Canary Island Remedy

What's the next best thing to returning to Orlando for a break from this overcast, gray, dull, wet, cold, windy, icy, shit, Amsterdam winter? Turns out it's a 6 hour flight, with a connection in Madrid, to The Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa (for those who don't know that's a country below Europe, isn't that correct Miss "Maverick" Palin?!) Just what the doctor ordered between the 24th and 29th of December!

Just days before we left, we were at a dinner hosted by DC, with Jamie and Elena (GE grunts) amongst those in attendance. Well, they heard of our warm-weather getaway and started considering it the next day, pulling the trigger within hours and booking flights, car rental, and hotel. They called us, asking if it was okay if they plagiarized our vacation. Unfortunately they didn't get a hold of us, because we would said "Yes, we do mind." But, we figured the island was big enough for all 4 of us, and as luck would have it they were staying on the southern end (of course that's where Jamie would want to be)and we were in the extreme north. So, we see each other at the airport after DC was kind enough to tote Radhika and I there at 6am, and we ride the same flight to Madrid and into Gran Canaria. Note: Iberia is not a top notch airline to fly, but it's the best game in town it seems to get to this destination. Mid-70's NEVER felt so good, and when that sun hit the face it was damn near orgasmic! Jamie and Elena were kind enough to make the 20 minute drive and drop us at our hotel, which also gave them the chance to see our area. They headed out to their place, and R and I were thinking "Man! We dodged a bullet." We check in - - nice room, clean, comfortable. So we go walking around, grabbing a bite at a small place along the beach, then check out some shops. Quite a few tourists in the area. A lot of pasty Germans. Radhika and I were infants compared to most of the visitors, but hey, we'll be fine. There were some younger people around.

The next morning, we're gathering our stuff to head to the beach when the cellphone rings. Seems Jamie had ants in his bed at the apartment in Playa Del Ingles and they want to come up to where we are!!!!!!!!!!!! The Griswold's want to come to Las Palmas!!!!!!!!!! Being the generous and helpful fellow that I am, I checked and told him our hotel had rooms (DAMN!) and that they would like the rooms (ants are an extra charge). So, we're on the beach and this shadow hovers over us - - the Griswold's have relocated!!! So we all get some sun, decide to share the rental car instead of us getting one of our own for a couple of days, and grab a dinner that night. The next morning, Jamie has a tee time at a golf course near the airport. I went out early in the morning with the car, driving to 2 small town southwest of Las Palmas. I came back just in time to pick him up and we drove to the golf course, making every wrong turn you could imagine, missing exits, having the TomTom suggest we turn right into boulders and sides of buildings. It would seem that there has been major road development on the island, and many roads, roundabouts, and highways are different in the navigator then they are in reality. There was so much cursing in that car because tee time was clicking closer and closer, and there was one, edgy Australian driving that car!!! Who said Aussies are laid back? Let missing a tee time become a possibility and you'll see some daredevil maneuvers on the road. We stopped to ask this elderly Spanish woman for help. Bless her, she didn't know we were pinched for time, because she was dishing a dissertation in Spanish involving we believe every detail of the route between where we were and where we wanted to be!! I thought Jamie was gonna yell at her to shut up already!! He kept inching the car along, and I kept saying "Gracias", but that didn't stop Senora Jabber-Jaw. I think a nuke could have gone off, the land laid waste, with skeletons flying all over the place, and she still would've been flapping those lips to our singed remains!!! We finally broke away from the sweet lady (she was! and all dressed up with her fine self too) and after trial and error (mostly error) we made it to the club with under 10 minutes to spare! We should have been there close to an hour ahead of tee time, but we burned 50 minutes easily chasing down every street on the island except the right one! I went shooting in some local towns and villages while he chased the little white ball in the grass for 4 hours or so, and the girls did their thing back in Las Palmas. Radhika chilled out in the sun, Elena shopped, I made photographs, and Jamie exorcised the little old senoras voice from his ears with the whack and crack of golf balls being propelled from his club into sand and water, no doubt. I picked him up after he notified me on my cellphone, had a couple of beers at the clubhouse with another GE employee (Jim - Mr. Facilities), and then headed back to Las Palmas for dinner and relaxation. Seems Radhika had received a 2 hour water spa and aloe massage, being very mellow. I'll finish up part 2 later, and get to our New Years Eve party at the Amsterdam crib. In the meantime, enjoy the C.I. images by clicking on the link to the right and choosing the Canary Island album when you get to the Photoshop site. Enjoy!!