Volcanic Lanzorote

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Lanzorote is a Spainish Island off the west coast of Africa, just adjastent to Moroco. Takes about 5 hours flight from London.

Lanzorote is a one of the 5 major island of the Canaries island group. The others are Tenirief, Grand canaria, Fortventura and La Palma islands.

When the flight approached the Island, my heart simply sank - all I could see was one big mass of charred and blackened earth. Nothing else. No greenery, no trees or plants - just black soil everywhere. It was very strange feeling as if being on an another planet.After landing, the coach took us to our appartments. Very strange experience to travel on such black ground for mile on end.

I stayed in a nice self catering appartment over looking the see in Puero Del Carmen, one of the most popular beech destinations.

The beeches are sumptuous, beautiful and very very hot and it was October !!!. I wont visit Lazorote in summer, it will be boiling hot !. Someone told me it reaches 50 degrees Centigrade !!!. White and pale bodies everywhere just soaking the sun. You can hire a beech bed for 6 euros each for the whole day. I bought one and just could not stay for more than one hour watching the waves splash on to the shores. After that I had to get up and do something like walking the beech atleast.

So I walked all the way to end of the beech crowd. But no one told me that at the end, the beech is for nudist ! I got a shock when I saw a man walking with his ugly penis hanging out. Then looked arround - women laying naked with legs apart !!!. Had to turned arround quickly keeping head down and wondering to myself - "what ever happened to modesty".

In the evening, went for grocery shopping. Looked for milk in the refregirator but didn't find it there. So asked the shop keeper lady and she pointed out a ordinary shelf for milk. I was very surprised because milk never last more than a day outside the fridge. Apparently the milk is added with some chemical to keep it spoiling even for few days outside the fridge.

Next day, evening I met Kevin and Marry from Ireland as well. They travelled one day before me. That was my first meeting of Kevin's lady friend Mary. A wonderful and friendly lady. We three went to a simple and lovely restuarent and the meal was sumptuous. Comparing to Ireland, they were so cheap. Everything is so cheap in Lanzorote. Taxi will cost you 5 euro for 15mts drive !!!. That will be 40 atleast in Ireland.

Started my Scuba diving with Kevin. Kevin is an experienced diver and was very good to me as I am just a biginer. The waters are so so so clear one could see for miles on end. Had some enjoyable diving seen great schools of fishes. Fasinating. We went diving every day for the next 5 days - 2 dives per day.

One day I took a break from diving and joined a tour arround the island which also includes a camel ride on a parched and burntout landscape. Well the ride was enjoyable but the camels were so under fed and malnourished, skin and bones ! I was angry to see their state and yet they were made to carry their load time after time. Just not humane. The camels all go in a row just following the one in front. My camel took a fancy to the lady in the front and kept knibbling her elbow. Rather amushing.

The tour took us in to the vocanic bed where 400 years ago 3 volcanoes erupted and engulfed the whole island. The whole landscape was nothing but the charred remains of black, twisted moten rocks, striven for miles on end. Nothing grows. Amazing view of violent vocanic distruction.

The tour reached the top of the 'fire mountain' after about 1 hour trip. The mountain is still smouldering from the vocanic erruption. They throw a shrub and it catches fire instantly, pour a bucket of water it turns into steam violently and jets out of the hole like a fountain. They also cook chickens by natural heat !

On the way back, the tour took us to an underground volcanic cave called Jameos. Beautiful little place with a small water pond in the middle. The celebrated Island archetect Cesar, had designed the place so wonderfuly. Very realxing place. I missed to visit Cesar's house. Apparently it is a beautifully designed using local volcanic stones.

Next day, took a submarine ride to a ship wrek which lies about 20 meters down the sea. A sucba diver will acompany and feed the fishes attracting big groups of fishes. Baracuddas are the biggest out there.

Then some more diving, great restuarents and relaxed evening walks. That concluded my one week in the volcanic wast land - Lazorote.

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