Stranded again in Tenerife – our island hopping hangs by a thread!

Personal log entry from the houseboat Betty HH-VX 717: The year is 2024, December 23, 05:00 AM

Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in Santa Cruz de Tenerife: The fog from the general anesthesia is slowly lifting. The doctor informs me that the surgery after my watersport accident (see travel blog: Tenerife and a deep cut) was successful. An artery and nerve were microsurgically sewn – for this, the wound had to be reopened further and then closed with 15 stitches. My left arm rests in a cast while two infusions dangle from my right arm above me.

The following morning drags on in the hospital. I can't get in touch with Susi. I had to give her my phone along with my belongings before the surgery. The ward nurse tells me that she isn't allowed to call foreign numbers. However, during the rounds, I am informed that I am likely to be released tomorrow (Christmas Eve!). Finally, around 3 PM, Susi comes into the room. She had tried to visit me earlier but had to adhere to the official visiting hours. Susi parks and stays diagonally across at a little square that feels somewhat spooky as it is mainly frequented by junkies. However, she slept well and undisturbed. Little quiz question: When is dinner served in Spanish hospitals? At 9 PM! At 6 PM, there was tea and a piece of fruit, and I thought that after the really lavish lunch, that would indeed be all for dinner and was already dozing off, thanks to the extensive cocktail of medications. I was mistaken; at 9 PM, the door opens, and there is another hearty meal. In German wards, quiet hours would have long started! Late in the evening, I get a roommate, Klaus (coincidentally also a German), who got into an even worse situation than I did: Klaus used a bar stool as a quick ladder substitute while working at home; the consequence: shattered pelvis and wrist. He is strictly tied to the bed and is in severe pain. I, on the other hand, am largely pain-free and can at least go to the bathroom by myself.

A little Christmas miracle happens: It's December 24, 11 AM, and I have just been discharged! Susi picks me up from the hospital, and we drive to the beach of Las Teresitas. First, we have a nice breakfast in the van and then go for a swim. A plastic bag over my arm helps. After that, we get to work (me one-handed) washing my wingfoiling equipment and wetsuit. There are some strange stains on it, and the washing water turns completely red... Later, our friend Christian visits us, and we take some fun photos together with Santa hats and my cast at the beach. We spend Christmas Eve in intimate solitude in El Pris on the North Shore. Susi had already done some shopping, and we cook together: there’s traditionally duck breast and red cabbage. Outside, the waves of the Atlantic crash against the wall of the parking lot at the harbor, where we stand almost completely alone. Christmas once again in every respect quite differently! By the way, December 24 has hardly any significance in Spain. Much more important are December 25 and especially January 6 (Three Kings Day).

The next morning, we take it easy and enjoy a lovely walk along the spectacular coast of El Pris. In the evening, we have something nice planned: Christian had already bought tickets a few days earlier for the traditional Christmas concert of the Santa Cruz Philharmonic Orchestra. The concert will be broadcasted on television and takes place at the harbor promenade right in front of the marina where his sailboat is docked. We can even park the RV in the marina's parking lot. Although we are not usually classical music fans, it is a beautiful concert with many excellent soloists and a wide range of music. The evening ends with an impressive fireworks display over the Atlantic.
In the harbor lies a three-masted sailing school ship that resembles Gorch Fock. It is the 'Danmark' from Copenhagen. Here, military and civilian sailors are trained. The next morning, we have a long conversation with a young Dane who is standing 'watch' in front of the ship, and we are very enthusiastic about the concept and the opportunities that such a sailing school ship offers. Unfortunately, we are clearly too old to sail along. The sailing school ship is on its way to Madeira to celebrate the New Year and experience the largest New Year’s fireworks in the world. Unfortunately, parking at the marina harbor was not allowed, and Christian, who had let us park with his parking pass, gets quite a reprimand from the marina manager.

In the days leading up to Christmas, it snowed heavily in Teide National Park, and we decide to see it up close. From La Laguna, we drive up to over 2,000 meters in altitude. The roads are clear, but larger snowfields cover the volcanic landscape on both sides. Everywhere it is possible, cheerful children slide down the short slopes on plastic bags or boogie boards, just like everywhere in the world when it snows. We would have loved to stay overnight up here, but the national park's campground is closed due to construction work. On December 28, we are back at the wingfoiling spot north of El Medano. Christian, the sailor, was not deterred by my accident and has since taken a wingfoiling course. Now he has borrowed beginner material to deepen his skills. Susi seizes the opportunity and also sails a few rounds on the beginner board across the pond. It looks very good, and you can see her windsurfing experience. For the next few days until the end of the year, we explore some still unknown corners of the island, such as Boca Congrejo. Here, just before Santa Cruz, dropouts and individualists live in small, colorfully decorated fishing huts, realizing their dreams. For New Year’s Eve, we have arranged to meet friends in El Medano. They are Susanne and Reinhold from Hamburg and Barbara from Flensburg. A large stage has been set up in the marketplace, where various bands are playing Merengue. The Spaniards are out in full force with kids and families, and the atmosphere is relaxed. A highlight of the evening is the elaborate laser light show projected onto the façade of the historic Hotel Medano. At midnight there is a small fireworks display, and just like that, the second calendar year of our sabbatical begins. Time flies!! According to our original plan, we would have been home by mid-December already. But with the prospect of the German winter, we decided in the fall to extend our sabbatical a little longer.

In the following days, we visit our favorite spots on the island, including San Blas and Tajao. In San Blas, we also meet Barbara (with dog Ramba) again, and Susi and Barbara check out the local charity shops that are here, thanks to numerous British tourists, just like in England. In Tajao, we meet Mark from England. After a severe motorcycle accident that he still suffers the consequences of, he sold his house and became a full-time vanlifer. Mark voted for Brexit back then. Now he regrets it. Among other things, he is only allowed to enter the EU for a total of 90 days (within 180 days), which significantly affects his travel plans. Interestingly, he - like me - also hails from Kent, and we swap some memories of Kent. During our daily search for parking spots, we now notice that the protests against tourists and also against campers in the Canary Islands at the beginning of 2024 have had consequences. Among other things, a large, albeit illegal but previously tolerated, parking area near El Medano has been cleared out and cordoned off by the municipality. Several supply and disposal options for RVs have also disappeared over the past year. The air is getting thinner for us RV travelers. But as has often been described in this travel blog, many campers are also severely cutting the branch they are sitting on through their behavior.

My cast does limit me quite a bit. I can’t drive, but Susi enjoys driving (and does it well) and takes over the wheel permanently for now. Hiking is doable, so we do a relatively large number of hikes during this time. Among other places, we hike through the nature reserve Barranco del Infierno. Unfortunately, we have to turn back after two-thirds of the distance on the tour. Just before the ridge, a strong wind picks up, and the cloud cover rapidly descends, so we would have to walk further in the humid clouds. We are not equipped for that, so we turn back.
At night, we park at one of our favorite spots in Poris de Abona near the lighthouse. We love the freedom of space when the next RV stands at least 100 meters and not 100 centimeters away. This spot is only recommended in good weather. When the trade winds blow, you are completely at the mercy of the elements on the cliffs. Here in Poris, we also unexpectedly meet Mark from England again, who is just biking around. We invite him for coffee. Mark is very curious and wants to know a lot about us and our life.

When you are in the Canary Islands, the chances of meeting friends from home are quite high. On March 8, Barbara and Sönke from Hamburg arrive, who live only two houses away from us in Hummelsbüttel. Both are avid windsurfers and have been traveling to El Medano since the early days of windsurfing tourism. They have witnessed the entire development from fishing village to tourist hotspot primarily for water sports enthusiasts. On January 9, I have my follow-up appointment at the hospital. Therefore, we drive to Santa Cruz on the late afternoon of January 8 and park very pleasantly and centrally with our van in front of the famous opera house Auditorio de Tenerife, which looks like a breaking wave. In the evening, we have arranged to meet Christian for dinner. In the restaurant he has chosen, there are good and inexpensive tapas and local dishes such as the blood sausage that we must definitely try! On the morning of January 9, Susi drops me off in front of the hospital, and I navigate my way through the large hospital complex to the trauma department. With the help of the very nice staff, who have a friendly word for everyone, I finally find my room for the follow-up appointment. I confirmed the appointment a few days earlier via the hotline, and I am taken in on time. Everything is unimaginable in German hospitals. Unfortunately, the examination doesn't go quite as desired: on the one hand, the stitches are not yet removed, and on the other hand, I have to keep the cast for another week. The next appointment at the hospital will be on January 16. So we 'gain' another week in Tenerife. Things are getting tight with our subsequent program because we want to explore Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote before our return to the mainland on March 8.

We spend the afternoon and the evening in Candelaria, the religious center of Tenerife. Here, in an artificial cave, the largest nativity scene in the Canary Islands is set up, which is about 20 meters long and recalls the Miniatur Wunderland. The next day, it is very windy, and I look a bit enviously at El Medano at the water, where kiters, windsurfers, and wingfoilers frolic in the waves. A good exercise in Buddhist calm for me...

We flee from the strong wind to the southwest coast of Tenerife, which is leeward and almost windless. In the picturesque coastal town of Alcala, we snag a motorhome parking spot in a dream location. Normally, there is never anything free, and if there is, it’s only for 5 minutes. But this time we are lucky! From Alcala, we take great hikes, always along the wild Atlantic in a northern direction to Los Gigantes and in a southern direction to Playa San Juan. Alcala simply has everything we need: great swimming bays, showers on the beach, an outdoor gym right in front of us (for my one-armed exercises), beautiful sunsets and a view of La Gomera. Overall, we stay three nights at this spot, which is rather unusual for us.
On January 14, we continue and take advantage of the good weather for an excursion to Teide National Park. We hike at an altitude of 1,700 meters on a circular trail always along the tree line through the volcanic area. We hiked this circular trail in spring 2024, but it’s so beautiful that it’s worth doing it twice! We spend the night on the coast in La Caleta. Here too, we find a spot that is usually not free, with a great view of the sea. In La Caleta, there is also the landing zone for the paragliders, who take off with their passengers from the slopes of Teide. The approach to the landing zone is not very easy, yet the paragliders usually manage a pinpoint landing.

The week has quickly passed. A few days ago, we booked the ferry to Gran Canaria for the afternoon of January 16. Regardless of how the examination in the hospital goes, we now want to continue and explore the other islands. The evening before, we drive to Candelaria – another place that we particularly like – and spend our last night in Tenerife there. The next morning, it’s early to rise and we head to Santa Cruz to the hospital. This time I know exactly where to go. My appointment is at 10:00 AM, and a few minutes after 10 AM, I’m in the treatment room. I believe there’s something German hospitals and doctor's practices could learn from this. Unfortunately, the examination result again does not quite meet my expectations. This time the cast can finally go, but only one of the 15 stitches is removed. The rest is to stay in the finger for at least another week. Otherwise, the wound has healed well, and I should start with mobility exercises for hand and fingers. Before the ferry crossing, we quickly head to the Caribbean dream beach of Las Teresitas. Punctually, on January 16, 2025, at 4:00 PM, the futuristic catamaran of the Fred Olsen ferry company departs from Santa Cruz. It is supposed to be a stormy crossing. On one hand, vehicles are additionally secured with wedges, and on the other hand, we are instructed to take a central seat on the ferry. A little wistfully, we think of the long and beautiful time we spent on Tenerife overall in the last twelve months. Who knows when we will come back next? Goodbye and see you again Tenerife!

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On the road: 360 days

Distance traveled: 23,450 km

To be continued