DAY 2

The following day we woke up with lots of excitement Although getting out of bed was not easy, we were helped by the sun creeping through our windows like liquid gold. First up on our agenda were Spanish classes at a local language school. Unsurprisingly, some of us weren’t particularly energised by the thought of a 2-hour lesson first thing in the morning However, it turned out to be extremely interesting and interactive We learned a lot and had fun doing it! The teacher arranged several activities which taught us a wide range of vocabulary that came in useful later in our trip

Later, we ate lunch on the coach as we made our way to the pyramids of Guimar. They were unusual pyramids (maybe not what we expected!) and had a unique purpose Unlike the Egyptian Pyramids, they were not built to bury the dead –instead, they were made to align with the sun and moon on the shortest and longest days of the year, thereby showing the date and time They were unusual in appearance too as they were just layers of rock that got smaller as they got taller, a bit like steps. Interestingly, no one is sure when the pyramids we built, but most assume some time in the 18th century. We were told to think about that ourselves

During our tour around the pyramids, we took part in a treasure hunt that involved dressing up as pirates and competing against each other in challenges From quirky hats to drawn-on scars, some of us got very into character but others thought it was a bit clichéd In addition to the pyramids, we also got to see lots of exotic Canary Island plants and trees, as well as sustainable parks and beautiful views of the glistening ocean.

At the very end, we were presented with the chance to wander around the gift shop and the café Although the queue was long, most of us managed to buy delicious ice cream and a refreshing drink, perfect for the blistering hot weather. The gift shop sold many souvenirs, not just of the pyramids but of Tenerife as well We had a wonderful day but were exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel

After a much-needed break in our rooms, we split up again so that the other half of us could go to the cooking workshop, where they (finally!) made paella and various other Spanish delicacies We all had a very enjoyable night and went to sleep quickly again when we got back.

Day 3

On Wednesday, we had a continental breakfast before embarking on our trip to another Spanish lesson where we continued learning vocab to help us on our trip However, we were quite restless because we were desperate to move on to our next activity – a trip to the Siam waterpark!

Inspired by a Thai waterpark, Siam park is full of tropical plants and beaches as well as amazing water slides From plunge holes to lazy rivers, there were so many slides to try out!

We arrived in the scorching heat of a Tenerife early afternoon ready to go off and explore Although food was promised when we got there, there was no café for us to have our lunch in sight. It turned out that the booking had got lost and we couldn’t eat until 3 Nevertheless, we still had an amazing, if slightly hungry, time In fact, it meant we could head straight to the big slides without having to cope with an overly full stomach!

We went off in our groups of 3 or more and enjoyed an amazing afternoon of fun One of the best slides (if that's your thing!) was the Volcano. In a 4 person rubber ring, you are catapulted into complete darkness as you plummet through the bubbling rapids that represent the island’s central volcano This is followed by a laser light display before you splash down the plunge hole to the landing pool For our group, it was particularly thrilling (and quite scary!) because the side of our ring got pushed up the side of the plunge hole by the rough rapids leaving us tilted up the wall before we were thankfully dislodged by another wave!

Before we finally had our lunch, we all had a chance to swim in the wave pool, which had an enormous sandy beach attached to it, complete with rows of sun loungers During our time in the water, the wave machine came on, creating enormous waves to play in They started small so that we could jump them, and eventually became bigger and bigger The larger ones actually rolled us up onto the beaches! .

Lunch was classic pizza and fries: a perfect break in the middle of what was a very exciting day After another hour or so to revel in the park, we headed home to a well-deserved rest. Many of us slept on the coach!

When we got back to the hotel, we were given time to pack and relax in our rooms before dinner at the hotel and then a beautiful evening walk around the town The teachers kindly bought us all ice creams and we ate them with a breathtaking nighttime view of the ocean lapping over the volcanic rocks, which were astonishingly black next to the white froth of the breaking waves. After a quick trip for souvenirs, we headed home for the night.

Day 4

On our final day in Tenerife, we ate our final hotel breakfast and finished our packing. We were all really tired at this point but still looking forward to another memorable day. Firstly we headed off on the coach with our suitcases to the Finca de Margarita – a working banana plantation This banana plantation provides bananas for all of the Canary Islands as well as Switzerland and now we are no longer in the EU, soon the UK too

After a very hot coach journey, we were welcomed into rows and rows of banana plants. Did you know that the banana plant is actually grass? A very big grass though! It and the pineapple plant are the only two types of grass that produce fruit

We learned lots about bananas and how vulnerable they are The tour guide spoke to us in a mixture of Spanish and English, allowing us time to try and translate her information Our Spanish isn’t perfect yet so it was quite hard to work out but with a little help, we finished with an interesting understanding.

Some of the facts we found out were:

Banana grasses are cloned to increase their numbers

The plants don’t make seeds like most others; instead, the mother plant produces her one and only ever bunch of bananas before producing another banana grass from her roots and then dying

The plants are referred to as 'feminine' because the only male part is the stalk that connects the bananas to the grass. They are cloned because their reproduction process is very slow and each grass only produces one bunch

There is only one type of banana that people widely buy in supermarkets meaning that if a disease wipes out the banana plants, there will not be another option of bananas to take their place This is why the plant species is so vulnerable

After this talk, we had lunch under the plantation’s ancient mango tree and then we were allowed to taste samples of some of their products which are made from the bananas grown there, as well as a Tenerife banana itself

The bananas were really sweet and delicious –much tastier than the ones in England! Some of the products included banana jam, banana mojas, and sweet banana dough It was really surprising what they could make with one banana!

Next on the agenda was a trip to the famous black sand beaches. We were able to go off and buy drinks, churros, more souvenirs, and of course ice cream It was a good last moment of freedom to explore the island before we returned to the airport in time for the long flight home

At the airport, we changed back into clothes more suitable for the cold March climate of England After the usual airport stress, we bought dinner from the food court and various snacks for the long journey ahead of us, eventually boarding the plane and saying goodbye to Tenerife. A 5hour flight landed us back home at Gatwick at 11 pm to meet our families They were all eager to hear about our adventures We were all sad to leave, even though many of us were anxious before our trip It had been an amazing and very educational experience!