A VISIT TO TENERIFE:
The Eagles of Teide
July 22nd
 The day was spent wonderfully! After breakfast in our apartment we (that’s me, my Dad and my sister) ordered a taxi and drove to the ecological park “Las Aguilas del Teide” (The Eagles of Teide) located on the island of Tenerife.
It is one of the Canary Islands.
The trip took us an hour. We were driving towards the southern coast of the island. We admired the Canarian landscapes, the peak of the Mount Teide seen far-far away.
As soon as we arrived, we entered the park. We found ourselves in the world of beautiful and unforgettable nature.
The park was created in 1979 to protect unique species, which are mainly on the verge of extinction.
The rare and valuable plants displayed have been collected from all over the world. There we saw palms and cactuses from African deserts, bamboo from China, and even camomiles, which reminded us of our Russian fields.
We also entered a cave with stalactites, and saw the falls and a damp marsh with lilies seen from the crack in the rock.
We laughed at a female elephant that was walking with the park attendant. And at the puma who was also walking like a dog with his master.
We saw a few crocodiles sleeping motionless in the sun and hippos walking slowly like snails.
 To everyone’s surprise we saw penguins. The dwellers of the cold regions felt as if they were at home.
Then we admired the red panda brought from China for protection. There are fewer and fewer pandas on our planet.
After a snack (we had a few sandwiches and some fresh orange juice) we watched “the eagle show”. The eagles were flying from tower to tower, and ate fish from the instructor’s hands. They were also flying above the tourists’ heads, but we weren’t afraid of them.
Some of the birds and animals don’t live in cages; they enjoy their life in wild nature, but only those that are harmless to men.
The paths are either empty or full of tourists from different countries, so we could hear English, Spanish, French, German, and, of course, Russian spoken.
The air is fragrant with the blossoming flowers of various colors. The territory is clean and frequently washed, so it’s really pleasant to walk there.
We really enjoyed this trip, took many photos and made a video-film.
By Alexander Derbaremdiker,
Polytechnic College No. 8, Moscow |