In the morning we check out from our AirBnB and now it is time to take our relative for a second time to the airport to see if the plane will leave today. As the plane leaves at 2PM we arrive promptly at 11AM as recommended and we find that the check in is closed and no boarding passes will be issued anymore. This is because the airport didn’t update the time of departure so it assumes it already left and no boarding passes are issued in the last hour. Sounds easy to fix? Nope we have to beg and run from person to person until finally someone understand the issue and is able to issue the boarding pass and she can enter the secure area.
We however are now returning to the north of the island to visit the Anaga Rural Park. We had multiple hikes planned but that was before we spend the morning in the airport so we decide on only one trail that starts at the very popular Mirador Cruz de Carmen, it is a miracle that we find parking space really. The views from the viewpoint of the valley are quite nice but we are here to hike and see pigeons so on we go.
Finding the starting point of the hike is quite difficult already as it is using a slightly different name from Sendero Bosque de los Enigmas which we are searching for. but we find it in the end. No pigeons in the parking lot just a few other endemic birds. However we are hopeful as on the way we have seen a pigeon cross the narrow paved road, no way to stop there but who knows maybe we find it again here.
Instead of Bosque de los Enigmas the trail is marked as Hija Cambada, no problem as long as it is the same one as we hope. Because we want to do a loop not an out and back. And the trail starts down via steps. And then down via trail and then down again via steps. We are already dreading the return climb and just started at this point.
What we cannot complain is the beauty and the shade along the trail. The trees are forming a tunnel through which we are walking, beautiful and there are also quite a few flowers.
What we don’t find are any pigeons. Even after the trail levels out and the other hikers thin out the forest is silent and nothing is moving. Too bad really but we are undaunted and push on.
The trail is well marked or at least we manage to not get lost in this section. It is not like the trail is not obvious the problem is that many times multiple trails intersect and you don’t know which one to take.
And then up we go. And up and up via stairs and trails, very exhausting and hot, we are happy we have lots of water with us and that the shade is protecting us from the worst of the sun. And then we reach a stone wall, we are quite curious what it might be.
What it is is another overlook, the Mirador de Zapata. This is where we get the happy news that our relative is taking off, finally, back home and we try to spot the plane which unfortunately is on the other end of the island. What we see from here is San Cristobal de la Laguna, quite a nice view really from the overlook.
We cross the street and see what appears to be the continuation of the trail, it isn’t. Well it is on our GPS but given how overgrown it is we assume there is a bypass. Still using the old trail allows us to see again the local subspecies of Goldcrest, the Tenerife Goldcrest. It is quite confiding, probably because it hasn’t seen people on this trail for days.
The overgrown trail takes us to the main one at a major intersection. From here we follow the main trail up and up and even though we look and look there are no endemic pigeons. So overall we are going to miss on one of the two endemic pigeons unless we count the one we have seen in flight. And then it is time to return south to our accomodation for the night with a stop at the Guimar Pyramids on the way.
