Carnival 2014 - No Fear!

 
 


Right up until the start there was little enthusiasm for this year´s carnival. First there was the relocation of the stage and evening activities. Instead of the car park near the sports hall and marina the venue was to be a desolate spot behind the Health Centre. Years ago this spot was used every year and getting there on foot was a somewhat risky and unpleasant experience. When confronted about this the powers that be allegedly replied that it was something to do with a concert during the week by a very famous Colombian singer. Not convincing!

Second there was the theme, which this year was to be Fear (or Terror). How would this be different from Halloween? Greyrocks racked its brains (no pun intended!) for a week or more but inspiration didn´t come! Then something quite else got us watching YouTube clips of Monty Python,


We watched the procession from our usual spot at the American Burger. Floats and costumes were rather duller than usual and in the streets there were Draculas and witches and not much else. Bob granted many pardons to locals who thought he was Pope Francis!

 



Ups and Downs

.. this is the theme for a post covering the period between Goa and Carnival:- a month of, well, ups and downs in a number of regards:

1. The Weather
2. The Sea
3. The Livelihood of Corralejo's Small Enterprises
4. Blood Pressure and Thumbs for The Big Toe Operation

A typical scenario!

1. There have been a handful of glorious afternoons, and very little rain, but the prevailing wind has been a strong N to NE and the evenings and nights have not been so cold in living memory. It takes organisation to get out there and enjoy a few hours of beach time, and Greyrocks hasn't! We have pootled about on foot and bikes, but Grandes Playas, the sea water, and indeed our own pool remain unsullied. There are no Climate Change Deniers chez nous!


2. There was however a trip across the water! Just after getting back we took the Fred Olsen fast boat over to Lanzarote to meet and lunch with John and Tracey from The Office in Palolem who were on holiday there. Owing to  a "cock-up on the planning front" we took the 12 noon ferry. Many are the times when we have watched it plough through rough seas and said how glad we were not to be on it! On this occasion we were, and it was unpleasantly  lumpy - and much longer in duration than the boasted 15 minutes! It was worth it though! We fortunately hit one of the warm afternoons and eight of us  - including daughters and partners enjoyed tapas and great chat, whilst all having a turn amusing young grandson. The return voyage was rather better!

3. Greyrocks has a new favourite place for a daytime drink! With a combination of the weather and some local fallings-out of favour we have taken to visiting much more frequently a "chill-out" bar in the "new" square. It is not exactly a suntrap, but the beer is ridiculously cheap, the music good and the service cheerful and attentive. It has recently been re-fitted by Brit owner Ian, whose partner, Juan, runs the Fish Spa next door.

We have also grown quite fond of the beach and pool side of what used to be Pura Vida, down near the Bahia Real 5* hotel. Now it is Mar Adentro. The service is sloppy but previous owners invested in some great Perspex screens on the beach, and the DJ plays some good music all afternoon.

A number of other bars - some very "British" - have gone under across the winter, but there are three types of business that are springing up everywhere: Italian coffee shops, take-away pizza places and surf schools. How many of these does a town need? Bizarre!


4. Finally an update on the Big Toe and the third and fourth false starts in terms of surgery.  Whilst in Goa a call came in as we were enjoying an evening at a beach shack. It was the hospital giving a date for an appointment on the day were due to fly back. It was surprisingly easy to renegotiate for a couple of days later and we started doing the mental arithmetic over recovery times etc, then Ruth ran over the dialogue again and became fairly certain that this was not for the toe operation at all, but for a mammogram discussed months previously. A week later - again an evening on the beach and a call from the hospital:- a new date-  a week after we would return - with the anaesthetist. Naively again we thought the operation might follow on, so we began preparations, including finding a tourist complex where the first few days could be spent without steps, and packing a bag.
On the day we killed some time in Puerto del Rosario including walking from the bus station to the hospital. This may not have been a good idea! Prior to seeing the anaesthetist a nurse took blood, did a weighing and an ECG, then blood pressure. Sky high! After a period of time this was re-done and was still unacceptable. The anaesthetist was surprised (and annoyed) that the Health Centre had never checked on the BP. "You haven´t been to GP much in two years!" "Well, I haven't been ill and I didn´t want to trouble them!" "You´re going to trouble them now: BP to be measured everyday at the same time for three weeks, and if necessary there will be medication". At this point the prospect of an operation and follow-up visit happening in March receded!

The next week was dominated by this project! At the first visit to the nurse once again eyebrows were raised and questions asked. Ruth was sent immediately to see our Cuban GP. Tablets! On the Saturday the measurement had to be done at Emergencies.- a boring wait! On the Sunday, ditto and a wait of two hours with all human life on display! Unsurprisingly the level was up! Since then Ruth has been let off for good behaviour as the nurse reduced the frequency, and the GP has stopped the measurements but continued the medication. The summer will be spent with the dodgy toe, and a look at the Waiting List on the Health Service´s website showed that this could run and run:- unlike Ruth!