Adventure is out there! (Part 2)

After leaving Malta, myself and two others that were in Malta flew to Madrid and caught an early flight to the Canary Islands the next day. The Canaries are group of 7 Spanish-owned islands just to the west of Morocco. Created by volcanic activity over the years, the islands are still active. One such volcano is Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain and the dominant feature of the island of Tenerife, our destination.

The best description I can give of Tenerife is Jurassic Park. The green-covered mountainsides, exotic vegetation, and sporadic threat of imminent death (stay tuned for details) reminded us all of the island home of the dinosaurs. (What? No, I didn’t keep singing the Jurassic Park theme song as we walked around. I don’t know what you’re talking about…)

Highlights from the Canaries:

-The looming active volcano towering above us. Being able to look up from wherever we were on the island and see a snowcapped volcanic peak was cool, but also a bit bizarre when we made our way down to the beach a few of the days.

-The incredibly different climates and landscapes. On the island of Tenerife alone, you can find snow and ice atop the volcano, black sand volcanic beaches, and tropical vegetation and jungle-like areas. Climb the island a few hundred meters and you’ll find yourself surrounded by clouds in the late afternoon, but come down closer to the shore and it’s nothing but sun (or sunny rain, like on the first day we arrived).

-Seeing the island of La Palma. If anyone has ever watched the Discovery Channel, La Palma is the Canary Island that may or may not cause mass destruction in the future. Scientists think that if there is another volcanic eruption, part of the island may dislodge and slide into the Atlantic, creating a massive tidal wave that heads toward the Eastern seaboard and South America. Naturally, I have wanted to visit this island since I saw the documentary, not only because of this story but because of its incredible natural beauty found all over the island. The local Canarians call La Palma “La Isla Bonita,” or “The Beautiful Island.” So, together with another one of my friends, I hopped a local flight to the island and set out on the day-long hike to the top of the caldera, or crater. A few hours of trail hiking later and we arrived at the top to stunning scenery: a massive crater plunging straight down in front of us, green valleys covering the rest of the island, and the bright blue Atlantic stretching out as far as you could see. With nothing west of La Palma, the first piece of land you would hit would be the US. Continuing with the Jurassic Park theme of the vacation, this island truly seemed like a lost world.

Looking back on Malta and the Canary Islands, this vacation definitely turned out to be my favorite thus far. With everything said and done, I like to describe it with simple reminder and battle cry from my favorite Disney/Pixar film, Up: “Adventure is out there!” Go get it.