Ken has landed! It’s so sunny and warm! Must take off these sweaty socks.
Ken sleeps like a baby in his rental apartment. At midnight he wakes up when apparently the whole island starts to shout seconds. Then the church bells banged 12 times and then it´s the time for the fireworks. After that Ken goes back to sleep. Happy new year!
It´s not too crowded by the pool.
On the other side of the island a certain someone is happily exploring the underwater world.
Every day Ken sends a postcard to Hector. That way he remembers that he’s got a good life back home. Ken won´t make the same mistakes this time.
Meanwhile in Finland Hector is enjoying the winter.
It’s snowing more and more. Hector doesn’t mind, because he’s got a brand new snow plow.
A rainy day is a rainy day everywhere. Ken is bored and annoyed.
Ken had forgotten how much a rainy day in Fuerteventura differs from a rainy day back home! It’s just a few drops and then bang! The sun comes back!
Blaine happens to stop at Caleta de Fuste.
- Wow... it’s been a while. I haven’t visited this little tourist town since Ken was here, last winter. We went swimming together right on this beach. I remember the chemistry between us two! How he couldn’t take his eyes off my ass and how I wanted him so bad... Bittersweet memories.
Ken is packing his bags. He has no idea that Blaine is on the beach just a few blocks away.
But they don´t bumb into each other. Ken rents a campervan and endsup in a desert with no cell connection.
Ken loves the feeling of being the only person in the world. No other people anywhere, just the sun and the desert and the sea. And goats! So many goats! What are they eating? Rocks?
Vanlife is not quite as romantic as Ken thought but he’s starting to get used to it.
This little village with its long beach of volcanic sand and without any tourists is exactly what Ken needed!
- What is this? A skeleton of a prehistoric animal?
Look out for the tide, Ken!
After almost a week of vanlife in the desert and on the beaches, Ken feels like visiting the so-called civilization. He washes away the sand on his hair and toes and drives to the capital city. After doing some grocery shopping he decides to drive further north.
These are the Corralejo beaches, where Ken first met Blaine last winter. The thought makes him smile. He sure would like to find that beautiful man right here right now! But today there’s no Blaine and hardly any other people either. The only ones walking on the beach are wearing ridiculously warm clothes. Clearly they are not from Finland! This is warmer than our midsummer, Ken thinks and curses the red flag: swimming forbidden!
Ken wants to explore the dunes of Corralejo. He thinks that his nightie is the perfect outfit. It’s light and white and covers him from sunburn. A backpack would be handy too, but he has to settle for a tote bag.
The sun together with the strong wind can easily cause dehydration. Ken won’t let that happen.
Ken finds thousands of weird hollow stones. He gathers a bunch of them together to choose the most interesting one. It would look great on his souvenir shelf.
More crazy cool rocks! These caves are fantastic! Ken thinks:
- Being a homeless person in Fuerteventura would be so much easier than in Finland. This cave would make a cozy little home! I wonder if there are any homeless people here though. I haven’t seen any beggars or beach bums or even drunks anywhere here. What is the unemployment rate?
Ken has been driving back and forth the coast of Fuerteventura. He has seen beaches after beaches but now he would love to drive to the mountains. The only problem is that he’s terrified of driving his huge van on the narrow serpentine roads.
- I bet Blaine wouldn’t have any problems driving there. He’s such a daredevil. Should I try to contact him... it would be amazing to have a companion sharing the vanlife with me, Ken thinks.
The thought of living in a van with Blaine puts butterflies in his stomach.
Ken knows it’s not at all easy to reach Blaine. Ken doesn’t have his phone number and Blaine is not on social media. Naturally he’s too cool for that. He lives his life to the fullest, he’s not wasting it online! The only option Ken has is to drive all the way to Blaine’s house and knock on his door.
Ken washes his dresses. The wind will dry them up soon enough. He doesn’t want to smell sweaty when (or if...) he meets Blaine!
- I hope he is at home. Oh, I must call Hector and tell him about these plans. I promised.
Ken cleans up the van. Blaine doesn’t need to see how Ken has been living like a pig here...
- I will be sharing a bed with Blaine... That might lead to situations... Oh boy, why am I so sweaty all of a sudden? I must remember to call Hector... I hope he understands that there’s no harm if Blaine joins me...
Ken tries to call Hector but he can’t hear the phone. He’s kicksledging!
Ken is now standing in front of Blaine´s house. He knocks on the door. No answer. He knocks again and hears footsteps coming closer...
The door opens but there’s a totally strange man standing on the doorstep! Ken panics, but the man smiles kindly:
- Holá!
- Mmmm mmm erm...
- Puedo ayudarlo?
- Blaine..?
- Blaine no está aquí ahora.
- Where is he? Who are you? I mean....
- Perdon, yo no hablo inglés.
Ken is having difficulties to breath and all the Spanish words have miraculously escaped from his head. Who is this Spanish dude and where is Blaine?
The man with a manbun sees that Ken is really confused. He introduces himself:
- Yo soy Javier, el novio de Blaine.
Ken can’t remember if “novio” means just a boyfriend or even a fiancé or maybe both. Anyways it’s clear that Blaine is in a relationship! Ken feels dizzy and Javier asks him to sit down. He gives Ken a cup of water and tells him that right now Blaine is on a plane heading to Australia, a surfer’s paradise.
Ken has difficulties to say anything intelligent, but he tries his best to get a grip of himself. He tells Javier his name and that he’s from Finland and an old friend of Blaine’s.
Javier gets excited about the part about Finland and tells Ken that he has always wanted to travel to Scandinavia. Ken says politely that him and Blaine are more than welcome to stay at Ken and Hector’s home if they ever will come to Finland. After saying that, he wants to bite his tongue.
When Ken stands up to leave, Javier asks for his email address and phone number. He says that Blaine will only stay a couple of weeks “down under” and he will tell him that Ken stopped by.
- Ok, gracias... hasta luego... saludos a Blaine, Ken mumbles.
Ken returns to his favorite place at Playa Blanca. He finds a sheltered lagoon.
He feels so stupid. He was acting like a school girl who’s got a crush on the coolest guy at school. This island always seem to make him go all crazy. Now Ken can just forget about the mountains. Aren’t the beaches beautiful enough?! But the wind blows from the north and it’s so cold as if it’s blowing straight from Finland. It’s a good thing Hector didn’t answer the phone. He never has to know about this. Tears of embarrassment fall down on Ken’s cheek.
What do you do when you’re feeling a bit down? You go and buy toys of course!
The last moments in the paradise. Ken is at the bus station waiting for the “guagua” to take him to the airport. The only reason for him to step on that plane is the fact that Hector is waiting at home. The thought of snow and darkness is unbearable.
Ken wakes up in an airport hotel and pulls off the curtains. All he sees is snow and gray sky. This is a nightmare, isn’t it? In reality he’s still in the paradise under a bright blue sky and walking on hot sand. Right?