A Coincidence And A Walk Through Tenerife Banana Plantations - 10 Photos

Ten photos from a walk we did in Tenerife in the Canary Islands - along the coast through some banana plantations. First though, the photos reminded me of a coincidence.

After the walk we were heading back to a small town and I said to Karin that we needed a map to see if there was anything interesting we may have missed. Within about 100 yards along the path, on the ground was - yes, a map. The one we wanted!

Anyway, back to the walk. At first there was a proper pathway between the plantations, though the bananas were well fenced off unless, that is ...

... you were a cockerel or chicken. They clucked away happily between the plants.

As we got higher, and the path more stony and uneven, we looked back and could see the hills had been terraced.

We were still close to the coast and some of the cacti had a good view.

The cliffs were black from the volcanic rocks ...

... and the sea was quite rough in parts looking down from on high.

However, a little further and there was a small idyllic beach of black sand and white waves against the blue of he sea.

The walk ended abruptly with a warning that the path ahead was dangerous. reluctantly we had to turn around but had the consolation of being able to see a way down to the beach in the photo above.

And, of course we had seen lots of bananas!

Other Random Canary Island Posts:
Relics And Religion Of The Ancient Canary Island Gaunche People
Three Tenerife Loose Connection Coincidences
A Walk Along The Coast In Tenerife

Relics And Religion Of The Ancient Canary Island Gaunche People

Clay pots made by the Gaunches of Tenerife

Plato described a rich and happy land in the Atlantic which was virtually destroyed by earthquakes and tidal waves some 12,000 years ago. This was Atlantis and many locals are convinced that the Canary Islands are what remains of the submerged paradise.

I was in the Canary Islands recently and came across a display of clay pots and other bits said to be from the time of the original residents of Islands such as Tenerife. These were the Gaunches.

The Guanches were virtually wiped out by the Spanish in the 1400s but relics have been discovered from their past.

The face of God?

Surrounded by Mother Nature who was inexplicable to them, the Gaunches were overawed by the immense power that made the stars turn in the sky above them, bringing them day and night, the gift of rain, or the desolation of drought, the misery of hunger, or the delights of abundance,

Every aspect of their lives, including life and death, all formed part of a single world, with no divisions between them.

The different parts of the Gaunches everyday lives (work, sexuality, social events) were governed by religion. Their funeral rites are said to show how the dead were considered as an image of the living. Death was merely a metaphor for life.

Very few representations or images of Gaunche religious beliefs have survived. The small figure (as shown in the photo above) is made from baked clay and is known as El Guatimac. It is described as being an exceptional find from the Canary Island's pre-history. It is not known as to what it represents. Various theories have a been put forward as to what it might be: a representation of God, an idol, a genie or even simply a lucky charm.

Much of the Guanche knowledge had been lost. As to whether the Canary Islands were once part of Atlantis the 'experts' are undecided..

Other Recent Canary Island Posts:
A Walk Along The Coast In Tenerife
Three Tenerife Loose Connection Coincidences
A Chance Journey To San Juan In Tenerife

Three Tenerife Loose Connection Coincidences

I've been away in the Canary Islands for the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately nothing much to report in the way of coincidences or synchronicity. The nearest were three 'loose' connections.

The first was at our hotel. We weren't happy with our room and asked to be moved. As they were doing the change over paperwork the receptionist said words to the effect, "Oh, I see two Michael Perry's booked in today, which one are you?"

We never came across the other Michael Perry. As for the room, we eventually got one with a sea view that suited us perfectly.

Next day we walked about and saw on the map there was an old church, described as English, so we made our way in that direction. The church was built in 1880 by the English and the main doors opened as we were looking at them - and out popped the vicar. We got chatting to him. He told us he was from Poole, which is where we lived before moving to Cornwall. So a second connection.

The third actually happened the day before we went away. I was cutting the grass in the front garden and a man walked past who has recently moved in nearby. We got talking and out of the blue he said he used to live in Hillingdon (west London). I replied, "Me too, up until my late teens."

"I was born in Hillingdon Hospital," he said. "Me too, I replied."

So, three 'coincidences' but no real meaning other than a reminder that we are all connected - six degrees of separation and all that.

Top Ten Posts For October: Dogon People, Fatima, White Doves, Coincidence, White Feathers, Time Slip, Ghosts, Tenerife

Dogon People at Number 1

The Top Ten most read posts on this blog for the month of October 2014.

1. The Mysterious Dogon People And The Knowledge They Learned From The Fish-Like Aliens
I have mentioned previously how the Dogon people of West Africa were familiar with the star Sirius B long before the rest of civilisation were aware that it existed. It is strange how some races of people ... Read full post

2. Do We Know The True Three Secrets Of Fatima?
By 'chance' I noticed some synchronicity regarding the Three Secrets of Fatima and the date of May 13th. This was the date of the first apparitions; the day Pope Pius XII was ordained; Pope Paul VI flew to Fatima on May 13, 1967; and on May 13, 1981 ... Read full post

3. The White Dove As A Messenger Of The Dead
This white dove would not move to let me by. I made noises, waved my hand, stared at the dove ... nothing happened. Finally I went in the back door of my house. I looked out the window and this one lone white dove was still on the front steps at ... Read full post

4. Presentiments Sent To Warn And Advise Us
Okay I thought, it's a premonition. But then when I delved further I found that the dictionary probably isn't 100% accurate as there is a difference between a presentiment and a a premonition.Yes, they are similar but ... Read full post

5. The Meaning Of White Feathers As Messages From The Dead
I'm returning to the subject of white feathers today and their meaning. Since first writing about this I think I've had more emails on the subject than anything else. By white feathers I mean how they can often be found following a loved ones death. This has certainly been my own experience ... Read full story

6. Married Couple In The Same Photo As Children
Young newly weds Alex and Donna Voutsinas were looking through some of Donna's old photos from when she was a child and came across one of her at Disney World. Nothing too unusual about this, you may say. Donna is ... Read full post

7. A Time Slip Helped Him Glimpse The London Body Snatchers
It was late at night and the passage was dimly lit. They crossed another footpath and both of them couldn't believe what they were seeing. Slowly both of us looked back the way we had come. Perched on a step to a building doorway was a large sack which we had not noticed on the way past. From the neck of the sack protruded a large human hand ... Read full post

8. The Giants Of Tenerife Left Over From Atlantis
Plato described a rich and happy land in the Atlantic which was virtually destroyed by earthquakes and tidal waves some 12,000 years ago. This was Atlantis and many locals are convinced that the Canary Islands are ... Read full post

9. The Power Of The Pendulum Catches Out Cheating Husband
This story may well seem to be too far fetched to be true but I am assured that it is the real McCoy. See what you think. It's about the power of the pendulum and how nobody is safe from what it can reveal. The star of the story is a young married woman I will call Ann ... Read full post

10. The Ghost Who Chased A Thief
I know you sometimes ask for coincidence stories but after reading your post on Anne Diamond's Ghostly Experience I wondered if this experience of ghostly happenings would be of interest. A few years back, before I lived with my partner, I was living at ... Read full post

A Chance Journey To San Juan In Tenerife

This will be the last post about my Tenerife trip (probably!). One day, and one day only, we awoke to dark skies and it looked as if it could rain to my uninitiated eye. We weren't too sure what to do so we did what we often do when in doubt - jumped on a bus.

We picked out a name amongst the stops on the time-table - San Juan - and decided that's where we would go. We had no idea what we would find, it just sounded a nice name!

San Juan turned out to be a traditional Canarian fishing community with a working harbour (above). We walked around the harbour wall and saw these fishermen putting the world right, deep in conversation.

We passed by an older man mending his red fishing nets but ...

... he had a long way to go before he was finished. He seemed happy in his work and gave us a big smile.

After walking around the harbour we noticed what appeared to be a beach on the opposite side so ...

... we headed that way passing by a collection of posters. The beach was virtually deserted, the clouds had kept the sun worshippers away.

As we walked further there was a beach sign 'Playa San Juan'. This must have been man made as the sand was the wrong colour. The beaches along this stretch of coast normally have black volcanic sand.

In the distance we could see some sort of sculpture high on the cliffs so decided we would, hopefully, take a look.

We passed by an old lime kiln and made out way up a stony cliff path to the top.

Here we found the cliff top sculpture, which was a little disappointing - but magically the sky had cleared and everything was suddenly looking much brighter,

From the cliff tops we could see where we had walked along the harbour wall.

Going back down the cliff path, the now pebbled shoreline looked inviting.

We met a Scottish couple on the way and they reckoned the harbour and pebbled beach looked very similar to where they lived in north Scotland. They told us that this was why they often visited this area, I wasn't too sure in the logic of this, but each to his or her own.

As the sun was out, so was the lifeguard.

And when we were nearing the harbour again a fishing boat crew appeared to be hauling in their catch.

San Juan (St John in English) - it's not as glamorous or exciting as some of the places we visited but it had a quaint character and we enjoyed our 'chance' visit, thanks to the early clouds.

Other Tenerife Posts:
The Giants Of Tenerife Left Over From Atlantis
A Walk Along The Coast In Tenerife
Telepathy And Precognition Stimulated In Tenerife

A Walk Along The Coast In Tenerife

It's nice to get away from built up areas so (while in Tenerife) we headed for a track along by the sea. We saw very few people, mostly other walkers, so could enjoy the Atlantic and the distant hills in  peace and quiet.

At the start of our walk there was an old building of some sort (photo above). I never did find out what it had been but was most likely a kiln of some sort.

When we looked inland there were the mountains ...

... and loads of banana plantations - the green crops in the photos above and below.

The volcanic sand was dark, almost jet black in places ...

... but was a pleasing contrast to the white waves.

As we walked further the scenery became more barren.

A disused wall, once the boundary of a banana plantation, became a frame for the island of Gomera, seen in the distance.

The sea turned a brighter shade of blue, as the temperature rose, and contrasted with the red sails of a yacht passing by, with Gomera in the background.

I think we actually walked a bit too far that day on such a hot day. But it made me really appreciated the cold beer I had when we finally returned to our hotel.

Other Tenerife Posts:
The Giants Of Tenerife Left Over From Atlantis
A White Feather And A Piano Re-Paint Faded Memories In Tenerife

Telepathy And Precognition Stimulated In Tenerife

Part of the hotel pool areas

Sometimes, such as when you are on a holiday, it appears that the mind has a chance to tick over properly - and this can bring about some surprising results. The following small examples, from my Tenerife trip, are hardly world shattering but illustrate what I mean.

A really simple one first. We had been out for most of the day and went back to out hotel room. I decided I wanted to go for a swim in one of the pools. Karin didn't fancy this and said she'd prefer to have a shower and then read her book on the balcony. I set off down to the pool on my own.

I was walking through the hotel gardens and crossed one of the swimming pools via a bridge. At that moment I had a feeling I should turn round. I did so, glanced up, and saw Karin waving from the balcony on the eighth floor.

So who sent to the message to whom?

Sunset Tenerife looking towards Gomera Island 

A second illustration was again in our hotel. There was a large outside area adjoining one of the bars that overlooked the sea and also Gomera island. It was evening and the sun was setting.

Karin asked if I was going to try and take photos of the sunset. As I was about to answer a young woman passed by us wearing a very short skirt. Now I know it's not PC, or a proper thing to say nowadays, but I remarked to Karin that I would prefer to take a photo of the young woman. She just laughed and replied, "As if you'd be so lucky!"

We went inside bar to get a couple of glasses of wine and then I left Karin sitting at one of the tables while I attempted to take a photo of the sunset and Gomera.

I was clicking away, minding my own business, when a voice said in broken English, "Would you take a photo of me please." Yes, it was the very same young woman in the short skirt! My wish had come true. She handed me her phone and I snapped a couple of photos of her. Then she said, "And one with my boyfriend please," who was now walking towards us. Again I willingly obliged.

When I got back to Karin she laughed and said, "You got to take her photo then!"

So why was my throw-away comment about taking her photo answered?

Part of hotel reception area

Now the third example. It was late and we were going up to our hotel room. The red wine must have had an effect because I joked to Karin that she couldn't come into my room as the key card wasn't working. She told me to stop messing about and just open the door. I put the card into the slot but the card wouldn't work - the door wouldn't open!

Karin tried - to prove to herself that I wasn't 'messing about' - and sure enough the key card wasn't working. I had to take the lift down to reception to get the card sorted. Somehow when they programmed the card they had entered the wrong expiry date.

So how did I 'know' the card wouldn't work when it always had before?

I think we have certain 'powers' like, say, telepathy or precognition, but we have forgotten how to use them. Perhaps something like a holiday, or a change of scenery increases our senses, once we are away from the everyday routine. The 'faculty X', which Colin Wilson wrote about, is within us all but gets atrophied by our way of life. But think of the possibilities if we were willing to develop these abilities. It would change our lives.

Other Recent Tenerife Posts:
A White Feather And A Piano Re-Paint Faded Memories In Tenerife
The Giants Of Tenerife Left Over From Atlantis

The Giants Of Tenerife Left Over From Atlantis

As I mentioned yesterday I have just returned from Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.

Plato described a rich and happy land in the Atlantic which was virtually destroyed by earthquakes and tidal waves some 12,000 years ago. This was Atlantis and many locals are convinced that the Canary Islands are what remains of the submerged paradise.

From where we stayed we were able to walk to the small town of Los Gigantes (The Giants) which are dominated by cliff formations rising from the Atlantic. They were formed some seven million years ago. Wherever you look in the town The Giants, which rise from the sea to a height of 2700 feet, dominate the views.

These cliffs keep the western side of Tenerife warmer than the rest of the island. The heat from the sun is stored within the rocks.

But whatever the truth of the legends and stories about Atlantis the Acantilados de Los Gigantes are a wonderful sight - providing you don't mind lots of hills and steps!

We walked a different way back to our hotel sticking to the coast via Puerto Santiago and Puerto Pisquero.

A few photos I took along the way (click on them to make bigger):

A small shrine on the quay at Puerto Santiago

A fisherman trying to catch his evening meal

The hill leading up from Playa Puerto Santiago

From the hill looking back at the quay

They must like cats

But the dog in this house didn't like us walking past

Something to eat

And when we finally got back to our hotel room, the friendly lizard was there on the balcony to welcome us - and we were on the top floor - the 8th. Obviously a good climber with a head for heights.

All in all a good day out!

Photos: © Mike Perry

Other Tenerife Posts:
A White Feather And A Piano Re-Paint Faded Memories In Tenerife