Just checking in?  Here is Part I.

We woke up on Saturday morning and started with breakfast and coffee.  As you might imagine, it was a sloooow start for some of us (me).  I actually didn’t have coffee since I couldn’t stomach it.  Once we were somewhat fueled up, we packed our bags and headed for a “hippie beach” that was recommended to Annie by a friend.  She told us where to park and then told us to walk for about ten minutes, but once we started walking, we realized it wasn’t a ten minute walk and we weren’t quite prepared for the intense hike.

 But the views were AMAZING.

We knew that if we had gotten down there, it would have been beautiful, but we were happy to take some pictures and head to another beach.

We hopped back into the car and headed to Playa La Tejita, which is right next to the airport.  If you’re wondering all of the beaches in Tenerife are relatively close and easy to drive to, but you definitely definitely want to have a car!

It was windy, but when the wind wasn’t blowing, it was beautiful and warm and that sun was STRONG.

Oh, and it was a nudist beach.  So there’s that little fun fact.  We saw some things and some…parts….that no one wants to see, and should never be exposed.  But with a few therapy sessions, I should get over it 😉

Besides that, the beach was really nice and we spent almost 5 hours hanging out and chatting.  At one point, I went for a stroll and took this picture that came our really cool.

Around 5:00, we headed to the Chiringuito on the beach (tip: you won’t see it from the beach.  You need to walk to those rocks you see in the above photo and walk along the promenade there for about 5 minutes.  You won’t miss it).  The vibe was really cool, with a lot of young people, music, families, and a very casual feel.  

We had some drinks (sparkling water for me because I still wasn’t over the night before) and shared a plate of ceviche.  It was so fresh and delicious (and totally reasonably priced).

After that, we headed home for showers and to get ready for dinner.  I was feeling a little bit sick at this point (I think I’m too old for alcohol), so I took a nap, but when I woke up, I was STILL completely nauseated.  We really wanted to visit a recommended “Gauchinche”, which are popular in the Canary Islands, especially in Tenerife.  They are restaurants where locally produced wine is served along traditional food.  They are often located near or on the many banana plantations that you’ll see in the Canaries.  Gauchinche El Cordero was recommended by Annie’s friend, so we made the quick drive over.  The GPS was giving us a hard time, but we eventually found it and were pleasantly surprised by the (slightly cheesy) plantation feel.  Think dirt floors and hanging plants, Disney style.  There were a lot of meaty options on the menu, as well as traditional fare.  I was still quite nauseous, so I chewed on some bread with the two traditional sauces in the Canaries (mojo, and another peppery sauce), and sampled some of the the Escaldon Gofio, which is a traditional dish.  It reminded us of refried beans, but we were told it didn’t have beans and was actually a mix of flour, chicken broth, chicken, and cheese.  It was good, but super heavy!  Annie and Kristen also order the Parrillada for two people, which is a sampler plate of various types of grilled meats and it was HUUUUUGE.  Two people?  What two people can eat all of THIS?

I ordered the 1/2 grilled chicken to go, which I ate the next day and it was really good.  SO if you go, order the Escaldon Gofio, the potatoes con mojo (traditional in the Canaries), and grilled chicken.  AND order dessert!  The desserts are homemade, so we ordered a piece of tiramisu to share and it was delicious.

And that was it!  We loved our beach days and I passed out immediately when we got home 🙂