Looking like something out of War of the Worlds  (the original , not the crappy Tom Cruise version) this picture really does show a Tenerife  invasion of sorts though of course not of intrastellar origin.

The black spiky things in the picture are lime urchins. In a balanced eco-system they have a very important role to play in  keeping the reefs and corals healthy but in Tenerife, the lime urchin population has exploded. They are hungry little blighters and munch their way across wide swathes of underwater landscape leaving not much edible matter in their wake. (Sort of like when my brother comes to visit)

Like the Tribbles in Star Trek  (again the original version) the urchins are insatiable and unless controlled they may end up eating the whole spaceship!!!  Aaaahhhh ….

Bumping back down to earth, the lime urchin invasion is not actually news. Plans have been afoot to curb the voracious  little buggers for some time – including turning them into a lunchtime delicacy – but as Pamela Heywood of  Secret Tenerife said:

It just goes to show you how important balance is, with the right number of the various members of the food chain hierarchy, each having their part in the “grand scheme” and, how important it is that we protect these marine areas and not keep overfishing them, nor tipping heaven knows what kinds of waste into them.

See this picture and more scuba diving photographs at the Tenerife Diving Gallery.

Andy over at Real Tenerife is gathering forces to let the world know how excited we all are about the epic Clash of the Titans movie that’s being partly  shot in Tenerife. Apparently there is a poll on at Empire Online with which you can share your level of anticipation between the ranges of  ‘I’d rather eat my feet‘ to ‘Best. File. Ever‘.

With Tenerife’s epic landscape as backdrop (not to mention Sam Worthington in various stages of undress) of course the movie is going to be a blockbuster.   And in a way, a vote for the movie is a vote for Tenerife as a fab destination for future moviemakers.  So.  Go. Vote.

I just don’t get Jazz, you know. To me it’s like listening to a cat with saucepan lids tied to its tail getting scalded over a pan of boiling porridge but hey… to each his own, right? I’ll stick to the Chinese Opera if you don’t mind.

But if you are into Jazz, then Arona council have got a treat lined up for you this weekend. Hie thyself and several like minded friends over to the Plaza de la Iglesia de Los Cristianos where on Friday 8th you can hear Guitarr Juice and Funkfarria strut their stuff.

(The video below is of Funkfarria playing ¨No Digas Nada¨ a Liquid Soul Band original -  credit to Kamenup for the Youtube upload.  Kamenup has uploaded several other videos of the Arona Jazz Festival so worth a look if you are a jazz fan).

On Saturday 9th it is the turn of Manolo Rodiguez on Jazz Guitar and Ann Peters doing her NU Groove.

III Arona Jazz Festival

Friday May 8th 2009 – 21:00 hrs
Guitarr Juice
Funkfarria

Saturday 9th May – 21:00 hrs
Manolo Rodiguez Jazz Guitar
Anne Peters Nu Groove

If you have ever wished that you could fly, if maybe as the plane banks over Tenerife, that you could just take over the controls and bring it in to a safe landing all by yourself, well now you can. Virtually.

Here is a review of Sim Giant’s Canary Islands Flight Simulator which they created because they said, “…it is wonderful pretty area with lot of tourism visiting this place.”

(A darkly cynical voice inside me wonders if it is also because Rodeo Airport Tenerife North is the location of the Pan AM / KLM collision which remains one of the worst airline disasters in history – only superceded by the toll of airplane related casualties suffered on September 11 2001).

Reviewer Bill Stack notes that features include:

• Detailed renditions of Tenerife North airport (GCXO), Fuerteventura Airport (GCFV), and El Hierro Airport (GCHI)
• Highly detailed scenery of the airport and its near surroundings
• Realistic runway and taxiway lighting
• All navigation systems
• Vehicular traffic on all major roads
• Numerous static and dynamic scenery objects
• Full night textures and night-lighting effects
• High resolution mesh terrain

Bill should know. He is the author of several books about flight simulation, a regular author in flight-sim magazines, and a contributor to Flight Sim Com. His website is www.topskills.com.

There have been quite a few comments and questions from people who have booked their holidays through Xcapewithus. Xcape themselves have made the following announcement:

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Please contact your accommodation provider directly to check that your booking will still be honoured by sending an email to customersupport@xcapewithus.com

PAYMENT BY CREDIT CARD or VISA DEBIT:
If the provider confirms that the booking will not be honoured, and your booking was made with a Mastercard or Visa credit card or a Visa Debit card, you will need to contact your card issuer for a refund. Please note that your card issuer will require proof that the booking will not be honoured.

PAYMENT BY DEBIT CARD or BANK TRANSFER:
If you have paid by Maestro, Switch, Solo or bank transfer we suggest that you check your travel insurance policy to see if you can make a claim.

If you are unable to reclaim your money through your travel insurance then please send an email to claims@xcapewithus.com (with the subject line: ‘Xcape With Us Claim’), please include your reference number. There is little likelihood of there being sufficient funds to enable these claims to be met.

In addition to the above, the comment copied below was posted by Jenny in the Xcape Goes Bust thread:

A word of advice – Xcape used various agencies (in Mallorca at any rate) to make their hotel bookings (such as Serhs and Hotelbeds) and they cancel direct with the hotel. Therefore the hotel cancel the booking, so please use the channels on the Xcape website, as otherwise you may turn up at your hotel to find there is no room. The hotels DO NOT get paid in advance (only after the holiday, sometimes as much as 3 months after) by the agents, and therefore they have no obligation to honour your booking. Sorry to disappoint but I work in reservations in a hotel, and know that we have had direct cancellations from agencies for bookings made originally with Xcape, and we have no way of informing a client as we don’t have their details.  CHECK FIRST is all the advice I can offer

Read the rest of the comments in the thread – Xcape Goes Bust

The Feria Flores y Plantas is a regular event in Las Galletas held along the Rambla at the front of the Cultural Centre. It is on  a little earlier this year with the opening at 5.00 pm on Friday 22nd May. The official inauguration is at 7.00 pm followed by a musical performance.

On Saturday 23rd May the flower festival stalls open at 10.00 am with the beautiful plants and flowers available for sale. A photo exhibition called III Maratón Fotográfico de Las Galletas opens at the same time and the children’s play area opens at 10.30.

The  flower arranging class which was very popular last year is at 10.30 and later in the day there is class in Infusions and Canarian Remedies which I bet would be very interesting.

The day is rounded off by another musical performance at 7.30pm.

On Sunday the stalls and kids’ play area open at the same times but this time the 10.30 class is about growing salad vegetables, the musical performance its at 6.00pm and at 7.00 pm there will be a presentation of prizes and certificates for the photography exhibition participants.

Here is a post about the  Las Galletas Flower Festival 2008 .