People living in Northern Europe, or more specifically the Nordic countries need an escape from a long winter, which could last until the month of April. There's a feeling of heaviness to shake out of the human body, like beating a carpet of dusts it has accumulated. Aside from a delayed celebration of the new year - because January is just too frozen to wake up happiness in slumber, getting away during February or March is just saying goodbye to winter and hasten its departure so that spring can arrive in all its glory.Fuerteventura is the second biggest island in Canary Island, the largest being Tenerife. It had literally risen from the ocean's bottom after a huge volcanic eruption some 30 million years ago. In 1402, it was discovered by Jean de Bethencourt who exclaimed: "Que fuerte ventura!" Or, "what strong winds!" Looking down from the airplane, one sees a landscape similar to the mooncrater - burnt grey-black, sparsely-dotted by white-painted housing settlements, many of which have flat roofs. The volcanic earth is contrasted by the deep blue Atlantic sea that holds the islands in firm embrace.
It was my first trip to the Canary Islands, and it was an experience worth remembering for the joys as well as the curses that came with the trip. The Dalai Lama said last year that, we must visit a new place at least once a year and that's exactly what happened. On the way to Arlanda, I discovered that my luggage was left behind and there was no way for the taxi to return if we were to catch the flight to Fuerteventura. My fiance´ comforted me and said, it wasn't a catastrophe. We could shop in the city or even go to Tenerife. That was all done the following day, except that I could not find a suitable swimsuit and ended up buying an extra large two-piece for a 12-year old girl.
Vacationing in a sunny place means adoring the sun in all nakedness, almost anyway, and discovering gourmet delights. The hotel Bahia Grande - which is owned by the tour operator Apollo, is a beautiful landscape of sprawling buildings, gardens and a swimming pool that faced the ocean. Its closest neighbour is a village separated by a low mountain that jotted out to the waters. The easiest way to reach this place - which we discovered while searching for an authentic fish restaurant, was to take the mountain side, go inside shallow caves and avoid the coming high tide by literally rock climbing. Since we liked the fish restaurant very much, we took the adventurous trail three times. The restaurants owned by the hotel - one Spanish and another Italian, were not so memorable, culinary-wise.
We took excursions to well-recommended places, although it is rather easy to go around the island on a rented car or the bus. But being on holiday means avoiding the stress of finding directions and waiting for bus schedules.
There are only 70,000 to 100,000 people living in the island. The most important source of income is tourism, fish, goat ( for its milk made into cheese) and tomato, potatoes and onions. There are more goats than people. What makes the island unique in its physical character is that it is mountainous, volcanic with lava areas, and its big areas of sand dunes. Here, it is the sand, the sun, the sea that lord over. The climate is influenced by two main elements: the Golf stream and the Sahara desert which account for the very dry climate, lots of sun and pleasant wind.
When you visit this place, take the chance to go to Corralejo- a fishing village on the northernmost part; Caleta de Fuste, only 10 minutes from the capital Puerto del Rosario; Costa Calma, a modern vacation village in Jandia island; and Jandia, a quite relaxing holiday resort with a shopping mall that offers tempting designer goods. Or, to to the flea market where almost real Gucci, Pradas, Louie Vuitton bags are peddled by Africans. "Everything very cheap today, Madam!" #
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