Guest Scuba1 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Sorry that I have not been online for a while, but I have moved from Tenerife to El Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands and it is just the thing for me here. I now live in and help to run a small pension with only three guest rooms and a small bakery. There is one not one single kilometre of motorway here and the tourist industry has not taken hold here either. So it is a bit on the quiet side of Europe. Just up my street. There are some of the best divesites that I have seen in my time and that has gotten me back in the water after a rather long break. Even though I only dive for myself now and don´t do any courses etc. When I am not out on some rocky beach or under water, I buzz around on my Motorbike as there are some great roads for that here to and some of the views are absolutely breathtaking, I never new, how much I missed the green woods and hikes around the country side. The people here are also very special in a way that one will not get in many places in Europe anymore. Just one example: When I go into town or to some beach, I can leave all the stuff that I don´ t need to take with me in the car or on the bike, with the windows of the car open and the key in the ignition and know, when I get back, there will be nothing missing, or when I have to park in a way that may block someone else, they just move our car into there spot when they leave whether they know you or not and there is not a bad word spoken. Not a lot of places where one can do that anymore these days either. I think, it has something to do with the fact, that there are no direct flights from the Continent to this Island and with that we don´ t get the riff raff and chavs out here as it is not that easy to get to, even though there are flights and ferries that get here on a daily basis, but they are not as widely advertised in travel agents as trips to the larger Canary Islands like Gran Canaria and Tenerife etc. A little while back we went to the finishing do of the Photo sub competition and had a drink or two with the people there and got stopped by the local police on the way home, because one of the lights of the car was not working. They asked me, if I had had a drink and I said yes. They gave us a spare bulb from there car and held a torch while I put it in and then let us go on our way, with the words that I could not have had that much over the top, if I could still change a bulb that quick. There was stupid me expecting a fine. That’s El Hierro for you, always good for a pleasant surprise. When I find the time and my camera, I´ ll go and take some Photos from around this place and post them on here. If any of you want to take a vacation, just to relax, away from the main tourist spots, then drop me a line and I´ ll help where I can. ATB Michael Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kay 3,709 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Scoobs it sounds beautifull, welcome back Quote Link to post Share on other sites
speedlamper 0 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 saw a cracking documentry yesterday you'd probably be interested, edge of exictense borneo, donal mcyintre spends a few weeks living with sea gypsys, these guys spend most of there life underwater hunting fish and rarely set foot on land, one of the elders even gets land sickness because he's that used to the boat rocking Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mackem 29,702 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 SPEED??I wish I had seen that,I lived with the badjao for several months,just felt the hairs on my arms and neck prickle when I read your words,s**t,wish I had seen the documentary,hope its repeated?Most of the badjao nowadays live in stilt-villages along the coasts of southern Philippines,borneo,malaysia,Indonesia etc,but the village I stayed on Tong-tong was a genuine sea-gypsy village,no land in sight built on a shallow reef,seaweed farming,fishing,pearl diving,the authentic article,I still remember an illegal run with them at night through heavily pirated waters with bioluminescence lighting up our wake,happy days,theres a small white sand spit of an island in the south-china sea,the old-timers are laid out shrouded in white linen upon their death to bio-degrade away,enjoy life michael,its transient,runs out like sand from an hour-glass Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mackem 29,702 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 Speed,a lot of the younger Badjao are into people-smuggling and suchlike nowadays,any mention of that last night?I remember doing a run one night in an incredibly fast boat in a pitch black sea,fifty of us crammed in and a number of heavliy armed guys as back-up,incredible people,totally different way of life Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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