John Edward Cooper’s Notes
Thursday 4 April 2013
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[2013] [Wednesday 3 April 2013] It had been raining when we got up, and indeed there was a brief shower when we were returning from Puerto Calero later on. Continued diary update. Wrote postcards to my Mum and to Chris. Down for breakfast perhaps 9.30am, then back to the room. We went up to the road level a little before 11:40 and waited for the coach to take us to Puerto Calero for a “Submarine Safari”. 
11:39:38 The coach to Puerto Calero for the “Submarine Safari” arrives. 
11:42:48 Montaña Roja, the mountain visible from our hotel balcony 
11:45:32 Montaña Roja We made a few further pickups then partly retraced the route of Tuesday, though along the newer level road, not the “crinkle-cut” one. We saw again Las Salinas de Janubio. I assumed therefore that Puerto Calero was farther up that coast, and it was a surprise later to see on the map that it was on the south-eastern coast, not the western. I’d lost my bearings completely. There’s no direct coastal route from Playa Blanca to Puerto Calero. 
12:01:46 
12:04:16 There was a bit of a walk (unwelcome to my sore feet) from the coach to the “Submarine Safari” building, where they sat us in rows of seats in front of a TV screen for a safety video. While we waited for that, there were several Tom and Jerry cartoons shown. Then the walk to the dock where the submarine was due to tie up was a fairly lengthy one. At least, as our party waited for the arrival of the submarine and for the disembarkation of the previous party I was able to use my tripod stool. 
12:55:38 Arrival of the submarine 
12:58:24 Our waiting party 
12:59:44 Disembarkation of the previous party 
13:05:54 Boarding the submarine 
13:08:14 Boarding the submarine 
13:09:52 Boarding the submarine 
13:18:28 
13:18:46 
13:24:26 
13:26:12 Wreck №1 
13:26:16 Wreck №1 
13:28:04 Wreck №2 
13:32:36 
13:32:46 
13:33:30 
13:33:36 
13:38:40 
13:38:46 
13:39:00 
13:50:42 
13:51:28 
13:53:48 The deepest we descended was ca.30 metres, and we set down on the ocean bed, raising a small cloud of sediment, once or twice. The people in front of us seemed consistently to get more fish at their window than we did. Janet felt a bit panicky and claustrophobic at one point, but mastered it, and later a bit nauseous. Towards the end of the voyage they played Yellow Submarine and after that Octopus’s Garden. 
14:04:30 Heading back to the “Submarine Safaris” building 
14:04:00 
14:07:20 The “Submarine Safaris” building 
14:17:32 Puerto Calero 
14:18:48 Puerto Calero 
14:19:36 Scrabbling for Pringles 
14:23:04 Back on the coach 
14:30:14 Vineyards with straight walls 
14:31:36 More vineyards 
14:31:36 Detail of 14:31:36 My feet were painful as I hobbled back to the room. I wasn’t hungry, so there was no motivation to go out again for lunch, and Janet wasn’t bothered about eating either. Transferred the photos taken later yesterday and those taken today from the camera to the computer (15:08–15:10); edited the ones from yesterday (15:16–15:38) and added them to the PowerPoint presentation (16:42). It was perhaps a mistake to pour myself a glass of Vega de Yuco — and another one! It (they!) made me feel lethargic. Meanwhile, Janet decided she ought to familiarise herself with her camera — I showed her briefly how to operate it — and she took a photo of me. 
16:09:46 She went for a walk while I continued on the computer in the room. She took my tripod seat with her, which she’d wished she had with her on her previous outing alone. “I… headed out for the shops and promenade.— 
16:17:10 —I took a bit of a hike down ‘the right hand side’. Nothing there — just rough sea and rocks — and a strong wind. Took a photo— 
16:17:58 —then headed off to the ‘left hand side’. Took a photo.— 
16:19:18 —Looked at some menus then went into ‘my’ supermarket, bought a can of chilled Pepsi Max Zero, went outside, unfolded [John’s] seat, and sat and drank that and ‘soaked up’ the weather, the view, the atmosphere, and the people. After that, I had another browse round at menus, etc., then returned to ‘my’ supermarket for supplies. I got another 1½ litre Pepsi Max Zero, a 1½ litre Fanta Orange for me for tomorrow (my ‘pig-out day’) + a bottle of the same Lanzarote red wine [John] had last night at 5 euros cheaper. He was going to order another bottle in the restaurant tonight at 12 euros until I suggested getting some whilst out… I returned to our hotel, pausing to take a photo of a ‘gold’ hibiscus… in full bloom. It was stunning.” 
17:14:58 …Janet came back with, among other things, another bottle of the same Vega de Yuco. I supplemented what was left in the first bottle with some from the second, and took the first bottle down with me to dinner, ca.6.30–7.15pm. I was feeling sleepy so lay down on the bed and slept. Janet reports that after she went to bed, ca.9.30pm, I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. Apart from the odd disturbance from painful feet, I slept through the night. [Friday 5 April 2013] |
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