North Shore Clean Up

I don’t like truisms. Here is one: People like to be organised by others. These people include me. I would not do much if not for schedules and deadlines. Especially here in Fuerteventura. What’s the hurry? Tranquilo.

Here’s an example. Like the last year’s event, North Shore Clean Up 2013 was organised by Clean Ocean Project. Unlike the last year’s event, no particular time/place was assigned. Instead, people were free to choose their favourite beach, time etc. The “catch” was supposed to be left at one of several “dirty points” along the North Coast to be picked up on Monday 25 March. Good? Good.

Maybe not brilliant though. I know several people who would turn up for a cleaning in a company but do not bother to do it on their own. After all, nothing prevents us to go and clean any beach any time we like. And do we do that? Hell no.

Yesterday I went for some beach cleaning on my own. About midday, I parked my bike near the Corralejo harbour and started to move towards El Charco de Bristol. I filled three bin liners with rubbish. (A tip: don’t take big bags on Fuerteventura beach, you will look and feel like a beginner kite surfer.) I did not meet a single soul.

According to the Clean Ocean Project map, one of the “dirty points” was on a dirt track somewhere near the wind turbines. I saw two lonely black bags there. I was not sure of their origin but I left my rubbish at that spot anyway.

On my way back, I noticed two people near the harbour picking up rubbish. So I was not the only one on that stretch after all.

Today, all four of us went to clean the beach near the lighthouse in El Cotillo. Once again, it looked like there were no other volunteers around. Although that particular stretch of the beach is cleaner than the one along Paseo Maritimo in Corralejo, it is still full of broken glass. It could be that it was tidied up yesterday. At some point, the Clean Ocean Project truck appeared on a dirt road. I used the opportunity to ask the driver where exactly we have to leave the bags, and got the answer.

After finishing our dirty work, we came back to the lighthouse. A group of men and women in colourful costumes arrived in a bus and gave a short performance. They turned out to be Agrupación Folclorica La Rosa de Fabelo from Puerto del Rosario. I thought it was very nice of them, to sing and dance for us the Sunday beach cleaners, even though they may not realise it.