A BREATH OF FRESH AIR | CANARY ISLANDS DIARY

OMG, I'm finally here... the blog that is. *sighs of relief*

I’ve honestly contemplated starting a blog for soooooo long but faced the typical new blogger worries such as;

“Will anyone actually read this?”

“Will my content be any good?”

“Can I do this consistently?”

However here I am giving it a try and I couldn't be more excited.

I must warn you though, I type how I talk and any errors found *it wasn't me* (Word to Shaggy).

Bad joke? soz.

Moving on swiftly, this blog is a place for me to share parts of my life and various other things I love and appreciate with you :)

Now back to the title…Thanks to my lovely friend Lulu I was able to go Gran Canaria. It was a surprising trip which was much needed. I've just finished my final year of university, so this trip came at the perfect time.

I shall break down the duration of the trip trying to be as brief as one can.

Saturday 3rd June– Lols.

Day 1 was literally L O L. We had a late flight (20:10 to be exact). What could possibly go wrong you ask?

Maybe us nearly missing our flight and having to do a Usain Bolt to the boarding gate. We were honestly so fixated on how crappy the cosmopolitans we ordered were that we completely lost track of time. They were terrible and could literally be finished in one gulp.

Waiting for Lulu with my mama whilst indulging in a Victoria sponge and drinking a Hot Mocha.

This picture honestly does the 'one gulp' cocktail justice...I promise you.

The hotel pool area at 02:00 AM.

Sunday 4th June- Smiles all round.

Waking up in another country is honestly one of the greatest feelings EVER. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time travelling or your 10th, everything just tends to feel different. I guess it’s the excitement of knowing there is something new to see, do, and possibly learn.

Breakfast was served at 8AM and please believe we were there 8 o’clock on the dot like the hungry bellies we are.

After breakfast we lazed around and then decided to take a trip to Maspalomas beach. We opted for the 5 minute taxi ride instead of the 30 minute walk.

At the beach we had Sangria, cocktails and such a great laugh. My friend even dropped the old "it's my birthday" line just so she could get something for free (It worked lol).

Outside eating area.

Breakfast time.

Sangria is basically a fruit salad which contributes to your 5 a day ;)

Happiness at it's finest.

How talented can one be? Sand sculpture of The Last Supper.

After sleeping for hours we really wanted to go out and grasp a feel of the night life. Our dreams were then shattered when the receptionist reminded us that it was Sunday and that all the clubs would be closed.

We then decided to spend our night having shots on the beach and then drinks back at our bungalow.

Monday 5th June- Plans change.

After breakfast we went to see our rep and she suggested that we visited the most beautiful beaches on the Island; Puerto Rico & Amodores. We got so carried away in our bungalow's beautiful pool and the Jacuzzi that we didn't want to leave just yet. Seeing as it would take 40 minutes to get to the suggested beaches, we decided that we would leave out early tomorrow and make a full day of it. In the evening we decided to visit Maspalomas beach again !

Jacuzzi time and a beverage.

“Move one pebble on the beach and you change history." Don Shapiro

Me: Let me see the pictures

Lulu: One sec *flash*

Sirloin steak with pepper sauce (my fave), chips and and mixed veg.

This free shot puts "one gulp" cocktail to shame.

At night time we really decided to do Dora the explorer. We literally walked from Las Palmas to Puerto Rico. I couldn't even tell you the duration of the walk because even google maps says "Sorry, we could not calculate walking directions..." so in other words it was very LONG.

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light" Helen Keller

A few famous quotes we saw along the way;

Truth never damages a cause that is just.

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.

We have learnt to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learnt the simple art of living together as brothers.

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen, can change the world.

Tuesday 6th June- Nothing day.

On every holiday that's longer than 5 days, I truly believe that a nothing day is needed. So instead of doing what we had planned, we relaxed by the pool, went for a dip, drank and ate food at our complex (in other words we were too tired to go anywhere). I also learnt how to play snooker *Mini Shout out to Dervlin and Tyrone* for teaching me. We then decided to purchase playing cards so that we could play blackjack and other card games. We actually played blackjack all night and I think it’s fair to say that it got really heated. Boys vs girls, ha.

One of the beautiful outdoor pools.

Lovely pool bar.

Wednesday 7th June- “It’s my birthday” fail.

We asked the receptionist if we could get a taxi to Puerto Rico Beach. Our mouths fully dropped when he said it would be 40 euros. Meaning it would be 40 euros there and 40 euros back. Pardon? Not in this life.

He then gave us details to get the bus which was only 4 euros to get there and back.

Puerto Rico port.

Puerto Rico Beach.

Views; Walking from Puerto Rico Beach to Amadores Beach.

Amadores Beach.

Can you tell that I love me some steak?

They love giving out these free shots; not that i'm complaining.

Lulu's “it's my birthday” trick fail lol.

Sorry for the terrible quality but I had to screenshot a video just so I could show you how huge the fail was. The restaurant really made her wear a birthday cake hat and made everyone sing to her. On top of that, she didn't receive anything for free (sorry Lu).

Our night was literally so much fun. We had pre drinks with the guys and then had a ladies night out. Our night consisted of bowling, air hockey, basketball, cocktails, shots, karaoke, pizza and Lulu's "It's my birthday" trick actually working.

1 TEQUILA, 2 TEQUILA, 3 TEQUILA, 4?

Thursday 8th June- My lonely day.

Unfortunately we all woke up feeling unwell but I decided that no cold virus can hold me down. I went to the pool side alone and had some cheesy chips with a Pina Colada smoothie.

Cheesy chips with a half drunken Pina Colada smoothie.

Remember how I decided that no cold virus could hold me down? Well I was wrong. I felt so weak, kept coughing and sneezing so much that I had no choice but to crawl back into bed.

I woke up after 9 and decided to put up another fight. Unfortunately for me, Lulu had no energy to go out and the boys were fast asleep. I was so frustrated that I ended up going out by myself (definitely something I thought I'd never do).

Holiday world.

Green apple vodka slush.

Beef in black bean sauce and special fried rice.

Friday 9th June- Girls just want to have fun.

Be happy and smile!

Friday was such a good day overall!

Camel riding in the afternoon and a girly night in/out.

Camel riding was so much fun, although it wasn’t what I had expected. It was two to a camel with one person seated on the left and the other on the right. I was so scared the entire time as my camel kept misbehaving.

Quick selfie with Manolo ;)

The set up.

Imagine being on the same island as your friend, totally unplanned… Well that happened to me. She was staying in Puerto Rico whilst I was staying in Maspalomas so it just made sense for us to link up. Thanks to one of the lovely staff members at our hotel we were able to get a discounted taxi to Puerto Rico. She literally just overheard our conversation and offered (such a sweet lady).

We made cocktails, played games, ate food, sang, danced, ended up at a bar and to be honest the list is just endless. If I was asked to sum up the night in one word, it would be ENJOYMENT!

Half full or half empty cocktails?

Live well and laugh often.

Smiles all round.

Saturday 10th June- The last day.

Late flights are great, especially when you wish to truly utilise the last day of your trip. We went parasailing then onto the banana boat and then ended with jet skiing. Lulu is such a persuasive person because no one has ever achieved getting me to go on a Jet ski or a banana boat. However she succeeded and I really enjoyed myself (although I practically screamed the entire time on the jet ski).

Let's fly away.

You really didn't want to see my face.

Overall, this trip was literally a breath of fresh air ;)

I've learnt so much more about myself, conquered fears and just had a complete blast.

I really hope you’ve enjoyed reading this diary as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Lots of love,

Joy x

#Travel #CanaryIslands #GranCanaria #Friendship