(no subject)

About 18 months ago I had a weeklong meeting in the Canary Islands and
debated whether or not to take along my Feathercraft or possibly Klepper II
(potentially to have someone join me in paddling). I decided because of the
Canaries’ rich nautical tradition, including the fact that Hannes Lindemann
started his Atlantic crossing in a Klepper from there, that I could save
myself the extra baggage and rent on arrival. In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
I searched all over and could find nothing. Someone at a surf shop
recommended the local paddling club, but I was never able to rouse anyone
there. Finally someone assured me that although there were no kayaks for
rent in Las Palmas, I’d have no trouble finding plenty on one of the island’
s southern resort beaches. He described exactly where to look. I scoured all
of the beach-front locations along the southern coast. Never saw a kayak.
Never even found anybody who knew what a kayak was. Finally at a dive shop
in Puerto Rico on the southwest corner of the island I met a Brit who was
working there for the summer. She took me to meet her friend who ran a
speedboat-hang gliding operation and owned a plastic Ocean sit-on-top for
his own pleasure. He said that as far as he knew no one had ever come
looking for a kayak to rent. He couldn’t imagine that there would be a
marker in kayak rentals. After sharing our appreciation for the joys of sea
kayaking he offered to rent me his, the only kayak on the island as far as
he knew. I did a day paddle north as far as Puerto de Mogan and back,
stopping to rest and have lunch at what turned out to be a nude beach where
I was at least tolerated, even warmly welcomed even though I took nothing
off; this, while they chased away motorboats that ventured into the cove.
Apparently the kayak and kayaker, although alien to the Canarians, are
accepted on sight as harmonious with the natural order of things.

Andy

carljohn_at_hsc.usc.edu



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