Well, I finally did the old Solo Travel!!!! Oh my goodness what an experience. I loved almost every minute of it….apart from taking off, landing and getting lost in pouring drizzly rain up a mountain oh and the scary mountainous drives!
So I finished work and headed off to a hotel and park by Gatwick, had an ok room and a few white Wines with a classic bowl of chips. I did not want to go into the Restaurant as I was the only Solo Traveller, lots of loved up happy couples and families so I felt a bit like I might look a bit desperate for some company! I wasn’t, this was awesome, I felt quite brave and chuffed with myself for attempting Solo Travelling. Had to get up at 2.00am for the transfer to the airport. This went smoothly and was literally ten minutes away. I went and had the most revoltingly dry almond croissant from the one and only Jamie Oliver’s Restaurant for breakfast. I can safely say this was the worst croissant I have ever had and Tescos have shown him up! The coffee was so so. I was so nervous on the take off, thoughts of never seeing my children and grandkids again filled my head. All was well and we got there after a four and a half hour flight. So I picked up my hire car, it was massive like a Ford Kuga. It was automatic as I have bad knees. First off I couldn’t get the thing to start LOL. I have an automatic so I was baffled. I went and got the guy, he was most amused….All I needed to do was put my foot on the clutch LOL. To be fair I don’t have to do that with mine. I felt like a pillock and speak a little Spanish but was unable to tell him my reasons for being so stupid.
So I set off, my first sight was banana plantations, these were impressive and blueist sea ever, I live on the South Coast, the sea is grey and not inviting. I made my way to a supermarket and the area that I was going to stay in. Google maps is a wonderful thing but its just my luck that it had a bit of a spaz and took me round the block a few times. Anyhow, I found said supermarket and got some supplies…..Alcohol being top of the list! I couldn’t meet ‘The Help’ until 5.00pm so I found the Restaurant at the bottom of the hill where I was staying and waited, had a delicious Café con Leche and some grilled cheese / queso. I never eat English dishes abroad – what is the point if you are not going to taste local food. I met ‘The Help’ and we went up to the cottage I was staying in, it was beautiful with an amazing view of the sea. I unpacked and sat on the veranda overlooking the sea with the Neighbour’s dog, by the end of the holiday she was sitting on my lap! Greeting me daily and following me down the hill. My first Solo Travel nightmare was try as I might I could not open the Wine with the corkscrew, in the end I had to dig it out with the corkscrew. LOOL. I think all holiday lets should have one of those easy corkscrews that do it for you, not a metal one for about 50p!
The road up to the cottage was a little small for such a big car so I decided to leave the car at the bottom of the hill. On my first day I went to Santa Cruz for a Café Con Leche and a Zuma Niranja, had a mouch around. I went to the restaurant and asked for a Canna of Beer and ended up with a pint….Oh gosh how bad is my Spanish! For tea I have Chargrilled Liver and Salt Baked Potatoes, it was the best Liver I have ever tasted. Truly delicious, I was a little concerned that it was not cooked enough and that I would get tummy ache but all was well. So I had a couple of glasses of Vino Blanco and decided to go back, apparently we had the back end of Hurricane Lesley on the island so it was very misty and drizzly but warm. So, I headed off…..up the wrong bloody hill. I walked up and down for a while as I didn’t recognise it and I couldn’t find the cottage, it was starting to get darkish. I called ‘The Help’ by this stage I was in tears as I was a little concerned about not being able to get back. ‘The Help’ kept saying she did not understand, an Elderly Spanish couple came out and spoke to ‘The Help’, they had an argument and then the Elderly lady took me back…..So sweet, we hugged and kissed and I gave her 20 euros, I hope it was enough??? The hill I should have gone up was a minute away from the one I did go up, it was literally a two minute drive – I am so silly, why I didn’t just go back down to the Restaurant or the car I do not know, I guess I was a bit panicked and lost, so not thinking straight. The Spanish lady was a delight and kept calling me Lady Lost. I have never been so grateful in all my life. Amazing that they came to my assistance and even offered for me to sleep in an outhouse but I was soaked to the skin. All was well in the end, it took an age for my feet to get warm and to be fair I had only been to the cottage once, when I arrived….Needless to say I never made the same mistake again!
The following day I went for a mouch around, saw a windmill had some coffees etc. Successfully ordered a couple of Cannas and had a few wines, for the cottage I got a carton of wine so I didn’t have the corkscrew performance again.
My favourite day by far was a Dolphin and Whale watching experience! I drove down to the meeting point through the lovely banana plantations and got the coach, it was awesome to be driven and look around. The boat left from Tazacorte, the most beautiful black sand beach, never seen black sand before. We went on a big yacht with a few other tourist, I was the only Solo Traveller but I didn’t care, it was awesome! Saw Bryd’s Whales and their babies, Pilot Whales and pods of Dolphins, they were all quite close to the boat. The guide was fantastic and spoke at least four different languages, it cost 27 Euros! Imagine if you could do that here it would cost near £100. I was so tempted to go again, it was brilliant.
Another brilliant day was the day I decided to drive myself up to the highest point on La Palma: Roque De Los Muchalos (Hope that is spelt right!) and the Observation Centre, this was a good hours drive. Oh my goodness it was a bit hairy, the views were awesome and a bit distracting. So, I got to the top and the car park was a smallish mirador, oh good grief in that big car I had a nightmare but boy was it worth it! The views were totally awesome! I noticed a helipad there and thought to myself I bet the great Brian Cox got the helicopter to the Observation Centre and didn’t suffer the driver personally. You could see La Gomez and Tenerife, it was spectacular. Very windy up there and the most touristy place I had been. Mountain workers were kitted out in all the gear and planting shrubs! I headed down and stopped at a couple of viewpoints, guess what? I needed a wee! I tried on a couple of occasions where women had obviously been as there was enough tissues there for few rolls! Anyhow, I carried on to the next one and spotted this huge rock at a view point, just big enough to crouch down and women had also used this spot. So I went to go, a motorbike come along so I stopped. He went and then I just HAD to go, so I did and midstream (cannot believe I am telling you this but the end is hilarious) a car turned up. Crumpets, in my panic I peed on my pump EEEEWWWW and as he got out of his car he said to his wife “She is having a wee”, they would be bloody English wouldn’t they!!! so I composed myself and sat on the said rock for a bit. The couple went to leave and as he got back in the car he did the most almighty pop (trump), I couldn’t control my giggling, I looked up and his wife just looked at me scornfully. It was hilarious and still make me giggle now….Good Old English. Sorry but I had to tell this story as it is just so damn funny! I’m not common but it does make me laugh – You can take the girl out of Birmingham but you cannot take Birmingham out of the girl!
I decided to spend a couple of days being on holiday but off holiday i.e doing nothing, this was fab. Had another mouch around Santa Cruz, I was followed around by the shopkeepers in a few shops, think they thought I was a thief because I was on my own! Put me off buying, their loss! I went to the restaurant and had Veal and Frites with an amazing pepper dip which they had given me regardless of what I ordered. I also asked for a small Vino Blanco and ended up with a Carafe, contained three glasses of lovely wine for about 1 euro 30. Needless to say I was slightly tipsy. Dashed up the RIGHT hill before it got dark!
On my last day I watched the sun come up then went out sightseeing again and had a Bocadillo Atun in Santa Cruz, it was massive and delicious, their sandwiches are awesome. On the way back I went to Playa De Nogales, gosh this was a drive down through the banana plantations down the side of the island and then a ten minute hike down to the actual beach, gosh it was so beautiful (Apart from the naked bottom man getting dressed on my way down – saw his bottom eewww, at least it wasn’t the front as they are ugly LOL!) The sand was soooo black and the sea was soooo blue, it was a moody day weather wise but the clouds added to the drama of the place. I took my sandals off and walked along the beautiful alcove, the sand was gorgeous and looked really lush, like a meadow of sand….I know I’m odd but I cannot describe how wonderful it was! I stayed for a while and then hiked my way back up. I decided to go straight back to the cottage, I sat outside and watched the sun go down with the little dog on my lap. I watched the birds including a Buzzard and listened to the Cicadas. It was magical until I had to pack and come home!
I highly recommend Solo Travel it is empowering, I felt as free as a bird, like a Swan gliding on water (If you skip the few dramas!) For the whole holiday I did what I wanted to do, perfecto!
Adios La Palma, a Bonny Island for sure!
