I have spent the last week on a Spanish island off the coast of Africa. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? It wasn't. I know I sound like ungrateful bitch, but I spent the week wondering what I was doing there.
The island of Gran Canaria has way too many tourists on it, mostly oiled up, shirt free Scandinavians. There are so many tourists that the locals have lost all respect for politeness or customer service. Their only interest is to take your money. The first thing the receptionist said to us when we walked in was "Hey lady, I want to go home", the second thing he said was "Lady, no loud music after 10". No matter how cheap your hotel is don't ever greet your guests with a selfish, unwelcoming, rude comment. At our three star hotel we had to pay 6 euros a day for internet. The TV had a slot machine for coins, and if you want a remote you have to pay for that too. For example if you want a cup of tea with your breakfast you have to HIRE a fricken kettle. Give me a break people! By the way, the hotel bar played loud, horrible music way past ten.
There is almost no chance to get a taste of the Spanish culture in the town we stayed in known as Puerto Rico. Many of the restaurants are Scandinavian or British owned, and nearly none of them sell Spanish food. We could buy the Norwegian newspaper at the hotel convenience store, and the British people who come to the island to work learn Swedish faster than they do Spanish. I think there is something wrong going on. Most of the tourists aren't interested in learning about the place they are visiting. So they create restaurants with familiar languages and flavours. Most of the inhabitants are sick of being invaded then ignored, so they don't show respect back.
Lesson learnt: Be disrespectful and a chain of disrespectfulness has begun.
P.S I can't deny that I enjoyed seeing blue skies again. Especially when they include palm trees. And, I got to eat my favourite ketchup and mustard popcorn from the candy shop.
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