Gothic.net Community - View Single Post - A Trip To Tenerife (photo intensive thread!)

Ben Lahnger · 04-02-2006, 03:45 AM

A TRIP TO TENERIFE - 01b

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Exerpted from www.lanzarote.com:
For centuries, even after the Spanish conquest, it was believed that the islands were the uppermost peaks of the lost continent of Atlantis of which Plato wrote in his "Timeos and Critias".

Atlantis was a very large island located beyond the Pillars of Hercules (what we now call the Strait of Gibraltar) and it was inhabited by the Atlanteans of semi-divine origins. Atlantis was immensely wealthy and its inhabitants were the most advanced people of the world that in time degenerated becoming complacent and greedy. Zeus decided to punish them and in the course of a single night volcanoes and tidal waves destroyed the big island in a disaster of cosmic proportions. According to the myth, only the islands of Azores, Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde remain from Atlantis in the sea that took its name from this legendary civilization: the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlanteans monuments?: a central characteristic of the Atlantean empire was the use of a mixture of red, black and white stones. This extraordinary combination, most probably of volcanic origin, can be found all over the Canaries. On Lanzarote, the Guanches built long, conic pillar-like monuments in red, black and white stone. Due to seismic activity on the islands all except one collapsed. This remaining monument can be visited in Zonzamas near Arrecife.
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The islands are mostly volcanic with lava flowing to the sea which offer lovely views of the sea slapping against the volcanic rock. The sand on the beaches that exist are generally black which relects the volcanic rock of the islands. These islands are a part of Spain having been acquired through warfaring in the 1400's. They are a thousand miles south of Spain, so this is similar to the Hawaiian Islands being a part of the United States. The language spoken is primarily Spanish, but most people can communicate in English, and even in German, Dutch and other languages. Ben can speak some Spanish having taken some courses while in high school, and this was very helpful on a number of occasions.

Map Of The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands consist of seven main islands of which Tenerife is the largest and perhaps the most developed. The weather is quite consistant year round with an average high temperature in the low to mid seventies (Fahrenheit) and a low in the low sixties. While we were there they were experiencing a prolonged period of below normal temperatures and above normal rainfall. The temperature was a bit lower than normal but to a fella from Wisconsin in February it was s-o-o-o-o-o-o n-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ce!

04-02-2006, 03:45 AM	#3
Ben Lahnger Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Um, lower, oh yeah, uh, uh ... YES THERE! Posts: 6,738	A TRIP TO TENERIFE - 01b ----------------------------------------------------- Exerpted from www.lanzarote.com: For centuries, even after the Spanish conquest, it was believed that the islands were the uppermost peaks of the lost continent of Atlantis of which Plato wrote in his "Timeos and Critias". Atlantis was a very large island located beyond the Pillars of Hercules (what we now call the Strait of Gibraltar) and it was inhabited by the Atlanteans of semi-divine origins. Atlantis was immensely wealthy and its inhabitants were the most advanced people of the world that in time degenerated becoming complacent and greedy. Zeus decided to punish them and in the course of a single night volcanoes and tidal waves destroyed the big island in a disaster of cosmic proportions. According to the myth, only the islands of Azores, Madeira, Canaries and Cape Verde remain from Atlantis in the sea that took its name from this legendary civilization: the Atlantic Ocean. Atlanteans monuments?: a central characteristic of the Atlantean empire was the use of a mixture of red, black and white stones. This extraordinary combination, most probably of volcanic origin, can be found all over the Canaries. On Lanzarote, the Guanches built long, conic pillar-like monuments in red, black and white stone. Due to seismic activity on the islands all except one collapsed. This remaining monument can be visited in Zonzamas near Arrecife. --------------------------------------------------- The islands are mostly volcanic with lava flowing to the sea which offer lovely views of the sea slapping against the volcanic rock. The sand on the beaches that exist are generally black which relects the volcanic rock of the islands. These islands are a part of Spain having been acquired through warfaring in the 1400's. They are a thousand miles south of Spain, so this is similar to the Hawaiian Islands being a part of the United States. The language spoken is primarily Spanish, but most people can communicate in English, and even in German, Dutch and other languages. Ben can speak some Spanish having taken some courses while in high school, and this was very helpful on a number of occasions. Map Of The Canary Islands The Canary Islands consist of seven main islands of which Tenerife is the largest and perhaps the most developed. The weather is quite consistant year round with an average high temperature in the low to mid seventies (Fahrenheit) and a low in the low sixties. While we were there they were experiencing a prolonged period of below normal temperatures and above normal rainfall. The temperature was a bit lower than normal but to a fella from Wisconsin in February it was s-o-o-o-o-o-o n-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ce!