So what goes down on Tenerife?

[xrunner]

Yea I know I could Google it but that's no fun considering you all are right here.

Do you have hot and cold running water?

LOL - just kidding. 

What can a person do for a living? What industries exist there, or on the other islands? I guess I'd like to mainly know how people make a living there. I'd imagine tourism of course, but what else?

Thanks.

[Janet]

Bananas ...

One old economy was the cochineal beetle, famous for its red dye, for which opuntia cacti were deliberately grown. These are known as prickly pear fruit,  and the area where we live was a major area for them ... we live in Prickly Pear Road ...

In the future, the authorities hope, we'll have an oil economy, and apparently there are good oil fields in the sea between the eastern islands and Morocco in Spanish waters. They're starting exploration now.

But yes, tourism ...

[xrunner]

In the future, the authorities hope, we'll have an oil economy, and apparently there are good oil fields in the sea between the eastern islands and Morocco in Spanish waters. They're starting exploration now.

Eek. I'd hate to see an oil spill poison your beautiful paradise. We had the BP spill on the Gulf coast recently - a terrible disaster.

Be careful of the what the "Authorities" plan to do, where ever you live.

[Janet]

Absolutely. We were aware of that horrific spill, and there is a movement here headed by the regional government against exploration and, later, exploitation. It looks like going ahead, however, because Spain is broke ...

[xrunner]

It looks like going ahead, however, because Spain is broke ...

Well, we're broke too, and we have lots and lots of oil exploration. Go figure.

Maybe we can put in a good word for you at the Chinese bankers we borrow from.

[Michael]

Xrunner you should have a look here. There are some beautiful pictures of Tenerife. The website belongs to cyberhiker, a member of this forum. 

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

OH and I are not working.  We walk our dogs every day on the mountain behind the house.  We can spend endless days complying with Spanish bureaucracy which is sort of an occupation on its own.  Our ADSL speed is 10Mb/sec (up to 8 in practice).  Despite that when Perikles skypes me from a 10-minute drive away, we generally don't get a particularly good connection. 

We have hot and cold running water and use gas for the water heater.  The gas is in canisters and I have to phone the guy to deliver it when we run out.  Not as convenient as natural gas to your door but not really inconvenient. 

Some of my neighbours keep chickens and goats at their places.  Lots of them farm.  We do not live in a tourist area but in a little Spanish village which is lovely.  My next door neighbour speaks English, and there is an English family about 1/2k away, but other than that it is Spanish all the way. 

We face westward and many days enjoy beautiful sunsets looking out at the sea and our neighbouring island of La Gomera.  In fact we can see three other Canary Islands from our house.

Since tourism is big there are more restaurants than you could visit in a lifetime. 

Most ex-pats are experts in where to find "X" on this island.  There are supermarkets catering to the British, German and Italian populations.  When you can't get it, you order from Amazon in the UK and get free super saver delivery.  We have Ikea up in Santa Cruz so our house probably looks like yours. 

We all enjoy the many cross cultural moments life hands us on a daily basis.  Some we'd happily repeat, others not. 

Those are a few random thoughts on what it is like here. 

[xrunner]

Xrunner you should have a look here. There are some beautiful pictures of Tenerife. The website belongs to cyberhiker, a member of this forum. 

Wow. I'm speechless. You must feel very lucky to live there.

In August I'll show you pictures of all the dried up grass around due to lack of rain and the heat. 

OH and I are not working.  We walk our dogs every day on the mountain behind the house.  We can spend endless days complying with Spanish bureaucracy which is sort of an occupation on its own.  Our ADSL speed is 10Mb/sec (up to 8 in practice).  Despite that when Perikles skypes me from a 10-minute drive away, we generally don't get a particularly good connection. 

You said you were not working - you mean you are retired or don't have jobs right now?

I'm retired from the aerospace industry but I'm only 55.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Well, OH thinks he's retired and I suspect he is.  I am also 55 but too young to be retired.  My grand plan was to get a qualification to teach English as a foreign language, which I did, and which I should have done years ago as I never had such job satisfaction in IT/Telecoms.  However, the flaw in the plan was moving someplace where there are hundreds of qualified individuals who are more established than I am.  Nevertheless I keep my eyes open for opportunities.

I was out running one morning about a week ago and one of the grannies who I keep amused by doing so stopped me to see if I could tutor her grandson this summer, so I said yes, and we'll see how it goes.  I am having a hard time going from what I used to make in business, to what I made in the UK teaching at a university, to working for potatoes and onions here.  But perhaps I'll have to get my head around it. 

I wonder how many potatoes an hour I am worth?  Onions?  Cabbages?   

[Michael]

I wonder how many potatoes an hour I am worth?  Onions?  Cabbages?   

I'd hold out for 10kg.