La
gomera - ii
Return
to Part I
Next morning saw me padding
about barefoot on the patio, early enough to catch something of
the rising sun.
For breakfast on the patio
in shorts and tee-shirt, (in January!!), we were joined by this
opportunistic local.
Then down to the swimming
pool with the rest of the new arrivals for our Welcome Briefing.
Briefing completed we were
free to disperse and enjoy our stay at Balcon de Santa Ana, owned
by the visitors and managed on their behalf by Holiday
Property Bond.
After the thirteen hours
spent travelling door-to-door yesterday it was to be a day not
doing very much; maybe a little gentle exploration around the
site which is perched on a hillside above the cliffs that ring
the island
La Gomera is quite a sparsely
populated island (less than 20,000 permanent residents) with the
most populous areas sited around the small flat areas that allow
some cultivation and where the barrancos meet the sea. Barrancos
are the steep sided ravines that rush radially down from the central
high 'plateau' (approx 1200m) of the Garajonay National Park.
We were perched above Playa de Santiago, sited at the mouth of
three barrancos.
We had had glimpses of the
town as we came through in the dark and going to explore we committed
ourselves to the path that wound a few hundred metres down the
steep hillside rather than 2 kms around by road, and gave ourselves
a bird's eye view of the town. We were also able to see something
of the flora of this southern and permanently sun-baked part of
the island (note the tall dead flower-stalks of agave) ...
... and something of the
different types of volcanic rock that had been created in the
eruptions in past ages.
Halfway down, looking towards
the sea, the mouth of the two smaller barrancos which have already
converged are having their dried river bed contained by a new
structure, presumably to protect the development that will rise
on the cleared space on the right. The cliff, top-left, is the
bluff end of the diminishing ridge that edges the larger mouth
of the third barranco.
Almost down, now, and the
masonry embankment and lining of the river bed are more notable.
There seems to be a large expected run-off during a heavy rainstorm
and the site seems very vulnerable to overflow as it stands -
the dry arroyo has a dirt road running up it! Presumably a temporary
or seasonal feature?
What looked like a natural
rock-arch is,unfortunately, disappearing off the top of the picture,
but the yellow house had also caught my attention, visually and
aurally. There was a caged bird in the open window whistling and
singing loudly - too loud for a Canary! - possibly a Mynah?
Beyond that central rock-ridge,
the embankment of this third barranco's arroyo has not been treated
in such a sophisticated way, but then the river bed is not also
used as a short-cut. Probably with good reason because this barranco,
Benchijigua, penetrates right to the heart of the island and seems
to have been the caldera of the volcano that by later geological
shock and/or corrosion has been breached allowing drainage to
the sea.
The more extensive alluvial
bed of this barranco has been the major agricultural area of the
settlement - with bananas, oranges and other fruit being the favoured
crops.
Part of the beach and the
harbour. What can I say? 'Don't use the pic for tourist publicity!',
perhaps? It was getting late in the afternoon of a dullish day
and I'm shooting into the shadow. Hmm. And we are at the seaside
on a sub-tropical island! ... Aren't we? ... Hmm!
....
OK! So the mineral scenery
is a bit drab! How about a little vegetative colour, then? I know
it's not long after Xmas, but the Poinsettia here are rampant!
And the Hibiscus ...
Ah well! It's time to head
back 'home'. Zig-zagging up the hillside, with a last look down
to the beach and harbour and the thought, that perhaps there may
be some international handbook for power and telecoms companies
about how best to muck-up a picture with draped wires! (And poles/pylons!)
Continued
in Part III
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