Lanzarote 2024. Orzola. Dramatic sunrise. Meeting a hippie friend.

We began our Lanzarote adventure in Orzola, a charming village on the island’s northernmost point. When we arrived, its whitewashed houses, kissed by the ocean’s salty spray, sparkled in the fading light. Orzola was once a humble fishing village, but now it attracts visitors who come to board a ferry to the nearby island of Graciosa. Also, the GR131 hiking trail starts here, which was the reason why we decided to stay in Orzola. Despite the windy and gray weather the next day, we woke up early and headed out to chase the sunrise from the eastern shore. We were rewarded with a spectacular sight. The sun emerged from behind the clouds, smiling at us with a warm glow. We saw it as a sign of the successful journey we would embark on in a couple of days.

Before we set off on our hike, however, we had to meet our legendary nomad friend Simon and his faithful dog Paddy. Simon had been a globetrotter for most of his life. In the seventies, he hopped on a hippy bus from London to India - and that was the beginning of his road trip saga. He had many crazy adventures, which he later chronicled in his book. I was so fascinated by his stories that I translated one chapter into Russian and shared it in an article about Maldives travels. We also had a blast hitchhiking together in Ireland, where we faced some hilarious challenges. On one occasion, a generous bus driver let us ride for free, impressed by our adventurous spirit. On another, we ended up borrowing some wooden chairs from the police station, just for fun. As Simon approached his seventieth birthday, he decided to slow down a bit and bought a van that became his mobile home. He even drove it all the way to our house in the north of Portugal and together we discovered a secluded spot for skinny dipping in the Mondego river. For the past five months, Simon had parked his van on every beach on Lanzarote, enjoying the best winter weather in the world. We met him and Paddy on the Playa de La Cantería near Orzola. It soon turned out that we ended up walking on a narrow trail along the rugged cliffs which was not marked on any map. As always with Simon, even on a small Canary island he managed to inspire us with his adventurous character.