Puerto de la Cruz. 6

Spending a week in Tenerife, in the north of the island at Puerto de la Cruz. Wanted to hire a bike for some trips out and although there are loads of car/scooter/bicycle hire places they all seem to want to charge the earth for short term hire. For example, for two hours they want a days hire fee 20€. Just not worth it. Managed to find a place today that agreed, after a bit of negotiation to charge 6€ for 2 hours. That's more like it.
Cant get the photos on yet, come back Friday when you will see Mother Theresa!

Couldn't get these on yesterday, did not get home till 11pm as our flight was diverted from Exeter (fog bound) to Bristol. After waiting over 2 hours for our bags, a coach trip to Exeter to collect the car and a drive home, doing this post was not on the list of priorities!

Bike Hire

Very short sighted some of these bike hire places.  Some want a days hire charge  (20 euro) for a 2 hour loan.  Looking around, this means the bikes sit there day after day doing nothing.  This place, near the beach, were happy to let me have a BTWIN bike, quite a good quality one, for 6 euro for 2 hours. Helmet included. That will do.

Loro Parque

One of the biggest zoos in the world, this one is just outside Puerto de la Cruz and seemed a good place to focus on whilst doing a circuit of the town.  Much further afield it is quite steep hills away from the coast, after all, I am on holiday!  This zoo has penguins on a large artificial ice burg, the largest collection of parrots in the world, plus all the usual lions, tigers and of course a dolphinarium. Not our cup of tea for a visit to be honest, not at £35 each.

Playa Maria Jimenez

Having cycled to the zoo via the town, went back along the coast road.  This is a beach close to the zoo and like many beaches in the Canaries, black volcanic sand.

Street Art

Quite an impressive piece of street art on the end of a building.  It takes up the whole end of a house. I think there must have been a competition or exhibition here at some time because there is a lot of it about, not very easy to photograph unfortunately.

Mother Theresa

As promised.  Getting back into town where the tourists are, the mime artists are more noticeable.  This photo cost me a euro which duly went into her tin.  I think she might have blessed me, not sure. Not a bad way to earn a living judging by the amount of people contributing .  She wasn't selling handbags by the way, couldn't do much about the shop sign stuck there although it was handy to prop the bike up.

Just a 6 mile jaunt, not much for the week but at least another place to put in the cycling diary.