March 2003
ATAN
 La Laguna |
Versión española
Photo 1: La Piterita, in La Laguna. The backs of the houses face the ravine - hardly surprising when you consider the crud that runs through it from broken sewer pipes. The island's ravines have long been used as improvised rubbish dumps and open sewers - a fine tradition that Tenerife keeps very much alive.
Photo 2: Another view of La Piterita. Fronds of Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum) can be seen in the foreground. The Tenerife government claims the evil weed has been "totally eradicated" after spending millions to get rid of it. Strangely enough, it never occurred to the politicians to control the island's ports and airports to prevent the deliberate introduction of the plant in the first place.
In the background, the same dreary landscape that can be seen all over Tenerife - miserable breeze-block dwellings, cranes, power lines, and high rise buildings.
Photo 3: Awful slums in the foreground. These buildings were probably entered in the property register as sheds for farm implements - a common ruse to begin construction work. Now they house paying tenants. Note the four-storey eyesore in the background and the high voltage electricty pylons marching across the landscape (top left). So much for La Laguna - World Heritage Site. Urban Development Go to...