Tenerife

Growing up I always loved puzzle games. Watching Chris and Alicia go through the Myst series and trying to help any way I could (I probably just distracted them), and then later playing the whole series myself, I came to really love the world(s) (ages?) in the games. Well this past week we went to Tenerife, and I found myself in a place that looked just like them (except maybe fewer poison dart frogs). Tenerife is incredible!

It's famous for microclimates- little pockets of varying temperature, elevation, aridity, sun exposure, etc, due to the extremely rugged landscape. Many of the great naturalists either visited or wanted to visit here, and I can totally understand why.

The whole island is covered in gigantic lizards that get up to 18 inches long

 

The entrance to our Airbnb

Our Airbnb was over 400 years old!

 After a couple days in the small village of Masca, we got on a bus to Las Aguas. The environment was totally different. Below is a church from a town where we transferred buses. Here it was coniferous forest on one side and desert shrubs on the other, whereas we'd just come from a tropical paradise.

Here you can clearly see a distinct line where the desert shrubs turn to coniferous forest.
And this is all so different from the town we stayed in!

When we finally made it to Las Aguas, we were in another different environment. The ocean was incredible though! It was extremely powerful with monstrous waves crashing onto giant black boulders. It really felt like a different world we were in. We didn't see another soul the whole time we were on the boulder beach and it felt like we were on an alien planet. The ocean sounded like thunder with each wave since the giant stones were rolling over each other and we kept thinking lightning had struck nearby.

This is probably one of my all time favorite places I have ever been. I would put it as a "must visit" for anyone who gets the chance. 

One last picture of a giant lizard with a big blue throat-- I'd put this one around 15 inches if I had to guess.

Field trips

While here at the school I've also gone on a few field trips! It's been fun to tag along (for free) and get to see some of the things the kids have.
We went to Micropolix once. It was really fun for the kids. Basically it's like an Itz/Nickelcade/ Hinckle Family Fun Center but instead of teaching kids to gamble, it's teaching them to work. The whole place is designed to be a mini city. When we arrived, each kid was given 20 eurix (the currency of their new city) and a passport. They were then allowed to go work (as firefighters where they get to put out fires with a fire hose, ride the pole down etc, as doctors who saved a patient, vets who identified animals, police officers who went to the academy and then got in a real police car, etc)-- where they would earn more eurix-- or they could spend their money on candy, travel, or other activities. There were things like go carts, but first they had to go to Driver's ed and get a driver's license, and other activities like that. It was really cool! I thought it was much more wholesome than American equivalents that are essentially slot machines haha.

Four wheelers- license required

Below you can see where kids with a Micropolix state issued drivers license could go for a spin

The town hall and line for the police academy

 

For the teachers, we were all treated to a nice breakfast, and had time to wander and go to the nearby mall.

 I found a Lindt outlet store and bought a ton of chocolate of all kinds of flavors-- which happened to all be on sale that day.

My favorites were the extra dark (the US dark lindors are 45%, the European darks are 55%, and the extra darks are 70%), coconut, caramel and mint.

I've also been to the Danone factory (US markets it as Dannon), and on a little hike in the mountains. It's been really fun to tag along and learn along with the kids.

School

I've really enjoyed teaching English this past semester! It's been really fun to work with 4th graders in Camarma de Esteruelas. Here's a typical day:
I get up at about 7:30 and am out the door around 8:20. We walk to the bus stop and catch the bus around 8:45, then arrive at school around 9:10. I work with three different teachers in five class rooms. There are 6 periods a day, and I'll usually teach the class for 1-2 of those. With one teacher, I'm more of a TA, helping and answering questions. Another one has me teach the class every time I'm there, and the last one usually has me either teach the class or talk with the kids in pairs in the hallway, to practice their speaking. I really love it, and especially like the variety of getting to do different things with each period. After the first three periods, we go to a little lunch for 30 minutes with the other teachers, while the students have recess. Every day I have a cup of pineapple juice, usually a big slice of a sub sandwich, and a couple oranges. We have three more periods, then catch the bus at 2 pm and are home by 3.

Not every day has been the same old routine though. This past week we had a Roman day. All the kids came dressed up like ancient romans and we had a field day with activities and treats and movies. I was given a costume like a Roman Emperor, and before any of the kids could talk to me they had to say "Ave Caesar, qui morituri te salutant" (Hail Caesar, those who die salute you). I was in charge of a matching game, but got to watch piggy back relay races, raps about romans, bridge building with shoeboxes, and I got to eat a little bit of popcorn during the movies.

Left to Right: Me, Olga*, Jose*, Javier, Ana, Noelia*
*One of the teachers I work with