I Have Arrived!

On Wednesday morning, I arrived at the airport in South Tenerife, Canary Islands with all my suitcases, a few stomach issues, terrible jet lag from traveling for two days, and a smile on my face. I figured the middle two were probably linked and would improve with rest. A neighbor of the Dye family, whom I met once last year picked me up. I didn't know what photo Steve had sent him, but I knew I definitely looked worse for wear and snapped a selfie so he'd be sure to recognize me. It wasn't pretty, but I was smiling! I am glad to be back.

Mama Emma is my roommate at Steve and Priscilla's house. She was born in Haiti, emigrated to Venezuela at 19 and has more recently traveled to the US and Ecuador where her kids live. She is hanging out in the Canary Islands while working to get her visa paperwork so she can go live with her son and his family in South Carolina. (Venezuelan citizens have a special amnesty in Spain and don't have the same hassle to get a visa like the rest of us. There are a LOT of Venezuelans here.)

My first driving experience 1) in a Prius and 2) on tiny European streets was to the grocery store. I remembered how to get there from my previous visit. We didn't end up buying much because the produce wasn't great and it was expensive. A pound of locally grown bananas was going for over $2! Mama Emma was not happy and I didn't know where else to go. So, the neighbor Irene (her son picked me up from the airport) recommended the weekend farmer's market. It was a hit! Among other things, Mama Emma was thrilled to find watercress and rosemary and thyme and bananas that cost 50 cents a pound! We put some on our homemade burgers at lunch and our mixed greens salad at supper. She says it cures all sorts of ailments.

Today I got to celebrate Sunday with the congregation at Communidad Cristiana de Tenerife again! I got to meet a Slovenian couple who had been traveling during my visit last year. They have a day spa down the street where the kids have Sunday School. That sounds weird, right? The kids meet in the lobby/waiting area of the spa.

I have to tell you, I do not like having to find parking at noon on Sunday in a beach town. I drove around for a while and finally found a dead-end street with a spot. CCCJ people know that I'm used to walking a short distance to church. Well, today was a bit further of a walk. See the orange building at the end of the street of the picture (above)? I parked on the street behind it, all the way down the block in front of a barricade that blocked the street from going anywhere. It was a two lane street and one of lanes had parked cars. My parallel parking skills are super rusty! I am so grateful that cars have sensors all around them now. I was able to pull in and out, and in and out a few times without bumping or scraping anything and I got it parallel to the curb (kind of). When I went to get the car after church (in a billion degree heat), I had to back out the whole block because there wasn't room to turn around! Fortunately, Tenerife isn't like Ecuador, where people just stop and stare at you. No one was gawking, there were all down at the beach. Come to think of it, I didn't make it down to the beach. Mama Emma and I agreed to go early next Sunday and take a beach stroll, maybe stop at a cafe, before noon (church time). hehehe... 

This car was parked on the corner and stuck out a bit, serving as a cautionary tale to others looking for space to park.

Miguel (he posed like that on purpose) and Jhoanna took Mama Emma and me to lunch at a Japanese "buffet". You pick what you want from a picture menu (which I appreciate!) and they go bringing you the food as it is ready. It is all you can eat, which of course means you can't take the left overs home. I had so much fun catching up with Jhoanna and Miguel over lunch. They just got back from a trip to Canada and the US. They kept remarking how green everything was. And they were shocked to see sheriff cars parked in front of churches in Kentucky on Sunday to prevent another shooting, which was unfathomable to them. After such a big, big lunch, I simply had an apricot for supper. I am immensely thankful that God continues to heal me from ulcerative colitis and I did not have any side effects.

I'd like to end this post telling you about a climate phenomenon called "calima". We are close enough to Northwest Africa that the Sahara winds blow over this way from time to time. See how hazy the mountains look compared to the first picture from last year? That haze is sand and dust that refracts the sun and increases the temperature by 10 or more degrees. They say it only happens 3-4 times a year, and that this time its not too bad. They have metal shutters on their windows for a reason. The cars and windows just got a little dusty and hot. Did I mention, it makes it hot? The forecast was mid 80s but it made 90.

Well, that's it for now.

I'll try to share more photos each Monday. So be sure to check back.