Being sick costs much money

 I am standing at the registration desk of the hospital where I have an appointment with a doctor who is to determine the further treatment of my thrombosis in the left leg. 140€ says the nice gentleman behind the counter. With big eyes I look at him and say to him that I have already paid this last time. Yes he says, it costs 140€ every time. I get an invoice after the treatment from the nice lady on the other side. After I have paid, they let me go to the seventh floor to the doctor. The ultrasound confirms the diagnosis and they tell me that the treatment can take between three and six months.Sinfully expensive tablets, the package to 86€, range, just 14 days.  That will be an expensive fun, one can only hope that I get along with three months. All in all, the treatment has already cost over 1000€ so far and will cost far more than another 1000€, in this respect, replacing a rig, is a bargain. After the doctor's appointment, I get the bill from last time and from today. Again I get big eyes, in the emergency room costs an ultrasound just under 16€, today cost the same services 56€. When I ask how that can be, they just tell me that the specialist is more expensive. So slowly it becomes clear to me why our health system in Europe suffers from a permanent lack of money.

but the flowers in front of the hospital looks beautiful

At least we have now, until the next doctor's appointment, three months time and we can look at other islands in the Canaries. Besides, we haven't seen much of Tenerife yet either. For the ascent on the Teide you need a permit. You can get it online for free but you have to wait a few weeks because only a limited number of people per day are allowed on the Teide. We have received one for the 8th of April and are looking forward to the highest peak of Spain.

Super bike path in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

I get the bikes out of the locker, because we want to go for a ride. As expected, the chains were rusted together in the links. With WD40 I first loosened the rust, so that the individual links move again. After that I put chain grease on it and the chain looks like new. Unfortunately, you can't say that about my hands and Gaby is already yelling "Don't touch anything here!" After a short delay, we can start our trip. We drive to San Andrés. A bike path leads along the promenade Santa Cruz, out of the city. Passing the industrial port, we reach another marina, Puerto Deportivo Marina Tenerife. The disadvantage of this port is that it is so far outside the city, but in the adjacent industrial area there is everything you need for the ship and you get professional support. We continue for another kilometer and finally reach San Andrés.

Las Teresitas Beach San Andres, Tenerife

The sandy beach "Playa de Las Teresitas" is artificially filled and offers 1.5 km of wonderful swimming fun. For us, the water is still too fresh with just 19 ° C and we prefer to visit the small town. In the bar San Andrés, at the Plaza de la Iglesia, we stop and order something to drink and tapas. We sit outside in front of the bar and watch the hustle and bustle, on the square shaded by tall trees. It is Sunday, the fishermen stand with their beer bottle in hand and discuss world events. There it can become sometimes also quite loudly, in order to confirm its opinion. In the bar behind us, the noise level has already exceeded the mark of mandatory hearing protection anyway. The landlady and the host take turns to inquire about our condition. When they noticed that we did not make any signs to look for the distance, the attention let go. We enjoyed the atmosphere and while we sat there the sun winked through the dense foliage every now and then. Diagonally opposite is the church "Iglesia de San Andrés". It is one of the oldest churches on Tenerife and has no steeple. Instead, the bells are embedded in the portal wall.

We are waiting for the tapas, San Andrés, Tenerife

We leave this beautiful place and make our way back. Gaby is getting slower and slower and also my butt hurts quite a bit. Well, if you are not used to anything you have to suffer sometimes, but at least such health measures are much cheaper than a doctor's treatment.

Market day in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

It's market day once again. For me, that means miming the donkey again. As it should be for a donkey, he is tied up at the watering place and after all the shopping is done, he is picked up again. Since I do not run away voluntarily, Gaby renounces the tying up and puts me down in the bar in the inner courtyard of the market. Corona conditionally you have to queue at the greengrocer, because only a certain number of people are allowed to the stall. So that can take time and I order a beer. After Gaby has done everything, I am picked up again - there she is reliable - and we walk with handcarts and two fully loaded waterproof bags, back to the marina. In the meantime, the guys from Nordest have changed the top rigging and the backstays and forestay are still to be done. Whether we get this done in the next week and what is with our lithium batteries you will find out in the next blog on Glenswelt. Until then, we wish you fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.