Turquoise water? Yes Please!

Today I rented a car for the first time in my life. It was AMAZING!!! Alice, Celia, Perine, Theo and I all chipped in and got a car for the day to explore the island. We drove up into the mountains and could see all the way to another island, Tenerife.  Plus the towns along the way are more authentic feeling. They are real Spanish towns instead of the touristy towns along the south coast where we are.

When we told the rental car owner where we were headed:  to Pico de Nieves, he just looked at us and said “Pico de Nieves?!?!” with the most skeptical look on his face. Pico de Nieves is home to the highest point on the island in the mountains and he apparently thought we were crazy for thinking we could drive there ourselves. He told us how difficult mountain roads were to drive and wanted us to be aware that they were very difficult.  I tried to assure him. “Sir,” I said, “I have driven all over the Smokies, and have been on some pretty nasty back roads so I am sure this will be fine. Absolutely no need to worry!” He again looked at me like I had escaped from somewhere, and said in the most patronizing Spanish, “THESE are not like American roads (stupid tourists)… American roads are big, these are VERY SMALL (thinking: when will they a-learn that America is not a difficult place to-a live, why would this girl a-think she knows how to drive in the mountains?!)”

It was at that moment that I realized I was one of ‘them.’ You know, those terrible Americans who go overseas and talk about how much better or how much worse conditions are in America vs wherever they are. I hate those people, and now, I glumly thought, I must hate myself….

But alas, I was right… The roads were a cinch! Take that Spanish man!!! I challenge the next self righteous Canarian mountain man who thinks his mountains are harder to drive in simply because they are NOT in America to come to my neck of the woods. Let’s see how they do driving a Chevy 1500 long bed pick up on the backwoods east Tennessee mountains in the rain at night with no windshield wipers and a missing headlight and then they can tell me that because I am an American girl, I can’t drive their mountains. OK I am finished. It wasn’t that I was bitter or anything, more just that I am glad I don’t have to hate myself. Glad that for once when an American claims something about their country it is true and not just ego ridden nonsense.  But I still hate ‘those’ people… This is not an excuse to be one of ‘them,’

That all being said, the mountains were breath taking and the drive had a new fantastic view after every turn. Then we got to go to Puerto Mogan (which is like a little Venice with cute little bridges over canals and what not… Basically my new favorite town because it was full of terraces, flowers and boats.. nuff said) and then we finished the trip at Playa del Amadores which came complete with the stereotypical white beaches and turquoise water that was so salty I could float with ease. Oh and did I mention I went for a dip at sunset? So as I was floating the current in the turquoise water off the coast of Spain, I thought “Man I am glad it is sunset, this would be really lame if I didn’t at least get something to make it remarkable…”

And now, after I accompanied six French people to drinks on the beach in Playa del Meloneras, I am back in my apartment, typing this up while it is fresh, I will be posting it tomorrow right before I go to the World Windsurfing Competition.  And on that note, Buenos Noches (interesting aside, here they don’t pronounce the ‘s’ at the end of a phrase so it is pronounced Buenos Noche and Gracia etc. etc.)

P.S. Playa means ‘beach’ in Spanish.

And I am sorry if this blog makes me look like a cad saying “HA HA HA aren’t I a lucky sort” and while it is true, I am both a cad AND a lucky sort, It was never my intention for this blog to highlight those facts. And for this, I humbly beg your forgiveness.