My first Banitsa on Tenerife

In Sunday the day after the adventure with the canoe kayak I woke up in the afternoon and I decided to fulfill my promise to the girls and make Banitsa. This is traditional Bulgarian food may be one of the most traditional and Bulgarian one. Or at least it is one of my favorite one.

It was kind of hard to do it because here I don’t have rolling pin whit which I would make it better, but I worked with what I had. So instead of rolling pin I used bottle of beer – here there is 1 liter beer in glass bottle. But this was only half decision so for the other part to make enough thin the pastry I drawled it. This is another technology to make Banitsa but I’ve never tried it before.

Well it was pretty successful. The girls really l liked the Banitsa but not me. I’m really missing the Bulgarian white cheese and yogurt. If somebody wants to send me present for my birthday you already know what I’m dreaming for.

Kayak

As I told you last time yesterday we were on sea canoe kayak around los Gigantes. The day was more than amazing – full with adrenaline, marvelous view and funny moments with great people. But let start from the beginning.

So we went in the morning and as we were 30 people we made two groups each of which had two hours and a half in the ocean with the canoes. Zsofi went with first group and I stayed on one very beautiful beach to wait with the second group. We had time to take some sun and swimming. As talking for the swimming you have to know that I totally can’t do it. In Bulgarian we have the expression “swim like nail in yogurt”- this definitely is my case.

So the flag on the beach was yellow which means that you have to be very careful, but I decided to enter and enjoy the big waves like jumping on it as I am 10 years old. It was really fun till the moment two big waves one after another turned me and drag me on the sandy button. It was not only kind of scary but salty too. Anyway I had some sun and after this came time for the really great part the canoe.

We went there in double canoes. As the group was with more girls I was with another girl in one boat who can’t swim as me. The facilitators told us that if we feel dizzy we just have to jump in the water and after this continue. Yes you definitely need strong hands for this sport it is not so easy.

We went in the middle enjoying from one side the los Gigantes and from the other La Gomera. Really one of the most magnificent views I’ve ever seen. So we stop there and jump in the water for a rest. Everybody were in the water, I was with life jacket so I jumped too. The water was great but my life jacket was kind of too big for me, so I had to hold it all the time not to sink. It was great but came the time that I had to go back on the canoe – mission impossible. I didn’t have enough power in my hands to pull myself out of the water. One of the guys tried to help me but the life jacket hindered so I had to put it down. Yes without life jacket I didn’t let the canoe from my hands. The guy helped me and I was safe back on the boat. I put the jacket again and decided not to go back in the ocean till we are not back on the coast. Otherwise the group had to wait for me again.

We continued and everything was great till the next stop. Everybody was in the water except me and the girl on my canoe. We were enjoying the sun and the amazing view when one of the other girl decided to turn upside-down our canoe. I couldn’t jump and stayed under it. It was scariest than the wave, because it was really hard to go out, but after, for me really much time, I could show my at least my head above the water. The problem was that my life jacket was hanged for one of the belts of the canoe and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t go out of it.

Everything went in the end one of the guys released me and turn the boat. As I already was in the water “swim” a little bit – till stop shaking, and start again the drama with going back to the canoe. This time it was faster – I put down the jacket and almost without help went up to the canoe.

Our day was really amazing and funny – maybe for the others more than for me but I wouldn’t change anything even if I could. Yes it was really exhausting – today I slept almost whole day. I’m really happy that I had this experience it was really amazing to see and feel this.

One great week/end !!!

Hello friends,

I didn’t write you soon and not because I don’t have what to share, but because I don’t have time to write it. So really shortly:

Already last weekend was amazing – it started for me in Thursday with hiking around La Laguna and planning new projects. The same day I had the opportunity to go to the 2nd Feria for crafts from three continents. Everything was amazing there were represented Europe, Africa and Latin America. If I start with this I won’t finish soon so I’ll just tell that it was wonderful. There in one of the stands of Peru the guy started to explain me about the marvelous handmade pumpkins and after this we continued to talk around half an hour. Just like we are old friends we were talking about absolutely everything. He was so nice and made me a present. This pumpkin with drown owl on it. He wrote my name and told that it is for good luck. It was so inspiring experience.

Next day we went with AURI for hiking in Masca, it’s more than magnificent you just have to see it by yourself. There we helped voluntary to one eco organization to clean one plant which is killing the others – Rabo de gato. We finished on one beach and after having rest there we continued with a boat around Los Gigantes. I was so amazed and happy that even I didn’t take picture as I didn’t want to miss a second from this view.

In Saturday we went in Loro Parque. What can I say… There was dolphin show, orca show, sea lion show, parrot show and a lot more animals. I was literally crying from happiness. I really don’t know word in any language to express myself.

In Sunday we went on a tour around Tenerife with friends. 7 girls and a different views it was more than a party. And yes I really like the Island.

It was great that in Monday we have had a free day. We slept till 10 and for lunch we had guest for which the girls made a pancakes. It was one of the guys the girls get to know in our Maska hiking. Really nice boy from Chile who is making here his PhD. The great surprise for me was that he is a really good guitar player and singer. So we have had lunch with program. We had one more amazing day.

Next day we worked and it was even funnier because the girls from the playgrounds are helping us as there is a strike in the playground – they didn’t receive salaries for 6-7 months. Here everywhere there are strikes – in the university too. The situation is very bad economically. But our week was great.

In Tuesday I was on my first guitar class and it was great. Soon I’ll be very good. So the week passed again too fast to can feel it and tomorrow we are going to kayak around the Los Gigantes.

I know that this story don’t seems real and even I wouldn’t believe if I wasn’t the person to who is happening!

My guitar

I already have a GUITAR!!!

You know it is my dream to learn playing a guitar, but till now I didn’t have. So when I came here in the paradise I decided that there is nothing impossible and I will make this dream come true. So I started to search for a guitar second hand. It is cheap and good for very beginners and as I can’t bring it back home it is pointless to buy a new one. I checked all of the music shops and second hand shops in the region but everything there was too expensive for me. That’s why I started to search in internet. I found one good offer but due to the business I had to wait till tomorrow to go in another part of the Island to can get this guitar.

Yesterday we had a hiking programme which finished on the beach – amazing, but I will tell you in another post. So on this activity came one of the new volunteers of AURI. We sit together in the bus going to the mountain and talking for many different things. It came out that she is our neighbor. And before we go out of the bus I said that I’m going to buy a second hand guitar because I really want to learn it. And this girl, this angel who is leaving here in the paradise, my new best friend Paula, said that she has a guitar that is not using and can lend it to me till I’m here.

Can you believe it? I couldn’t! Two days before I go to buy the guitar that I’m dreaming for she just appeared and lend me hers. I still can’t believe how lucky I am. I’m starting to think that I’m born under lucky star! If this is a dream I really don’t want to wake up!

This evening Paula gave me the guitar! I can’t express with words how happy I am. I feel I can fly. So of course I already started to learn – after one hour tuning the guitar (pour neighbors) and some training I already can play one very small part of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song.

The greatest thing is that my sweet girls see how happy I am and stoically endure my strumming. Thank you girls – I love you so much!

Fortuitousness

Hello,

Let me tell you how unexpected could change one very ordinary day.

Today I just have to go to the bank and to the post office before work. As I’m in the Canary Islands the administration here is working exactly like in Bulgaria – to do one thing you have to wait hour even more on a queue. So I get one new book in English, my mp3 full with Bulgarian music and started to wait to speak with the bank workers in Spanish. At the end all the waiting was vainly, because I couldn’t do for what I gone in the bank. Anyway at least I read first two chapters from this very interesting book.

After this go to work with my great colleges. The day was very ordinary. On my way back home I had to arrange place for one of our activities – Language café. So I went to this place and after couple of misunderstandings I spoke 15 minutes with the one girl in Spanish. She is the manager of this place and I explained to her about our association and our activities. She told me that have to speak with the owner and asked me about my phone number. When I told that my name is Vania she looked me back and ask from where am I. And when I told Bulgaria she started to speak in Bulgarian.

I was so shocked. She is the first Bulgarian girl that I’m meeting here out of the university. I felt so happy that I found one more friend from my country. We changed our phone numbers so soon will see each other to get to know and practice the Bulgarian which I’m missing with all this Spanish and English all the time.

Autumn in the paradise

Hola,

It is already an autumn here in the paradise. Just for one night the weather changed. On the previous day was really shiny and perfect and in the morning surprise it was more than raining it was a real storm. The temperature wasn’t so lower but due to the big present of humidity here it feels worst.

Yes so now you are just going out in the morning with jacket and umbrella at noon you need your shorts and in the evening again the jacket – I’m feeling like in Bulgaria, just normal autumn.

But I’m not in Bulgaria. I’m in the paradise. Here in La Laguna is the rainier and maybe one of the colder places in the Island. But only 15 minutes from here is Santa Cruz where is 5-10 degrees warmer. And in the South of the Island it is always summer.

So this was the yesterday’s case – We woke up and it was raining, but we went to the beach. Pass through Santa Cruz where started to rain and went with bus from the other side of the mountain – still in the North part of Tenerife. In the mountain there was a storm and we were wondering where the hell we are going – beach? But when we went down from the mountain in front of us it was the greatest beach I saw so far on the Island.

We were on the beach “Playa del Roque” and it was cloudy, but warm and with big waves. We were jumping in the waves couple of hours like a 6 years old children, it was so great. After this we took great pictures and go to wait for the bus in the bar.

And there was the perfect final of our day – group of old people just have a meeting there with their guitars and other instruments to play an old and typical music for the Canary Islands. You know how much I love this music.

I’m still searching to buy a guitar and I hope it will be soon because I’m looking forward to learn how to play a Spanish acoustic guitar.