Just four hours away from the ice and snow in the UK, the mild
climate of Playa de las Americas - one of Tenerife´s better resorts - extended a warm hand as I wound towards it through the undulating landscape.
Part holiday, part experiment - this trip was about testing out working abroad as well as catching up with my reading list, taking long coastal walks and planning my strategy for 2010.
Tenerife is perfect for this: accessible and well developed but with a wildness to it. I could be configuring blogsites in the internet cafe across from my apartment, taking an extended five star lunch on a terrace overlooking the beach and walking in mountainous terrain all in the same day.
I decided to leave my laptop at home for this sojourn although there were plenty of cafes and hotels offering free Wi-Fi and mobile reception was exceptional in most places I ventured.
The Canaries have gained a reputation for being expensive in recent years, especially if you're exchanging from pounds sterling but I found there were plenty of places that sold good, reasonably priced food and, if you prefer to cook your own, you'll be pleased to find that most accommodation in Tenerife comes with a well equipped kitchenette at the very least. There can be large price differences between stores and eateries so do check around to make sure you're getting best value.
English is relatively well spoken, as is German but I always recommend learning at least some of the local language. Here are some Spanish phrases to get you started:
Hello: Hola (ola):
Good day: Buenos dias (bwoo nas deeas)
Good night or good evening: Buenos noches (bwoo nas no ches)
Pleased to meet you: Mucho gusto (much o goos toe)
Yes: Si (see)
No: No (noh)
Goodbye: Adios (A dee oss)
Thank you: Gracias (grass y ass)
Please: Por favor (poor fa vor)
I have a booking: Tengo una reserva (ten go oona res zer va)
My room is dirty: Mi habitacion esta sucia (mi abi tath eon es ta soo cee a)
I don’t have any towels: No tengo toallas (no ten go toe ay as)
What time is breakfast?: A que hora es el desayuno? (a kay ora es el des aye oono)
Where is the bus stop?: Donde esta la parada del autobus?: (don day es ta la par ada del ow toe bus)
I would like ……: Quisiera….. (key sea era)
Breakfast: Desayuno (des aye oono)
Lunch: Almuerzo (al moo air tho)
Dinner: Cenar (sen are)
Could you bring me the menu? Me puede traer la carta? (me pway day try ear la car ta)
A glass of wine: Un vaso de vino (oon vas o de vee no)
A beer: Una cerveza (oona ser vay sah)
Do you have the time (polite)? Tiene la hora? (tee any la ora)
I’m sorry: Lo siento (low see en toe)
Excuse me: Perdona (per donna)
After a week in Tenerife, I was relaxed, focused, refreshed, sun-kissed and ready for the year ahead with my 2010 work and life strategy mapped out. A great result and a wonderful start to the year.
