Today would be a day filled with excitement, but it started somewhat slow. We were all tired from the flight from the US, and the girls were out late the night before. As a result, we lounged away the morning. After lunch we decided to head out to enjoy a beautiful day in Santa Cruz. Catalina and Guillermo had been telling us about some stone piers that were fun to jump off, so we thought we’d check them out.

The walk through Santa Cruz was beautiful, with trees in bloom and a bright, blue sky.

After about 30 minutes, we reached the piers, where we met up with Diego. The views back towards the volcanic island of Tenerife were stunning.

We started by walking out onto the shorter of the two piers, which is known locally as “Cory.” The pier (or “muelle” if you speak Spanish) was built in 1912 for use by the British firm Cory Brothers and Company (which is still going strong). In the early days of travel by steam, Tenerife was a vital resupply point for coal for boats travelling between Europe and the Americas or Africa. The pier was built to load and unload coal, and you can still see the rails that were used to transport coal. There were also chutes in the stone pier that (according to the internet) could be filled with gunpowder to destroy the pier in the event of an invasion by a hostile force. Today, the water around the piers is clear, and piers are used for sunbathing, fishing, and general tomfoolery.

We had a great time jumping off El Muelle de Cory, and then shifted to the nearby Muelle Alemán – the German Pier. Even with a little internet sleuthing, I couldn’t figure out the history behind this name. This muelle is a little taller than Cory, making the plunge from the top a little more exciting.

The water wasn’t exactly warm, but it wasn’t cold either. It was invigorating, and we had a great time.

After frolicking for a couple of hours we decided to meet up with the rest of the crew at another spot along the waterfront. We had hoped to walk through the local botanical garden (a palmetum), but when we got there we discovered that it was closed for Carnaval. Instead, we decided to walk to the cafe in the nearby opera house for a coffee. Along the way, we passed by El Castillo De Juan Bautista, a circular 17th Century fort.

There is a military museum inside the fort, but again everything was closed for Carnaval. Apparently, every year at the fort there is a reenactment of the Battle of Tenerife, which involved an unsuccessful attempt by Nelson (of Nelson’s column fame) to invade the island. We continued on to the opera house, which is another beautiful landmark in Santa Cruz. We were excited to visit in part because the opera house was used as the imperial palace in the recent Foundation series. We struck some heroic poses just in case anyone from casting was nearby.

Soon, it was time to head back to the apartment to begin getting reach for Carnaval. The girls had new costumes.

For reasons that remain unclear to me, the girls were a ladybug (Lydie), an angel (Catalina), and a cheerleader (Cassie). The adults had been discussing workable costumes for some time. While this crew largely favors Star Wars over Star Trek, those treckies know how to put together coordinated outfits for a landing party. As a result, Julie and I had brought some shirts with us from the US. Upon arrival, however, we learned that our costuming was a little too tame. Diego and I set out to find some wigs, while Julie and Teresa scrounged up some bedazzling supplies. The results were ridiculous in all the right ways.

Ever the scientist, Diego nailed it as Mr. Spock.

Julie and Teresa were our redshirts. Hoping that they would defy the odds and survive the night, we headed out into the jostling, boisterous crowds that were packing the narrow Spanish streets. Pounding music blared from every bar and restaurant we passed, and the positive vibes were infectious. We met up with some of Teresa and Deigo’s friends, and embarked on a legendary night laughing, cheering, and dancing.

With thousands of people cavorting in outlandish costumes, the night took on a fanciful quality, where the silly seamlessly mixed with the suave. Ridiculous things seemed somehow normal, like Julie chatting with an *ahem* adult film star while waiting for the bathroom. Somewhere along the way, I somehow ended up with a bone mallet…

… and I’m not sure where the glasses or the fan came from.

In our merrymaking, we didn’t *completely* forget about our children. With our phones, we checked in with them throughout the night. Our paths never crossed, as they were in the “younger” part of Carnaval, where the crowds were even bigger, the dancing more energetic, and the outfits even skimpier. Fortunately, Catalina and her friends took great care of Lydie and Cassie. Plus, if anything had gone awry, I was well-armed with a toy mallet.

Looking back and trying to write even a brief account of Carnaval brings a couple of caveats to mind. First, Carnaval really can’t be described in words. It has to be experienced. Second, Carnaval really shouldn’t be described in words. I don’t have any political aspirations, but to a certain extent a full account is probably not a good idea. All I will say is that we fully committed ourselves to enjoying the wonderful experience.

– Captain Kirk