The windward eastern side has, understandably, more cloud cover and is therefore not as hot. Above the cliffs of the Mirador del Concepción runway by the city of Santa Cruz on the eastern shore the reliable tree meters come even under cloudy skies, the reflection of the sun on the ocean surface somewhere in the distance is enough.



    The runways on the leeward southwest part of the island are covered from the East by the high crest of the volcanoes and after the sun warming throughout the day the begin to be reliably blown up by the thermic flow into the mountains from the right directions. Each cliff is a marked break line for the ascending currents and their stability and huge width following the all day sun warming creates the impression of banking on the shore winds.



    All the runways on the island are perfectly safe. Maybe only the one on the sharp side of the cliff above Mirador el Time requires a very weak wind and brings to mind, just before take off feelings of slight tightening around one's stomach and sometimes other organs. This unpleasant feeling disappears immediately after take off and is replaced by euphoria.

    Our abundantly used frequency 147.520MHz is unusable on the Canary Islands, as it is reserved for naval transport. It is for this reason that most local pilots tune their radios to 143.050MHz and it is a smart move to do so as well. By conversation on this frequency it is possible to quickly ascertain how the winds are blowing up there on the runways or even on other parts of the island.


Fuencaliente (Los Canarios) Village
    On southern tip of the island, in the southernmost point of the main road, which winds around the entire island lies the small village of Fuencaliente (Los Canarios). Thanks to the 700 meter altitude, not only is even in the steamy summer the temperature pleasant, but right above the village, a range of deep and expansive pine forests begins, in which there is sufficient moisture for mushrooms, which surprisingly, none of the locals gather.





    Directly beneath the forest range the large Tunera cacti are abundant, whose round, thorny fruits on the edges of large flat leaves are red and sweet on the inside and have a remarkable taste. Were it not for the laboriousness of removing the thorns, we'd have stuffed ourselves with them several times a day. Several hundred meters lower down oranges, lemons, tangerines, avocadoes, papayas, almonds and delicious Guyaba, which look like our small yellow pears, but only on the outside, begin to appear in gardens and even growing freely by the roadside. I am certain that in all our lives we haven't eaten so much and such a variety of fruits as we did during our stay on the island of La Palma.





    The village of Fuencaliente (Los Canarios) is known for one other item of interest. Although in resident families of La Palma, the men always make the decisions (how else should it be, right?!), in this village it is for some bewildering reason the complete opposite. But no one was able to explain to us how such a fateful mistake was made. Personally I believe it must have been that all the men of the village were poisoned by sulfur vapors rising over several months from molten, erupting lava from the majestic eruption in 1972 they had to be totally groggy and unable to influence events for at least six months.

    Merchants drive through the village each morning and offer fresh fish, caught off the shore below. We didn't resist and for dinner fried and decimated four each for a mere 120 Crowns, in conversion. With garlic, covered in flour, topped with lemon they tasted truly excellent. In addition , Winston showed up with a fresh fruit salad of Guayaba, lemons and who knows what else. The unfamiliar combination of unusual flavors was truly first class and we thought nothing better could possibly be invented. But we hadn't yet realized what great food of excellent taste they could prepare in the local pub, "Parrilla Grill".