There I was sprawled out on Los Cristianos beach today, looking like a beach bum, but in reality it was research. I wondered if I closed my eyes could I hear Tenerife breathing? Despite liberal deposits of sand in my ears, here’s what I could hear.

1. The straining cry of the chains holding the Fred Olsen ferry to our shore but allowing it to ebb and flow a little with the waves.

2. A church bell tolling. Los Cristianos church plaza is just a short walk away and its sound is the nearest thing to a time check that I want to hear while relaxing.

3. The gentle clatter of palm tree leaves. The breeze is already wafting over me but this soft rustling is a pleasant soundtrack that drifts in and out of my acoustic range.

4. Parakeets screeching as they fly overhead in noisy formation.

5. The tinkling laughter of paddling toddlers at that age where they know no fear, just the joy of a wonderous new discovery.

6. Flip flops squelching as they slap along the beachfront walkway.

7. The rythmic drag of the sea water on shingle and sand as the tide teases and slowly eats into the soft sandy beach.

8. The refreshing splash of a young human bomb plopping into the water from the quayside.

9. A gentle drone from a lifeguards beach buggy as it rides the undulations of the sand.

10. The fizzing hiss of chilled drink cans as their ring pulls are ripped off to quench another thirst.

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