I have previously written about my reasons for heading to Gran Canaria following my month in Italy here, and in this post, I'll share what it was like spending 4 weeks in a small town where I didn't speak the language. My first day there was a bit of an eye opener, and I initially wondered what I'd gotten myself into. I was wandering around the town, trying to get my bearings, and I saw a van drive quickly across a car park. It suddenly stopped, the guy got out, and stopped a guy in another car. This other man got out, they started arguing, and the van driver punched him square in the face before driving off.
The car driver was now on the floor, but quickly got up, albeit quite bloodied. I headed in his direction, to see if he was okay, but then clicked I'd have no idea what to say, and he drove off anyways. It was a very surreal start to things, but thankfully, that was all the violence I saw during my stay.
I resumed my scout of the town, and soon realised there wasn't much there, bar a couple of small shops, and a few cafe's. I headed back to my apartment with a sandwich, and made the very adult decision that I needed to head to a supermarket later that day.
I didn't have a car for getting around, which would have been very useful for Pozo Izquierdo, and saw a big supermarket (Carrefour - it's bloody wonderful) was about a 45 minute walk away.
These long walks in the sun are never the most fun, but it wasn't too hard to find. The supermarket is in a great shopping centre, and if you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you pay a visit to the Centro Comercial Atlantico Vecindario, or to give it its English name, the Atlantic Shopping Centre.
As has often been the case while being abroad, I felt safe in these places, with masks being worn everywhere, and hand sanitiser readily available. I went a bit nuts with my shop, as knew I wouldn't be back here often, found a taxi to get me back to the apartment, and was so proud of my efforts I even took a photo. Here's more of that quality content I pride myself on.
After an eventful first day, things settled down, and I spent a lot of time in tiny Pozo Izquierdo. I did a bit of travelling around Gran Canaria later in the month, and where I was, in the south, felt a bit different to the more natural north. There are lots of big windmills around the town, which can be off-putting for some, and there is a more or less constant breeze blowing in from the Atlantic.
Pozo Izquierdo is renowned for its windsurfing, normally on the beach next to the main one (where the locals sit and catch some rays), and it's definitely worth a watch. These guys are incredible.
The beach I mostly frequented is the one the locals use, and it was never overly busy. It's mostly stony, and definitely takes some getting used to. Getting in and out of the sea was incredibly painful, especially as I didn't have suitable footwear for navigating the rocks. In the end, I would wear my trainers to the water's edge, and take them off there, before putting them back on for the walk to my towel. Genius. The water was beautiful. A lovely temperature and great for cooling off.
If you find a relatively comfortable place to sit (a lot of the wise locals had chairs), it's a great place to spend a few hours, and I tried to make it down there most days. I would bring my own water, but there's a small bar (Bar Pozo) next to the beach if you ever needed a cold drink or some food.
I was doing a lot more work here, which kept me busy, but it was difficult at times. I don't speak Spanish, so communication was hard, and as my other half had gone back to London, I was now on my own.
Things were made better though, by a random act of kindness from my neighbour. He didn't speak English, and as mentioned, I don't speak Spanish, but on a couple of occasions, he'd knock on my door, or holler through the open window, to bring me a plate of food he had cooked up. A lovely gesture I won't soon forget.
As mentioned, towards the end of my stay, I got to explore more of Gran Canaria as I'd hired a car, and met a couple of French travellers on a Facebook page, and this was much needed.
I won't forget my time in Pozo though. It's a lovely cute town, and I even ended up extending my stay there. The weather was really nice the majority of the time, and spending time on a beach in September/October was definitely a change from my norm. If you're ever in Gran Canaria, you could do worse than swing down to the south east part of the island, and check this little place out.
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