Visitors arriving.

[pilgrim]

The BBC have said that over 1000 Africans have arrived in the Canaries in the last 48 hours.
Unfortunately they are not the sort of visitors who will be spending money!
The BBC go on to say that in 2006 over 35,000 people arrived by boats from West Africa. I do remember seeing some having landed on LG beach that year! But had no idea that 35,000 arrived.
I think that the authorities may have kept the number private, so as not to alarm people!
What do you think?

[nophead]

Yes Janet Anscombe is reporting similar numbers and also referred to 2006, so it must be true as she has just been given an MBE by the queen.

[pilgrim]

I have no doubt that it is all TRUE! But was not aware of 35,000 arriving in 2006! That's why I wondered if
these figures were kept quiet, so as not to put of visitors or alarm the locals. Pretty sure they were kept quiet!!

[nophead]

If you google 'cayuco crisis' there are plenty of articles about it, so I don't know how secret it was. 6000 drowned as well apparently.

I don't remember hearing of it but I wasn't looking for news about the Canaries in 2006, we did Mallorca and Menorca that year and didn't get back the Canaries until 2015.

I wouldn't have known about it now if I hadn't read JA's blog. I don't think there is any mention of it in the British news. I expect it was in Spanish news though.

[will]

Tuesday could be the end of British visitors for a while if the Spanish government announce that all arrivals from countries with a higher COVID rating than 50 in 100000 , must have a negative test confirmed in the 48 hours before flying.

[nophead]

I saw that in the Sun but no see no mention of it on the BBC or from the UK government emails I get about changes in travel to Spain.. Where did you see it?

[pilgrim]

TV BBC teletxt, then in news. just checked it is no longer on there!! Rolling news stream (slowley).

[will]

CANARIANWEEKLY.com

[Georgie]

Sorry but is anyone actually arrived xx

[will]

Don’t know about arrivals , but September the 9th 1492 was the date Christopher Columbus left the Canaries.

[cs]

Georgie - if you mean tourists then the answer is yes, we arrived at the beginning of October and although it’s quiet it’s not dead by any means, we’ve eaten out most nights and everywhere we’ve been have had steady business, last Saturday there were actually no tables available at the Green Corner. There are a number of places closed and some places aren’t open every night they used to be but there’s still plenty of choice.

[unhappy]

Still no news about our holiday next week from Tui, don't understand why, checked flight radar they are flying into Tenerife from some of the worst infected areas of Europe.

BA and Ryanair are flying into Tenerife so there must be an air corridor.

[nophead]

I think an air corridor means you can travel without quarantine at either end. So there isn't one at the moment from UK to Tenerife because you have to quarantine on the way back.

[angiebabes]

Am amazed that Ryanair cancelled our flight out for 20/10 just last week and today the refund was in my account!! I was anticipating four months at least from what I’ve read in fb etc., so am pleased with this result.

[Georgie]

People I know are using British airways from Heathrow

Not sure if they fly to tenerife but they say prices are very good

[angiebabes]

People I know are using British airways from Heathrow

Not sure if they fly to tenerife but they say prices are very good

What information are you trying to impart Georgie?

We know British Airways fly planes out of Heathrow and that they fly to many destinations.

I don’t live anywhere near Heathrow
 
I only want to fly to Tenerife

Prices to where and when are very good?

This kind of post generates such negative comment and I wonder why you posted it?

[unhappy]

angiebabes, some people in the UK think London is the only place on the planet, he can't help it, he is thick but he does have a degree.

Nophead please explain what you are saying, when flights are flying from around the UK into Tenerife or is London along with other airports that are special places that quarantine is not needed. I did not hear that from our PM today or before.

[nophead]

There are currently no air bridges between Spain and the UK. You have to self isolate for two weeks when you return to the UK. Some people, like myself, could put up with that for a long stay but most working people or parents with kids in school can't afford to do that for short holidays, so flights numbers are well down.

That is why most airlines have stopped completely and Ryanair and Easyjet seem to be running reduced services. They don't need an airbridge to operate, they just don't have many customers while there isn't one.

There have been talks about setting one up to the Canaries with free covid tests at each end but that is not a thing yet, just a proposal. Perhaps Tui don't want to operate without that in place because they won't have enough customers to make it worthwhile but I am sure they could fly if they wanted to.

There are very few countries left on the list of places you can go without quarantine. Not sure if you would call those an air bridge or not.

[nophead]

So we flew out on Friday morning with EasyJet. There are about 1 in 120 in the UK with covid at the moment and we came out of hot spot, so chances are there were several people with it on the plane. A girl on the row in front of us did have a bit of a cough!

As it is the most risky thing we have done since the pandemic we wore KN95 FFP3 face masks, which have a rubber seal to your face and a filter to breathe through. I.e. they are to protect you. And we also wore 3D printed full face visors to protect out eyes. So basically the same setup medics wear and we also snorted First Defence anti-viral nasal spray.

We looked out of place because everybody else on the plane had the usual blue surgical masks, which are to protect others or the black cloth ones which don't do much at all I think. KN95 masks are not very comfortable for a 4 hour flight but they are rated for 8 hours and only cost £6.99 each.

The plane was busy but not completely full. I think EasyJet arranged the seating so there was at least a one seat gap or the isle between strangers. I.e. you only sit next to your own party but you can be directly in front or behind strangers. They also seemed to have two blocks of about 3 empty rows splitting the plane into 3 sections. I assume these are firebreaks, so that if people have to isolate because someone tests positive it isn't the whole plane.

Most of the other passengers were young or middle aged. We were amongst the oldest. I think older people are giving it a miss and our apartment block is almost empty. Just a few permanent residents who are working age.

Had to take the masks off for three passport checks, which they obviously need to do, but not good from an infection control point of view. Also the finger scanner to exit passport control makes no sense because with only three of them a third of all the passengers arriving have touched them. There are plenty of alcohol gel dispensers though.

All the shops and cafes in Manchester airport were open. We went to Giraffe for breakfast and the food was fine but their covid IT was rubbish. We had to scan a giant QR code on entry for track and trace but my Android phone would not recognise it. They said it worked with Apple! I then tried to type in the weird URL they had but Google decided to search for it as it didn't look very URL like. I decided to walk away at that point but they then offered paper and pen.

At the table we scanned a QR that did work to order the food but when I tried to check out it came up with a "developer error", so we had to order from a waitress and pay contact less. The first credit card I tried got declined, so I had to use a second one. So really a 100% fail. In contrast we did this in Wetherspoons in August and it all worked perfectly. Their app could even take a picture of a credit card and read the data from it.

In LG a lot of places are shut but all the ones we rate seemed to be open but quiet on Saturday lunch time apart from Tipsy Terrace. I expect it will soon get busier.

A photo shop we use to print boarding passes at the top of the hill below the mirrador was closed with a message saying it was closed for medico on the 23rd. That looks ominous because we did notice the case count in Santiago del Teidi region go up by one! We can always use our phones but I never trust them to work, so prefer to take paper which never fails.

[unhappy]

Of course that really helped when people went to the toilet, the prices rocketed over Friday night, they are already coming down today.

[pilgrim]

Nophead, thank you that is a very helpful post! We are coming out now week after next, unless things and isolations change!

[nophead]

Had a look around Puerto de Santiago and the start of Playa Arena today (Sunday lunchtime).

Open:
   Capuccino Maria,
   La Pergola.
   Fishermans Inn.
   L'Italiano.
   Tapas e mas tapas.
   Neptuna.
   Am Eck.


Closed:
  Kiosco Da Yago - looks derelict.
  Casa Pedro (great tapas but they have turned their illuminated hording inside out, so it doesn't look promising and the tapas bar next door was also closed.
   Route 66 the outside tables looked dusty, so I don't think it has been open recently.

[Jinty]

Hello everyone, can anyone tell me if the TUI hotel is open, the one next door to TJ's bar. We are due to arrive 10 Nov with TUI. Flights appear to be leaving from Glasgow from 3rd Nov. Thanks

[nophead]

It was closed last time I passed it a few days ago. There was a light on and one car that looked like there was a member of staff doing something inside.

[pilgrim]

I did read somewhere that it was opening in November! But what date?

[nophead]

Unlike some tour operators, I don't think TUI would fly you to a closed hotel.

[Jinty]

Thanks all for your answers. Now COVID PCR tests are applicable from 10Nov the day we were to fly. Impossible to get a private test at weekend to allow the 72 hrs before departure. Reluctantly we have changed to later on next year. Will the mess be sorted out by then, who knows! I also suspect the Los Gigantes Hotel is closed until 1st January 2021, as no bookings online until that date. TUI have told me the hotel is open, they dont know what they are doing they are such a mess. The COID test just put the tin lid on things 

[nophead]

The test is mute now because the lockdown on Thursday prevents travel before it comes into effect.

[Jinty]

The ban on travel is not applicable in Scotland as yet. So we would have needed the test. Who knows we might well follow all depends on wee Nicola.

[pilgrim]

We are booked to fly out on November 5th for 3 weeks. From what I understand you are allowed to fly for business but not holiday, which I agree with. We have had building work done, which I need to see and also approve the next stage, which includes choosing tiles/finishes etc.. And I also need to pay workmen and other people like gardener, cleaner etc.. Over the years rightly or wrongly we have paid these people in cash, with Euros we have brought out or taken from the village bank. It seems the Tenerife way!
If I am able to change or purchase a new return flight so I am only there a week, and my wife will not come as I can do this business on my own. Do you think I will be operating within the latest lockdown directives!
Please, no long moral opinions.