Garachico and Caleta San Andres Festival
Bus Route: 470[Los Cristianos], 111[Playa Americas], 460[Icod] and 363[Buenavista].
Return: 363[Icod], 111[Playa Americas], 483[El Medano].
Hola everyone,
Although my intention
was to visit the other end of Route 470 my plans changed as a result
of a kindness from two friends of mine, Patrick and Michelle. In an
idle conversion I mentioned that I was undecided as to buying a radio
to try and get the news from the BBC – it is surprising how quickly
one loosed touch with the outside world events – a couple of days
later they lent me an am/fm radio to try out. I took it to the
apartment and scrolled through the FM bands to find a broadcast in
English, finding only one I dug out the free English newspaper,
Island Connections, and went from cover to cover to see if I could
find ads for radio stations. Just behind the TV section I came across
a listing I had missed – upcoming events for the fortnight ahead –
this changed my idea for the trip – still heading west but further
afield. Midnight on the 29th the procession of San Andres
and firework display at Garachico followed the day after by local
dancing and music at 12 noon. Now Garachico is somewhere up on the
north-west coast of the island an area I had decided to explore when
I was more proficient with the bus service but this was to good an
opportunity to miss! Off to the internet cafe to 'Google' the route –
I am starting to get quite proficient with my planning now. I fed in
a reasonable start time as this was going to be a long day and got
three possible routes – the first one started with the 470 going
west so this met my objective – we''ll get to the other end of the
route yet! The route involved catching the 470 up to Las Chafiras –
then down to the motorway stop for the No 111 to the bus station at
Playa Americas/Costa Adeje where the route terminates. (This is the
bus I got back from Candelaria last time so I have now visited both ends of that route). It turns out that Playa Americas/Costa Adeje
is a modern airy station complete with cafe and Titsa information
office so there was time for a coffee and cake before boarding the
460 to Icod. This turned out to be a fantastic journey up into the
mountains before dropping down the other side to the north-west
coast. There are only one or two 'mirador' (stopping places for the
view and a photo) on the route and the road is quite narrow with lots
of sharp bends preventing a driver just pulling over. I have decided
that, being on my own, this is the right way to travel as I would
definitely not be able to admire the view. I have read a guide book
recently written by an English resident of some 20 years or more who
complains about the rule breaking on the buses, passengers talking to
the driver etc – he would have had a fit if he had been on this bus
as, in the middle of a small village the oncoming 460 and our driver
stopped to have a conversation, tough luck on the queues of traffic
building up behind! Frequently the bus pulls up sharply and generally
the opposing car retreats – though on the return journey one didn't
and got a mouthful from the driver long after he couldn't hear him. I
have found all of the drivers so far helpful and patient considering
the number of languages they have to cope with. After a while I
managed to get the front seat and took some pictures of varying
quality to try and give an impression bearing in mind that this bus
isn't slowing down for anyone. After amazing views we reach Icod
another proper bus station complete with artistry – see the photos
– a cafe and a shop. My journey now goes a bit awry, according to
Google my connection the 363 to Buenvista should leave in 10 mins
however no bus is listed on the arrivals board and I am confused by
the local time table so off I trot to the information desk. He writes
down :30 and :45 on a piece of paper and 3 different bus number.. So
just over half an hour wait so off to the cafe. I am nearly finished
my buritto when I see a 363 arriving so I dash over to the counter –
La Querte por favor and off out to the stand only to find that the
363 has pulled into a stand on the opposite side and is destined for
Puerto Cruz; the opposite direction. All is not lost as there is a
'diddy' bus No 388 in my stand . It must be nearly :30, the driver
returns and people surge to get on until two of us are left and there
is no more room. Hum! Anyway at least it isn't a cold and windy bus
station in the UK! At 15:00 a 363 pulls in, no indication on the
departures board and departs somewhere just after 5 past. Should have
waited when I arrived and I would have been in Garachico an hour
earlier - they now seem to run at 5 past not 10 to.
On my arrival in
Garachico I spot the Tourist Information Office just along from the
bus stop. I call in there to find out about the events and about
accommodation. When planning the route I worked out that I could see
the procession, watch the fireworks at midnight and dance the night
away before catching the first bus back then next day at about 03:30
hours, or, I could find some cheep digs and stay the night to see the
traditional stuff the following day. My plan collapsed here. The
procession is at the next village along the coast, El or Los Caleta.
I can walk or get the next 363 then follow the road down to the
coast. There is no cheap accommodation; Garachico is quite famous and
is also full of Germans so much so that the TI girl is apologetic at
her (excellent) standard of English because she is now so used to
speaking German. Cheapest hotel 140E, no here is one for 120E but no
breakfast. She does some more internet searching and phoning and
comes up with a room for 50E including breakfast. Bang goes my budget
for December! I also have to break with buses and get a taxi as the
address is Hotel Rural Casa Amarilla - Km 7 explain that to the bus
driver. They will send someone so can I be there in about 30 minutes.
I wander back down the road taking a few photos of the old harbour
and the Castle of San Miguel (didn't know it at the time). These are
now tasters for a future trip purely to see Garachico. I ask how
much, it is on the meter, about 5E - the taxi takes me around the
headland and turns right at a cluster of houses down the the mountain
along a route of very high walls to arrive at a big metal gate. The
driver gets out and speaks into the intercom, the gate opens and we
go down a long, long drive surrounded by bananas. We are on a massive
estate/plantation. He swings left into a courtyard and there we are
at the plantation house now a hotel. I am in one of the outbuildings
probably used by slaves if they had them. He leaves me with the
proprietor. He speaks Spanish, I speak English so we have a very
interesting conversation. The photos are as I recorded them so some
are on arrival and some the following day before I left. I was well
pleased that I had decided to stay. After trying to explain what the
6 keys and the electronic fob were for he went off and produced a
map. Keys for room, keys for gates and keys for house. It turned out
that he owned the plantation which came down from the mountain to the
coast and also owned part of the village. To get there you go out of
the back gate – 5 minutes walk – very nice restaurant. I've
included a photo part of this walk. I dumped my stuff had a quick
wash and set off as it was now after 6, I was hungry and it gets dark
around 7 very little dusk. I'd packed my windy up torch just in case
– just as well 'cos I couldn't find the light switch in the
bathroom! Off I set, turned left where the taxi pulled in and down to
an identical gate. 1 key and 1 fob later I has escaped. Ahead of me
were two vertical walls and a large double gate at the end with a 'No
Entry' sighn. I turned left although I was sure from the map that the
village should be to my right. 10 minutes later past more plantations
the coast seemed to be getting further away so I turned round and
retraced, perhaps I should have gone out of the same gate as the taxi
came in. When I got back to the 'exit' gate I decided to follow the
road down to the other big gate and see if one of my keys fitted. As
I got there I realised that the road bent 90 degree right and there
was the village dimly seen at the end. I'd hate to drive around here.
I had a wander around the not so little village, took some photos and
asked a policeman where the church was. I eventually found it along
side the village square. By now it was dark and things were being
set up for the festival. I couldn't retrace my steps so went into a
bar just off the square and asked if they were doing food. They don't
speak much English in this part of the Island. He led me to the back
of the bar and there were half a dozen tables in an area down some
steps from the bar. I had a beer and a well prepared chicken with
salad and apple pie 'Canarian' style for desert. He couldn't have
been more hospitable inviting me to return at about 11pm when he was
closing the bar as he and his family were watching the fireworks from
his balcony about four floors up and it would be a good spot to take
photos. Unfortunately I couldn't make it as I was down at the bay
reserving my slot for the arrival of the procession. I took some
photos round the church and of the start of the procession. I haven't
used flash as I felt that this was intrusive. I then went down to the
bay to claim a space. I could tell the progress by the fireworks
which are let off as they stop at each district? Nor sure how they
organised this. Eventually the Madonna and the Santa Andres arrive at
the beach. All the lights go out and the fireworks start, from the
headlands, the bay, the beach and even under the sea this display
lasted for about an hour – it was amazing and not a policeman or
crowd control in sight – just lots of people and families enjoying
themselves. I debated how many photos to include or whether to
separate them into different albums but decided against it – you
see it as I see it. The fireworks end to massive applause and the
lights come back on the statues are returned to the church and the
band comes onto the stage and everyone dances the night away. I had
an interesting time finding my way back to the Hotel at about 3 am!
I set my alarm for 9 as
breakfast finished at 10, as it happens a few stray fireworks, a
cockerel and someone with a washing machine meant that I was awake a
lot earlier but trying to doze. I made breakfast – 2 eggs senior?
There was hot, cold, fruits you name it I could have had it for
breakfast then gone off to do a full days toil on the plantation. I
had one of the bananas in the hope it had just come off the tree.
Took some photos of the interior of the house handed in my keys and
off back down to the village. A clear sky and blazingly hot for Nov
30th. It turned out that they do the whole thing again at
noon minus the big firework display. I admire their stamina. This
time I followed or skipped ahead of the procession to get some
photos. There was loud applause at various stopping points as
district tried to outdo each other with their displays. The fireworks
from each district are white as they were the night before so you
only see the puffs in the photo. I was boiling in just a tee-shirt so
how those in the band survived I don't know. As the procession
returned towards the square I skipped round the coastal path to see
if they went down to the sea but they return straight to the church.
As I approached my vantage point from last night a girl approached me
to take a photo of her and her friends, she retreated giggling when
she realised I was English (Foreign) I had got the jist and thought
they wanted a photo on the mobile phone one of them was holding but
no she pointed to my camera. I took the photo and got the email
address of one of the boys so that they can get a copy. A polite
friendly bunch and a credit to the village and Tenerife in general.
By now it was after 2 and my leg was killing me, I had discovered
that the singing and dancing would not start till much later in the
afternoon so I made my way back up the hillside to the main road.
Calculating my way backwards on the timetable there should be a bus
about 10 to 3 and it was now 2:30. Whilst waiting at the bus stop (a
motorcycle marks the spot) I checked the timetable for connections
and worked out that an hour break back in Garachio rather than a
longer wait in the bus station at Icod was preferable. I was boiling
when I got off the bus so the ice-cream parlour looked inviting. I
looked at my map from the TIO and saw that the main square was just
around the corner so wondered off up there. It will definitely be
another excursion but I was just too tired and did not have enough
time before catching the 363 back to Icod and thence home retracing
the route I had come though this time I could catch the 783 from Las
Americas to home – this is a sort of express service which goes
along the motorway and down missing out a lot of the villages and
resorts of the 470. It was too dark to take photos on the return
journey but memorable non the less. The sight of a football match on
a full size, flood lit, astro-turf pitch levelled out of the side of
a mountain was something to behold.
Footnote: I'm adding
more photos over the weekend to complete this album – broadband
ain't fast out here and there are 250 odd images.
Beunos Noches...
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