Sunshine...you make me happy, when times are grey. (Day 1, Sunday, 28th November ‘2010)

It was 7 o’clock in the morning in Fuerteventura, same as UK but very, very warm. I had a huge smile on my face when I woke up. The sun was shining bright through the windows (as I had left the curtains un-drawn) and I could see the palm trees swaying in the wind. The sun-light was so strong that it lit up the entire room and made it warm. Wow, how amazing that moment was, in fact the remaining of the 3 mornings.

This morning was the 28^th of November a Sunday. Finally after 15 minutes of lazing around in bed I got up. Brushed my teeth, got washed and dressed. I had decided to wear my green skirt, and my pretty golden flip-flops. It took me a long time to get dressed as I had no help but I was ready before 10:00 am, (well that is when the breakfast buffet closes) and I was downstairs at breakfast at 9:00 am. Well a lady at the buffet hall took my room number and checked my all inclusive band around my arm and then guided me towards my table. She thought I was Spanish and began conversing with me in Spanish and I said ‘sí ... pero no sé español!’ (meaning: yes...but I don’t know Spanish), thank God I do know the basics. Learnt it at University when I was living in Bath). Anyways, she looked at me (she must be wondering, thats odd), and then began in English ‘would you like tea, coffee or juice, how else I help you’ she spoke in her broken English. I asked for orange juice and asked her if she could help me with the buffet, she agreed with a smile. Soon I had a fresh vegetable omelette, a few freshly cooked pancakes with loads of strawberry and caramel sauce and a couple of slices of red, juicy water melon in my plate. I was so hungry gobbled it all up.

After breakfast at around 11:00 am our travel company that is Thomas Cook invited us to a holiday presentation. This was really good as they explained us what things to do in and around the resort. They had even organized a day’s free trip to the Fuerteventura city but unfortunately I could not go on those trips as it was not wheelchair accessible. After the presentation I went up to the lady and asked her if there was an alternative. While she was looking into it, a lovely couple came up to me and asked me that somehow we’ll put your wheelchair in the coach as long as you can manage to climb up the coach stairs (his wife was also in a wheelchair but a manual foldable and could walk with crutches), whereas I had not climbed stairs since a last year now. Anyways I signed myself in for the trip on Tuesday. The couple Victoria and John were pleased, even I was delighted to meet up with them. We talked for a bit (they were from Scotland, here for a week escaping the cold), but they had booked a taxi so they had to go but we promised to meet at breakfast the next morning, and take it from there.

After exchanging good-byes I was once again on my own. Went to the cafeteria down stairs had a drink and decided to visit the beach outside. The day was warm and sunny and I enjoyed every bit of it. Way to ‘Palaya beach’ the sign said on the back entrance of the hotel. Therefore I followed it and went out. I could see the bright blue Atlantic and the sand gleaming in the sun. The palm trees swaying in the warm wind, all planted along the pathway (which seemed like infinity) alongside the beach. And me on the beach all alone, all alone I thought, how boring, oh no I am not going to get bored and ruin my holiday, I have to make myself enjoy this loneliness, and soon I wasn’t lonely any more I was just happy and alone and ready to have lots of fun on my own.

As I went along the path I saw many people were sun bathing and kids running along the beach and some playing in the sea in their bathing suits. The beach is all wheelchair accessible, but I didn’t go on the beach as the wheel of my chair would get stuck in the sand, and as I was on my own had no help, so I was better off on the pavement. But it was all beautiful anyway. As I was wheeling along the path I took loads of pictures and I also asked random people passing by if they could take my pictures as well. Almost all the tourist knew English. I shall be uploading all the pictures on my blog post for you to enjoy as well.

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