bubbles in which pools and lakes were formed. The sheltered and humid semi underground environment is perfect for cactuses and people! Charly liked this place as it was intended for enjoyment.
The Cueva de Los Verdes, caves formed from the same volcano, were more a workout in the most colourful and dramatic gym on the planet. 45 minutes, up and down “mind your head” and a brilliant practical joke, which some of you will know but I am not allowed to reveal lest it spoil your possible future visit.
Lunch was taken at Arrieta on a terrace overlooking the sea in perfect weather, delicious local fish, meat and vegetables, so typical of the island’s out of the way eateries.
The steep overhang at the Mirador overlooking our arrival anchorage at Punta Barba impressed our visitors and the view of the volcanoes of Graciosa was the best yet for them.
Zoonie is such a comfy place to relax, and restored and refreshed we tucked into our first ice-creams up the pontoon ramp.
20th October Tuesday. Camels Galore
On arrival at the Montanas del Fuego there appeared to be no obvious organisation and the place was heaving with coaches and enthusiasts. It was possibly the British natural desire to queue that saw us join a coach queue standing in readiness, and in a few minutes we were allocated our mounts.
Our camel was as soft as a brush. She liked nothing more than a good cuddle and her boss directed a little boy to her to have his photo taken when the camel he had been on previously did not want to co-operate and looked likely to take a bite out of him. I had secretly been looking forward to this ride and knew we would all enjoy it.
All the camels complained about getting up or maybe they had to exhale with a groan before they could lift their load. The step we put our feet on while sitting in the chair is just a piece of wood supported with some line. Mine was very short, so my knees were tucked up. Wearing only a seatbelt I knew that if I leaned forward to correct it I would probably end up suspended upside down underneath the seat, too embarrassing. The boss saw my problem and with an apologetic smile undid it commenting to the effect that a child had sat in my chair before. I knew which child.
As we loped and lurched our way up the hill, around the top and back down it was amazing to think that camels had ploughed the soil many metres under us before the last volcanic eruptions covered over the whole area. The camel behind Tom and Charly was very curious and kept peeping around their shoulders. Back at the ranch he was the only camel left tethered to the one infront, in case he did a runner. They made no complaint about lying down again!
Charly and I wondered where the camels were kept and we did see a well-worn track leading down to Yaiza a mile or two south, in fact where we had lunch at a Bodega (wine cellar/restaurant).
The Timanfaya is the vast volcanic area and we boarded a coach for what I thought would be a drive around the rim of one volcano. Not so, it was an incredible ride through much of the region along a modern flow of lava (road) often following the old lava gulleys. This was the only live volcano on the island and we wondered when it would erupt again.
The staff at the visitor centre like their jobs of intermingling with the visitors. One threw some water down a pipe and I was already with camera poised and focussed to snap the effect. But I wasn’t ready for the suddenness and force. When it happened I jumped taking a perfect pic purely by nervous reaction. Job done.
The Vino Grifo vineyard was started on top of the 1730-36 lava flows and has been in the same family since 1880. We did a self-led tour around, finishing at the bar, of course, for our delicious freeby.
Wednesday 21st October. All caught up.
We thought it would be a great shame if we didn’t take Charly and Tom out for a trip on Zoonie. So despite variable and inaccurate weather forecasts during the week we motored to Playa Cochinas (Spoon beach). As we motored tentatively in, watching the water colour for rocks and reefs, we unfortunately snagged the fishing line on some rocks. So as soon as the anchor was down Tom and Rob inflated the new dinghy (did Rob need to be asked twice?) Within minutes they were off, Rob rowing, Tom reeling in the line and Charly and me watching and hoping for success. We wanted that daisy chain lure to catch many more fish before it’s done.
With the line safely retrieved and back on board it was time to get into the water. I rooted out the snorkels and flippers, putting them on the main saloon table. I was ready and bikinied in the cockpit when Rob plaintively called (I thought) “Where are my slippers Barb, I can’t find them anywhere and I wanted to try them out?”
“What on earth do you want with your (suede and sheepskin lined) slippers, my love?” I enquired. “Not slippers, flippers!” “Right behind you babe.”
“So what was the course out of the bay Charly?” “125 degrees, the reciprocal of the one we came in on.” Safe as houses.
The weather all week had defied the forecast, if only by its timing, and on the last day of their visit it was supposed to be heavy rain most of the day.
In fact it held off, allowing sunny strolls around pretty Teguise, the Castello in view on the hill behind and Cesar’s Tachine home built in the volcanic burst lava bubbles before we dropped them at the airport at 7.00pm. Returning the car back to Hertz we sped (not our choice) back to the marina by taxi. Opportune it was though because we had just got the bone dry gear lowered from the foredeck back into the forepeak below, from which it had been ousted before Charly and Tom’s arrival, before the heavens opened. We heard a plane take off around 9.00 but it wasn’t Tom and Charly’s. Their take off was delayed by three hours and the incoming planes had to be stacked because the weather made landing impossible!
We so enjoyed their visit and look forward to their very special day in 7 months’ time.
Arrecife Still.
Rugby match delays departure
Rob has had to use his limitless practical skills over the past couple of days. Charly walked in to the forward head on the last day of their visit and found the floor boards under water. Then the same happened in our heads. For some reason when pumping out the water from the basin and shower a faulty valve caused a back flow resulting in a syphoning effect bringing sea water in to the boat. (You don’t want that!!) Rob replaced the flapper valve in our shower drain pump and cured the problem. He also bought two non-return valves in case it happens again.
The water filter in the water maker needed rinsing. When installed it was white and when he removed it, it was black. Well rinsed with fresh water we will tow it behind Zoonie to further clean it. Rob had to make a pipe system threaded with rope to pass through the centre of the filter roll. He may patent it and make a fortune!
Finally the anchor windlass was making a noise and not running smoothly until after stripping it down and the application of suitable grease on the cones inside the drum solved the problem. I tell you he has no limits, no limits!
So if you’ll excuse us dear readers we are off to watch Australia v Argentina with Chris from Deep Blue, who with his wife Sandra is planning the same direction as us to the Caribbean.
26th October, Zoonie sails to Puerto Calero in a fresh wind with double reef in main and foresail, well it was only 11 miles away so we weren’t in a hurry and we might as well be comfortable. As we prepared to enter a white motor boat was behaving slightly oddly just off the mole.
“Not quite sure what he’s up to Rob, there appears to be something yell (ow in the water),” I was about to say when a funky yellow submarine emerged from its underwater trip to take an alongside tow from the motor boat back into harbour. Along with the glass bottomed boats it must be a great way to look underwater. In fact a visitor could fly to the nearby airport, bus to this little port and see all over the island and around it without any need to hire a car.
This resort was designed by a colleague of Cesar Manrique to be an exclusive place to relax, snuggly concealed within the beauty of the landscape. 20 years on the trees and plants are thriving as indeed is the tourism side with a wide range of restaurants and bars doing well and the artisan market buzzing with activity. Rob bought himself a locally made wooden amulet to replace his gold chain he will stow away with mine when we get to more out of the way places. (Very Zen).
Sadly the same success cannot be said for the marina. The overly jovial young marina manager seemed proud to tell us there are no reductions for paying up front or for sailing association membership until after 15 days occupancy, unlike Marina Lanzarote and surprisingly part of the same company. So there were quiet pontoons with a surfeit of lifeless boats. Some genuinely left for a short while but others clearly abandoned.
The glossy marina brochure boasted a chandlery and boatyard capable of refitting super-yachts but the reality was an industry in decline and the man in the office, having spoken to his boss over the phone, was unable to order us some solar panels that we found in a commonly used industry brochure. Back on board Rob got in touch with Theresa at Marlec, from whom we bought our Rutland wind-charger and existing solar panels. He ordered five panels giving us a total of 138 watts potential when the sun shines directly on them. We left her to come up with a quote and gave her the address of the marina in Tenerife for delivery, where we were booked in for UK friends Paul and Richard’s visit.
Then we went for a walk over the ash-field left by the last eruption of the nearby volcano. Four-wheeled buggies are offered for safaris over the terrain and rough tracks leading well up the slopes were a reminder of the past when some agricultural activities were pursued, but no evidence here of vineyards. The recent rain had brought a late season greening up of the landscape and we realised a visit to the islands in the springtime would reveal a host of different colours compared to the earthy greys and reds that abound now.
Mark from Wet Dream whom we had met in Chipiona and Arrecife found us supping beer while sitting on a comfy white settee, and regailed his life in the restaurant business, interesting it was too.
One good bit of news the marina manager gave us was “No need for anchoring permit on the island!” So off we sailed the next morning, again well-reefed, passing the high range of extinct volcanoes, to one of the anchorages hanging off the south of Lanzarote either side of Marina Rubicon. We weren’t sure which until we turned the corner, well offshore to avoid the lava flow just beneath the surface and revealed by a line of breaking water.
The first anchorage had a few vessels resting and protection from the fresh and gusting wind but a little further along was another landward curve of the cliffs to reveal a single American yacht swinging gently on her tackle. We secured Zoonie a healthy distance away and stayed there in a good holding of sand, for three nights. Our view south was over our next destination, Fuerteventura, where we could see sand storms whirling off the African sand and blowing west towards Gran Canaria.
This area, in Playas Colorades, seemed to be a place for young gannets to practise dive bombing for fish. One in particular needed to continue practising as his technique was more suicidal than practical. A swimmer, on holiday from the UK, swam around us anchored yachts and trod water to have a chat with us. He would like to do what we are doing but his wife will take a few years of convincing.
Overlooking us were three hotels including the temple to tourism Sandos Papagayo Hotel, (with its really good WIFI)! While at anchor we were able to email Theresa to confirm the order and Rafael at Tenerife Marina San Miguel, with whom we had booked in, to confirm he would receive and store the order until we got there.
29th October. We delayed our first trip ashore as the low state of the tide revealed a ledge of rock. If we waited an hour or so for the tide to rise we would be delivered over the rock onto a beach by the surf. We were picked up by a wave and shot forward with Rob keeping us at right angles until the oars ran out of water and the ensuing wave ensured we were a little damp on our walk along the cliffs to the marina chandlery at Rubicon.
The manager had only taken on the business the week before and was up to his eyes trying to set things up, we managed to buy a few fittings for the new panels but we still had some things left on the list to get. We walked back through the abundance of restaurants and had tapas overlooking the yachts with a few remaining ARC boats amongst them. Most are now getting ready for their crossing in Santa Cruz Gran Canaria.
Back on Zoonie we had a swim but unlike in the morning when we could see the bottom, it was too cloudy for snorkelling.
30th October, the penultimate day of October and farewell lovely Lanzarote under your moody mantle of cloud. Lack of wind meant we were motoring again, keeping a keen lookout ahead. Past the Isla Lobos (these wolves being sea wolves, or fur seals that used to frequent this northern part of Fuerteventura until man intruded.)