Gran Canaria

I'm writing this post in 2013 but backdating it to the chronological time that I should have documented this post, if that makes sense.  Meaning...I neither wrote this post in June 2012 nor travelled to Gran Canaria in June 2012, rather February 2012 but i'll throw my entire traveling season out of kilter if I date it in either way.

Yep, confused.

Now I didn't have high expectations of a trip to Grand Canary, mostly due to the fact that it's known as Britain's haven for tans, cheap English breakfasts, cheap English beer drinking and more winter (or summer, come to think of it) sun than anyone could shake a stick at.  Unfortunately, during my five-day stay on the biggest Canary Island, the only rumor we dispelled was the sun one.  

It wasn't the most well planned of trips, to be honest.  Rosa and her flatmates (two Canadians and a Brit) planned it and I jumped along for the ride.  This is how we ended up in a villa (cute rooms) full of Scandinavian families, one buffet that served Chinese/Indian/Spanish/Italian food (with picture menus to match just in case you forgot how to read), one on-resort shop and a pool that was about 5 miles away from any sort of civilization. No, seriously. I took a walk one day and the most exciting thing I found was a petrol station selling snacks that we didn't have on the 'resort'.  

From time to time, the sun came out and then the breeze blew clouds that blocked it.  This didn't stop goose bumped topless Scandinavian mothers from stretching languidly on beach chairs.  Or kids bombing themselves into the pool whilst we bravely tried to replenish our vitamin D supplies whilst shivering under towels.  

We did make the best of it though.  This revolved mostly around two things: 1. hiring a car for the day and pointing to things in the distance and then driving to them.  2. playing drinking games like we were half-flunked out college students.  Actually, come to think of it, a couple of Rosa's flatmates did act a lot like totally-flunked out college students.  

I've got a few pictures but due to this google images 1G of space fatwa (see entry from December 2012 in reference to this), it's a massive pain in the bum.  Thus, the two pictures I have on my phone go up.  There from our lone day trip to Las Palmas in the North of the island, a brief glimmering joy of a day trip. Before the rain, of course.  

So my verdict--do your research before you decide where to go/what to do in Gran Canaria.  I'm sure we didn't get an authentic feel for the island; considering we heard more Swedish than Spanish, I'd say that's a dead cert. And check the weather--islands off the west coast of Africa aren't always what they appear to be...