LANZAROTE
October 30 - November 12, 2009

25 million years ago as the African and South American geological plates were being pulled apart there was a tear in the earth and the molten lava burst through the ocean floor and formed 4 very hot volcanic islands. Later 3 smaller islands were added to the chain and currently there are two more working their way to the ocean’s surface. The Canary Islands are very close to Africa but are part of the Spanish empire. A volcanic eruption happens every 300 years or so and there is no time for the weather to erode the lava into soil. The soil comes from Sahara sand storms that howl from the east and pummel the islands with high winds. I’m sure there is wildlife but I never saw an insect, lizard, or four legged wild creature ( the camels roaming the countryside are not wild ). I did see sparrows, doves, pigeons, and only the occasional seagull. If the natives are lucky they will get 30” of rain a year. January is the rainy season and the landscape burst into blooming wildflowers for one month. There are no lakes or rivers. In the late 1700’s came the first salination plant and with improved technology water is now relatively cheap.

Everyone needs a job so the very new marina at Puerto Calero, with its supporting restaurants and shops, has lots of help.

This is the boat I am about to embark to cross the ocean …
Amber Sea, a 38’ Moody. Notice the Welsh flag: not to mention the constant laundry hanging on the safety lines. This new marina had someone shine the brass bollocks every other day. Reminded me of when my grandmother would come to visit and if you were idle my mother would volunteer you to shine all the brass in the house. The only problem with the luxurious marina was that we were a captured guest. The nearest town was a taxi ride and the nearest ATM was a taxi ride to the nearest resort. Malcolm at first thought we would enjoy the bus but soon he had rented a car. The chandlery in Arrecife was as well stocked as any in the USA but we still couldn’t find the collapsible water tank we needed to replace our leaking one. It took us 10 days to find the leak and replace all the valves. We will be leaving for Antigua (a 30 day passage) with only 3 tanks of fresh water, no watermaker, and 22 – 5 gallon containers of water.

The day after we arrived is my favourite holiday, Halloween. The 55’ Oyster, Miss Tippy, has 3 children aboard. “What are you doing for Halloweenie” I said. The British concept is of a scary night; they were going to be witches and a devil and hand out candy to the other boats in our group. “What?” I said. Halloweenie is about YOU getting all the candy and for the adults to dress up as something or someone they are not. The Brits are new to the concept but it is catching on fast in the UK. I told the kids they could be anything they wanted to be.
 

I helped them make costumes and now we had a devil, a mermaid, and a fairy princess. I had Malcolm go around to all the boats and remind them to have candy and he rustled up two slave girls for his Arab slave trader outfit. The kids ran up and down the docks yelling trick or treat and getting tons of candy. Bali Blue outdid themselves with very creative outfits made from stuff on the boat. Best of all, was the big tub of bobbing apples. All the kids delighted in fishing out apples and two adults couldn’t wait for their turn. There was a bevy of adults watching the action and I know next year I will have many more adults participating in the fun.
 

One of the 3 tours we enjoyed was to the north of the island. The area is riddled with tunnels and caves formed when the lava solidifies on top but a molten river continues the journey to the sea. The most spectacular site is Jameos del Agua.

Here a lava tunnel’s ceiling has collapsed forming a saltwater lagoon attached by the original tunnel to the Atlantic Ocean. The buildings and restaurant is the brainchild of Lanzarote most famous artist, Cesar Manrique. When you enter and walk down the natural stairway you are immersed in a restful atmosphere of calmness and serenity. The crystal clear salt-water pool rises and falls with the Atlantic tides. The still water reflects the colourful walls and the collapsed ceiling gives the illusion of greater depths and heights. On first glance you think people have been throwing coins into the water but there is a sign telling you not to disturb the locals. Look closer and you see the tiny blind albino crabs; no bigger than the tip of your finger. Scientists have no idea why these crabs have decided to leave the pressures of the deep ocean for the tranquil shallow lake but they must like it here because there are hundreds of them.

When Cesar Manrique returned to Lanzarote from New York in 1968 he asked the locals to return to tradition and paint their homes white (the natural limestone was the only white wash for hundreds of years) with green trim; if you are near the ocean blue trim. And guess what? Everyone did it!

The tour to the South of the island took us to
 

the Tianfaya National Park ( Fire Mountain ) and Montanas del Fuego. This area had the latest eruptions in 1730 and 1736 and the last one in 1824. The earth is still hot. A restaurant at the top of the rise cooks its food over an open pit with the heat coming from the earth. Pour a bucket of water into a hole and you get an instant geyser. Pick up a shovel of gravel and the next shovel will be too hot to hold in your hand. The wind was very strong; absolutely no vegetation or animals, and the volcanic mountains and calderas were tinted in many colours depending on how long ago they bubbled to the surface.

On our way back to the marina we stopped at a winery in La Geria and sampled the local wine. White wine grapes do the best in the windy, lava ash soil but most of our group preferred the red wine. Notice how the grapes need to be grown in a depression with a wall around each individual vine. That is how strong the wind can be and how it will always blow from the east.

Someone had begun collecting cacti years ago but it was Cesar Manrique who created this art and nature complex (including a windmill) and now the Jardin de Cactus has 1300 different cacti. It was a beautiful display and I searched for the Saguaro Cactus, which is indigenous to Arizona, but couldn’t find it. It was amazing how many cacti were from Mexico. Most of the cacti had buds sprouting and will be blooming in several weeks.

Most of the towns and resorts including the capital, Arrecife, are newly built and covered in palm trees. My favourite town was the former capital, Teguise. Founded in the early 1600’s many of its buildings have beautifully carved doors and windows in wood and stone. It had the original church square, convent, and narrow winding cobbled streets. No where else on the island could you see huge old trees and homes covering the hills.

The boys and I (minus Malcolm who doesn’t walk anywhere) decided to walk south along the ocean cliffs to the next town, Playa Quemada. Playa is Spanish for beach but there was no sand; the lava was hard and smooth all the way into the surf. It didn’t take long to walk the length of the town and we were drawn to a café, 7 Isles, which was perched on the hill above the first row of beach front businesses. We stopped for a beer and found the proprietor so friendly we decided to come back for dinner. I’m not sure if it was because we were not captured in the marina restaurants but we had the best time as it was our last meal before leaving for the 30 day voyage to Antigua.

The wind had been howling for a week with gust up to 30 knts. We had the rally briefing and Tony laid out 3 routes we should follow. They all have their plusses and minuses. 5 of the slowest (and smallest) boats were going to leave on Thursday, one boat actually said it was leaving on Friday the 13th, and the rest would leave later. As we were finishing up the small details and provisioning the boat I noticed the three boys becoming more irritable. They snapped at me and were derogatory towards Malcolm. When I discussed the changes in the crew with Malcolm he said it was due to fear – the boys have never been on an extended off shore excursion.

The day before we left the weather said the wind for the next week was “variable to 5-6 knts”. The 5 boats had a mini briefing two nights before we left and we decided on a plan. Everyone left according to plan at 10 am to the sounds of horns, cheers, and waves from those left behind. We left at noon; after all why the rush when it will take forever to find the trade winds. Miss Tippy gave us some fruit cake, we all had on our matching crew T shirts, and Malcolm tooted on his large brass horn as we left the harbour.