We have been in sunny Fuerteventura for over two weeks, but first we nearly didn't get here, and second we have spent a lot of time on what was a simple task just a year ago! This little film came up on the local forum and says it all:
Back in the summer we saw a great deal with Ryanair, which along with our Canarian residents' discount would get us both here from Barcelona with big bags for a total under 60E. Our credentials for the discount were accepted, but there was a notice about what would (after Sept 1st) have to be shown at the airport. We thought our special green things were OK and arrived at the airport just after 5.15 am.
Time, then, to use Ruth's recent UK state pensioner status to get a Canarian Health Service card. Notice the colours in the logo. This does not bode well - (The Greyrocks Theory of Perverted Customer Loyalty) - but it had been so simple for Bob. Stage 1: Take a bus to Puert del Rosario. On the way we passed Elaine the Hairdresser chatting to a client, and were told that we would need an appointment:- a new policy! Back to the ranch! It is quite straightforward to do this online and we made one and took a later bus. Stage 2: A textbook encounter including praise for R's Spanish - and we got the relevant stamps and paper :- easy! We even managed a very nifty interchange between buses to be back at the Health Centre much earlier than expected and ready for the next bit! Last year Bob had waltzed in with the same papers and emerged with a card, a GP and an appointment. This time Stage 3 lasted eight days. First there was the lack of another copy of the new proof of address document. In on Monday with that, but another paper was missing so Bob did a dash back for it, only to find the computer said no ( well, not, yet in fact!). The receptionist would ring on Tuesday. She did - to say come on Wednesday! We did :- still no association between S1 and Social Security number! She suggested two days off and a return on Monday. It worked! A celebration drink (non-alcoholic as it was a Moth day)! Watch this space!
So - the full Monty on our journey:
Back in the summer we saw a great deal with Ryanair, which along with our Canarian residents' discount would get us both here from Barcelona with big bags for a total under 60E. Our credentials for the discount were accepted, but there was a notice about what would (after Sept 1st) have to be shown at the airport. We thought our special green things were OK and arrived at the airport just after 5.15 am.
We waited in the queue for check-in watching all the normal Ryanair ritual humiliations confident of a smooth ride, but no! "Where are your travel documents?" We offer the green things. "No - the ones from the Town Hall!" We try something else . "Too old - wrong thing!". Off to the Ryanair office to offer to happily pay the discount. NO - only a new ticket! Before we got to the horror of asking what it would cost to buy again the seats we couldn't use she points out that this would have to be done online - in Terminal 1 which is a 10 minute ride on a shuttle bus, and we were now about 50 minutes from take-off! This is - of course - all administered with the charm for which Ryanair is so famous - not! (They - of course - can just pocket the takings from such events!)
So we had to start again. We went to Terminal 1 and looked at possibilities. The details of what Vueling could do to get us to GC or Lanzarote are now a confused mass with 4-figure sums associated, so we set up the laptop and began a hunt. (At one stage a young German woman asked if she could use it to look for fresh flights to Tenerife following the same rejection - and she had a dog!)
The best thing we could do was Air Europe via Madrid later in the morning, so we paid up, and have been mumbling about swings and roundabouts ever since. Barajas airport transfer was easy as it was the same plane, and our pick-up by Dave was re-scheduled. We were in the apartment by 5.30 (It had been beautifully cleaned by Sandra!)
After a day of recovery we went to the Town Hall outpost to see about getting the documents in question. The employee said there had been many problems associated with the new law. It seems the intention is to cut down on discounts for people who have residencia but are no longer actually living on the islands. We were issued with PINs so that we can print our own, along with a general proof of address. This all works very efficiently!
Time, then, to use Ruth's recent UK state pensioner status to get a Canarian Health Service card. Notice the colours in the logo. This does not bode well - (The Greyrocks Theory of Perverted Customer Loyalty) - but it had been so simple for Bob. Stage 1: Take a bus to Puert del Rosario. On the way we passed Elaine the Hairdresser chatting to a client, and were told that we would need an appointment:- a new policy! Back to the ranch! It is quite straightforward to do this online and we made one and took a later bus. Stage 2: A textbook encounter including praise for R's Spanish - and we got the relevant stamps and paper :- easy! We even managed a very nifty interchange between buses to be back at the Health Centre much earlier than expected and ready for the next bit! Last year Bob had waltzed in with the same papers and emerged with a card, a GP and an appointment. This time Stage 3 lasted eight days. First there was the lack of another copy of the new proof of address document. In on Monday with that, but another paper was missing so Bob did a dash back for it, only to find the computer said no ( well, not, yet in fact!). The receptionist would ring on Tuesday. She did - to say come on Wednesday! We did :- still no association between S1 and Social Security number! She suggested two days off and a return on Monday. It worked! A celebration drink (non-alcoholic as it was a Moth day)! Watch this space!
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