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Ben Lahnger · 04-02-2006, 03:52 AM

A TRIP TO TENERIFE - 08

Mt. Teide part 1

From my Dad's journal:

We got the wake-up call at 6:30 a.m.. Need to catch the tour bus a block away at 8:10 a.m.. It was sprinkling when we got to the pickup spot. Later on it rained rather hard, but only while we were traveling.

We took a walking tour of part of La Oratava (an older city on the way up to the mountain - Ed.) that took in a couple of 1700's buildings that are now gift shops.

La Casa De Las Balcanias

A View Down The Alley To The Hillside Beyond

The Historical Marker In Front Of "The Church of the Conception"

La Iglesia De La Concepcion

We visited the government center where a large plaza is located in the front. The celebration of "Corpus Christi" takes place here each year. “Corpus Christi” originated in the 13th Century and is a festival traditionally symbolising the Christian Eucharist that takes place on the Thursday (usually in May) following Trinity Sunday. The floor of this plaza is decorated in mural-like panels carefully crafted in fine detail from colored sand and seeds. The art work is beautiful. The people then dance the night away on these transient works of art, destroying them in the process. This celebration is recreated every year with a new theme and artwork being selected each year.

An Example Of The Floral Tapestry From 2005

You can see some excellent photos from the 2003 celebration here:

http://www.knmultimedia.com/corpus_christi_2003.htm

We also saw some women engaged in the making of the world renowned Spanish Lace inside "La Casa de Las Balconias". It is intricate and painstaking work, and it is all done by hand. I have a new appreciation for the patience and artistry involved in the making of this delicate cloth.

The island is very hilly, the roads are quite narrow and winding, and no matter where you are on the tour you have a great view. Some views however, are just awesome and inspiring. While it was raining we saw the most intense rainbow I have ever seen over the valley below us. It came right down on houses way below us at either end. Beautiful. No place to stop and take a picture, unfortunately.

We drove around the island going higher and higher, always seeing more inspiring views - the ocean below us on one side and mountain peaks above us on the other side. We progressed above the tree line and above the clouds although there were more clouds above at the higher peaks. We began seeing patches of snow and eventually we got to places where it looked like it had snowed last night. Mount Teide was snow covered at the peak, and the top was cloud covered as well.

The scenery is surreal and one could take picture after picture and still not be satisfied. A portion of "Planet of the Apes" was filmed here and I can see why. It is not earthly looking. The tour guide suggested that it looked like a landscape on the moon. Other portions of that film were filmed on the island of Lanzarote, and in the nearby African country of Morocco.

The Surreal Landscapes Near Mt. Teide

Another View Of A Lunar-Like Landscape

04-02-2006, 03:52 AM	#11
Ben Lahnger Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Um, lower, oh yeah, uh, uh ... YES THERE! Posts: 6,738	A TRIP TO TENERIFE - 08 Mt. Teide part 1 From my Dad's journal: We got the wake-up call at 6:30 a.m.. Need to catch the tour bus a block away at 8:10 a.m.. It was sprinkling when we got to the pickup spot. Later on it rained rather hard, but only while we were traveling. We took a walking tour of part of La Oratava (an older city on the way up to the mountain - Ed.) that took in a couple of 1700's buildings that are now gift shops. La Casa De Las Balcanias A View Down The Alley To The Hillside Beyond The Historical Marker In Front Of "The Church of the Conception" La Iglesia De La Concepcion We visited the government center where a large plaza is located in the front. The celebration of "Corpus Christi" takes place here each year. “Corpus Christi” originated in the 13th Century and is a festival traditionally symbolising the Christian Eucharist that takes place on the Thursday (usually in May) following Trinity Sunday. The floor of this plaza is decorated in mural-like panels carefully crafted in fine detail from colored sand and seeds. The art work is beautiful. The people then dance the night away on these transient works of art, destroying them in the process. This celebration is recreated every year with a new theme and artwork being selected each year. An Example Of The Floral Tapestry From 2005 You can see some excellent photos from the 2003 celebration here: http://www.knmultimedia.com/corpus_christi_2003.htm We also saw some women engaged in the making of the world renowned Spanish Lace inside "La Casa de Las Balconias". It is intricate and painstaking work, and it is all done by hand. I have a new appreciation for the patience and artistry involved in the making of this delicate cloth. The island is very hilly, the roads are quite narrow and winding, and no matter where you are on the tour you have a great view. Some views however, are just awesome and inspiring. While it was raining we saw the most intense rainbow I have ever seen over the valley below us. It came right down on houses way below us at either end. Beautiful. No place to stop and take a picture, unfortunately. We drove around the island going higher and higher, always seeing more inspiring views - the ocean below us on one side and mountain peaks above us on the other side. We progressed above the tree line and above the clouds although there were more clouds above at the higher peaks. We began seeing patches of snow and eventually we got to places where it looked like it had snowed last night. Mount Teide was snow covered at the peak, and the top was cloud covered as well. The scenery is surreal and one could take picture after picture and still not be satisfied. A portion of "Planet of the Apes" was filmed here and I can see why. It is not earthly looking. The tour guide suggested that it looked like a landscape on the moon. Other portions of that film were filmed on the island of Lanzarote, and in the nearby African country of Morocco. The Surreal Landscapes Near Mt. Teide Another View Of A Lunar-Like Landscape