All posts by karenfranza

Montaña Roja, Tenerife

February 8, 2025Tenerife, TravelEl Médano, grilled squid, Hiking, kayakers, king prawns, Montaña Roja, Sunset, very windykarenfranza

Feb 6 – today we put our boots on, grabbed our trekking sticks, and set out to climb Montaña Roja, or the Red Mountain, so named as the bits of iron in its volcanic rock composition give it a ruddy hue.

We started out early, before the kite surfing rental shops opened. Looks like it’s going to be a nice day.

The Mandela Man left us a new early morning message: Love yourself first, then love others

The start of the trail. The mountain is a piddling 400 foot climb, and doesn’t look red at all from here. This will be a walk in the park. My brain started singing, “Saturday in the Park” by Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Some hikers left their mark next to the trail

As we climbed, the wind increased – you cannot imagine how windy it was! The song in my head switched to Marilyn McKoo: Blowin’ Away. “I feel so high, I feel like I may be blowin’ away…”

This poor tree doesn’t stand a chance of growing straight in this wind!

Our destination! It was so windy up here that I repeatedly had to stop and crouch down to avoid getting blown off the summit. My full water bottle, stored in a side pocket of my pack, sailed up, up and away at some point, never to be seen again.

We made it! I almost lost my hat at one point, and the wind almost tore my glasses off, but, standing on the lee side at the top, this is the look of success.

Jim is so happy when he’s standing at the very highest point!

Time to head back down. We passed a young couple with an infant in arms on their way up, and all I could think was, “you better hold tight onto that baby!” See the cluster of white buildings that is our little town of El Médano?

Now you can see the reddish color of the rocks

Ta da! Back to the signpost! Some friendly Brits snapped our picture.

Returning to the beach two hours later, where the kite surfers were just getting started.

To celebrate our victory, we had lunch at a seafood restaurant. Jim had the grilled squid…

…and I wrestled with the king prawns. I prefer my shrimp when they are not looking back at me. Delicious, but too much work!

Tonight we encountered some buskers entertaining the crowd, which is growing larger by the hour as the weekend nears. This group had a very danceable tune, and, yes, we danced!

Time to watch the sun go down, as the last of the kayakers bring their boats back to shore.

El Médano, Tenerife

February 6, 2025Tenerife, TravelEl Médano, kite surfing, Mandela, wind surfing, windykarenfranza

Feb 4 – Today we are thankful for how-to videos on YouTube. Our modern apartment has a newfangled induction stove that we couldn’t even figure out how to power on. Turns out we’re not the only ones – several helpful videos came to our rescue. Ditto the microwave/broiler (a strange combination, don’t you think?) Tomorrow maybe we’ll tackle turning on the clothes washer that looks like a cheese grater…

The little tourist town of El Médano is on the southern end of Tenerife and is all about any sport that favors a windy beach. Kite surfing and wind surfing are mostly what we see. There is a constant wind of 15 – 20mph.

Lots of folks soaking up the sun and getting their feet wet, and a few brave swimmers

Lots of fit Germans in shorts that show off their bulging calf muscles and lots of considerably flabbier Brits are in evidence here. Also French and Italians, in smaller numbers.

Which way is the wind blowing? These artsy devices seem to agree that the winds blow from the east

One industrious soul creates a Mandela that will soon be erased by the wind and water

The surf carves ridges that sunbathers use as windbreaks. The sand is darker and more densely packed than our beaches – the sand doesn’t get in your shoes!

Where the boardwalk ended we found the trail that will take us up Montaña Roja (Red Mountain), but we didn’t climb it today

Back to town for a smoked salmon poke bowl – some restaurants here follow the Spanish custom of closing in the afternoon for siesta, while others open at 2pm, so we can always find something to eat.

After supper we walked to the place where everyone gathers to watch the sunset.

Tenerife

February 4, 2025Tenerife, TravelEl Médano, kite surfingkarenfranza

Feb 1, 2025 – We’ve had a few weeks of actual winter in Virginia, with real snow and freezing temperatures. It’s time to travel someplace a bit warmer, don’t you think?

We’re off to Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands that sit off the coast of Morocco and the Western Sahara Desert. The islands belong to Spain, so they are part of the EU.

What do we know about the Canary Islands? The name means Islands of the Dogs (think canine), as sailors back in Roman times noted the abundance of monk seals, called sea dogs, that lived there. The yellow canary bird was named for the islands.

There are eight islands in the Canaries, of which Tenerife is the largest and most populated. It is a popular holiday destination for Europeans and Brits. Winter weather is not tropical, but a very pleasant 70F on most days. Mt. Teide on Tenerife is the third largest volcano in the world and the highest elevation in Spain (12,188 feet).

That’s all I know so far!

Feb 2 – Son Peter dropped us at the airport Sunday, where we boarded our flight on time, but sat on the runway for a long time before takeoff. No worries, United – we want you to look both ways rather than running into anything midair!

When we got to Newark, it had started to snow, which wasn’t good. We grabbed a bite, then boarded on time just to sit for a reeeally long time – we watched an entire movie before the plane was de-iced and queued up on one of the only working runways. Once in the air, things were fine, and we arrived in Tenerife in 7 hours; a bit sleep deprived, but no worse for wear.

Feb 3 – Customs was a breeze, we found an ATM right outside the airport, then tried to find the right place to stand for the #10 bus to get us into town. We stood under a big sign that said “#10”, but after two #10s flew past us without stopping, we figured we needed a better plan. We figured it out eventually, and two buses later, we are here in El Médano.

Our modern apartment is close to the beach, which has sort of a tan and desert sand vibe

After some coffee and a bocadillo (sandwich) we felt somewhat restored

Kite surfers are making the most of the breezy day

There’s a big hill not too far away, which is on Jim’s list of things to climb

A statue in honor of the travels of Magellan reminded us of the Mayan statues in the Yucatán

My favorite statues are the ones with a bird on top. We walked to the supermarket for some provisions, then crashed to get some much-needed sleep. More tomorrow!

Mérida Finale

September 12, 2024Mexico, Travel, Yucatán PeninsulaMérida, Museum of Modern Artkarenfranza

Sept 8 – So we got back on the bus to Mérida, for the final time. We have a day in town to purchase our souvenir plate and repack our packs.

We saw a street performer for the first time this trip. He must be so hot in that costume!

We got into the modern art museum that had been closed the last time we tried

We went back to the cathedral and got to see the Lord of the Blisters up close

And then, as the turtle at our hostal looked like he was packed and ready, we did the same. The Uber came at 5:15am, and by midnight, we were home! Thanks for a great trip, Yucatán!

A little more from Progreso, Yucatán

September 10, 2024Mexico, Travel, Yucatán Peninsulacoconut shrimp, lighthouse, malecón, pier, Progreso, wall artkarenfranza

Sept 6 – What do you do when you just can’t swim and sleep anymore? Walk into town, of course, where you can:

…admire the lighthouse, which is not on the shore, but blocks back into the town

…and a tribute to kids and their cellphones with the long pier in the background

Walk all the way to the end of the malecón to admire the world’s longest pier – 4 miles long, as the water is too shallow to allow large container or cruise ships to dock any nearer

Walk under the pier to the old wooden boardwalk

This end of town looks more like an old fishing village

Back on the malecón to look for beach souvenirs…

…and find a place for a seafood lunch – we eat seafood every day when we’re at the beach

Interesting appetizers – papaya with hot sauce, hot dogs in French dressing

When you order coconut shrimp here, you get the coconut!

Would you like one more sunset? Here you go! Thanks for the R & R Progreso, best beach ever!

Progreso, Yucatán

September 6, 2024Mexico, Travel, Yucatán Peninsulabeach, Gulf of Mexico, Progreso, shrimp tacoskarenfranza

Sept 3 – So long Yellow City! We got on the bus back to Mérida this morning, then changed to the Progreso bus for our last stop of this trip.

Progreso is about 75 miles east of our last beach town of Celestún, still on the Gulf of Mexico. Another fishing village with calm green waters and a beautiful, sandy beach.

The difference is that Progreso is a cruise ship stop, so it is a lot more affluent, with a long cement malecón (boardwalk), and many more hotels and restaurants.

We are staying at the Itze Hostel, just across the street from the beach. We have access to the kitchen, so Jim can make our coffee and breakfast. There are so many food options right close by, we don’t need to worry about feeding ourselves.

Coconitos – the best shrimp tacos on the beach!

There is a dinosaur exhibit here for the kiddos

…and a little train that runs tourists up and down the malecón

So, what is there to do in Progreso? Nothing at all, except eat, swim, sleep listening to the gentle waters, and repeat. Of course, you may also:

What a lovely town! More in the next post…

More from Izamal, Yucatán

September 4, 2024Mexico, Travel, Yucatán PeninsulaCenote Chihuan, Convento de Antonio de Padua, Holcá, Izamal, Mama Linda, Nuestra Señora de Izamal, subterranean cenotekarenfranza

Sept 1 – Do you remember when we were in Valladolid and tried unsuccessfully to swim in a cenote? Well, today we will get another chance! Although there are no cenotes in Izamal, our hotel host Monty arranged a taxi that will take us to a cenote about a half hour away.

Cenote Chihuan, in the town of Holcá, is on private land and is said to be the only totally subterranean cenote. Our taxi pulled up to the gate and it was… closed. Not again! The taxi driver banged on the gate and shouted, but no bananas. Our driver got back in the cab and started searching on his phone for an alternate cenote, when the proprietor opened the gate. Success!

We were given flotation vests and shown the stairs down

Jim brought his phone right into the water, which was cool, but not cold. Very refreshing!

We swam into absolute darkness, but kept an eye on the lighted entrance

The water was crystal clear and reflective, so we couldn’t tell if we were seeing stalagmites below, or reflections of the stalactites above.

A magical place, and we had it all to ourselves!

Returning to town, we asked to be let off at the Convento de Antonio de Padua, which is the centerpiece of Izamal. It is very yellow.

Buggies lined up to take tourists on a tour

I like a horse who can rock a saucy sombrero

A young beauty having her Quinceañera moment

Inside the church, there is a retablo at the altar featuring Our Lady of Izamal

This statue, affectionately called Mama Linda (beautiful Mother) is dressed every month in different raiment

Here are some of Mama Linda’s other outfits

There is a Pope John Paul II museum here – his visit in 1993 was the biggest event to ever happen in this town

When’s the last time you saw a habited nun? We saw several – I don’t envy them their outfits in this heat!

We wanted to go to the folk art shop, but it was locked up tight. We met an artisan, and he showed us one of the pieces he’s working on

As the sun went down, a thousand great-tailed grackles screamed and swooped for their last insect meal of the day. So noisy! A wonderful end to our visit to Izamal.

Izamal, Yucatán

September 2, 2024Mexico, Travel, Yucatán PeninsulaHotel Macan Che, Izamal, Kinich Kak Moo, Yellow Citykarenfranza

Aug 30 – One more yummy omelette at our Celestún hotel, and we were off to the bus station for our ride to Izamal. Little did we know that our big bus was a local, not an express. We boarded the bus at 9:30, changed buses in Mérida at 12:30, and arrived in Izamal at 3pm. And there weren’t any movies to watch on the bus!

Izamal is called la Ciudad Amarilla (the Yellow City), and as soon as we got off the bus we could see why.

Yes indeed, friends – the city is painted a very deep shade of yellow. The internet provides two possible explanations for this: 1) the color honors the Maya sun god Kinich Kakmó, or 2) the downtown area was spruced up with a new paint job in preparation for Pope John Paul II’s visit here in 1993. You decide!

Jim always does a good job finding us places to stay, but for Izamal he really hit one out of the park. We are at Hotel Macan Che, a group of jungle huts surrounded by lush greenery and the sounds of tropical birds.

The path to our hut. As an added bonus, we have hot water in the shower! This is a perk we always appreciate, but know better than to expect.

Jim is swimming with a smile. Our pool is built over a natural stone bottom, warm, inviting and crystal clear.

He tried to swim to the bottom, but the deep part was very deep!

**Aug 31** – Today we will visit the two Maya pyramids that are right here in town. The biggest one is Kinich Kak Moo, the Maya sun god. We left early in an attempt to beat the morning heat, but it was HOT. The pyramid was right in town, a 15 minute walk from our hotel. Here are the steps up to the pyramid.

He made it to the top! (I graciously volunteered to stay behind to capture the triumphant photo)

A view from the top. See the Yellow City below?

As we were already nice and sweaty, we kept going to the second pyramid, called Itzamatul. None of the other tourists followed us here – we had the pyramid to ourselves. This one was shadier, and not as large

Celestún, Yucatán

August 30, 2024Mexico, Travel, Yucatán Peninsulabeach, Celestún, flamingos, wall artkarenfranza

Aug 26 – So here we are in Celestún. The conference folks got back on their big bus and returned to Mérida last night, to catch flights home or travel onward. We had our packs on the bus with us, and checked into a very modest small hotel a block from the Gulf of Mexico. This is where our beach vacation begins.

This little town is about as different from Mérida as can be. If tourists come here, they only stay for a day.

It rained yesterday, and the streets are quite flooded this morning. We got our feet wet before we got to the beach

A calm, sandy beach with body-temperature water

Celestún’s claim to fame is its proximity to the Ria Celestún Biosphere Reserve, accessible only by boat. This is a place where flocks of pink American flamingos can be seen during mating season, but we are not here at the right time of year. Here is some flamingo wall art instead

Eat chiliquiles for breakfast and fresh fish for lunch

Admire the jungle that separates our hotel from the beach

Collect shells and swim every day – watching the pelicans dive for fish and then rest close to us on the water was a special treat

Look at the different ways to get around – the multi person moto…

Or go on foot – just bring your own shade!

…and our favorite baker, Flor. She gave us a sample coconut macaroon, warm from the oven on our first day, and we went back every day thereafter.

Watch another fine sunset – thanks for the leisurely days, Celestún. A very relaxing week!

Back to Mérida Yucatán

August 26, 2024Mexico, Travel, Yucatán PeninsulaCelestún, Mérida, Monumento a la Patria, Palacio Maya, peacocks Yucatán cuisine, wall artkarenfranza

Aug 22 – Today we got back on the big bus to return to Mérida. This time we are going to the northern, more modern side of the city so that Jim can give a presentation at the Parapsychological Association Conference. This is the reason we are here.