I'm continuing my tales from Tenerife with a little bit about the town of La Orotava.
I
remember getting back to my Uncle’s place after a long day of exploring and
waxing lyrical about this town. There was something distinctive and prestigious
about the feel of this town that seemed to permeate my time there.
Perhaps
it was something to do with the history of writers and artists that have
set up shop in La Orotava to create and explore their art in this
island haven.
Perhaps
it was the clash of this cultural epicentre with Tenerife’s extreme natural
beauty.
Perhaps
I just happened to be in a good mood due to a good night's sleep or having some
food drugged by a friendly spiker…
Perhaps
the town just emanates prestige… Who knows?
The
big sights in this small town are the church, the main square, and some
historic buildings. They were all beautiful in their own right and it was a
welcome change to see some man-made beauty after already exploring Teide National Park and the mountainous region around Masca.
The
architecture was fantastic to marvel at, especially against the backdrop of the
non-man-made, natural beauty of Tenerife! I especially enjoyed my encounters with Dragon trees, which are huge and plentiful in this town.
If
you’re close by, I’d take a few hours to check La Orotava out and explore the
quaint streets.
As
night fell on this town, I realised I was several hours from where I was
staying and already worn out from a day of exploring. It was one of those
realisations that makes you wonder why you ever leave your house… Or why they
haven’t got round to inventing teleportation yet?
I
kept myself awake by listening to obscene podcasts with fresh air blowing in my
face while concentrating on the curvy mountain roads that made this such a
driving challenge. It was a tough slog and I took refuge in the wise words of
the many motivational speakers that I listen to on YouTube. This encouragement
got me through, despite arriving back in a manic and unintelligible state.
Perhaps
it was this mental state that had me singing La Orotava’s praises from the
hilltops. The joy of being alive had transferred to the joy of seeing La
Orotava.
Well
that makes a bit more sense…
So
enjoy the photos of the town and don’t forget to watch our 360 VR experience as
well, to fully immerse yourself in this town. Ciao for now!
