just home from a fantastic 2 weeks in PDC. normally go aug/sept but always wanted to try xmas n new year. we werent dissapointed. Fantastic time to go and the weather was superb, only one slightly overcast day in the 2 weeks. only downside was we had to get a doctor for the wife one night. thomas cook sent one to the hotel and along with a pain relief injection and antibiotics it set us back €250. they advised us not to go to arrecife hospital as no-one spoke english? you live and learn i suppose.
apart from that, we had booked friends bar for xmas dinner and it was excellent. spent new years eve with them as well and ate regularly there. other bars could learn a thing or two from them. hence why friends is always busy. santas parade was good and new years eve fireworks at the san antonio end were brilliant. the other display was a bit of a let down. we visited a few bars we used to go to in matagorda one night, and we were told they were dead on new years eve, due to the fact reps were telling people that the bars/restaurants charge double on new yearw eve, and were trying to sell them ranch texas instead.... out of order!!!
feel sorry for matagorda, since the 2 times we stayed there 3 years ago they are really struggling, but in saying that some of their prices are dearer than pdc on drinks and some other things in shops etc, which would put you off heading in for a night. we actually spent double of what we would normally for near enough the same quantity of drinks over the night than we would have staying in pdc, but it was worth it. love matagorda.
did another buggy safari, only this time, no asking for a licence, no safety advive, no helmets and unbelievably no goggles!!. apart from that was good, lol
the karting at san bartolome is vastly improved under the new owners, with free pick up, new karts and plenty of people there to race, compared to the last time we were there.
Plenty of nice restaurants as usual visited and as always our stay at la penita was as good as ever. missed popping into tinys for a pint.. maybe see them in sept.
love the pavilion cafe for a few cold beers while soaking up the sun
Pr's for the mexican below the crazy golf (across from the dubliner) are a total pain in the arse. running across the street to shove a menu in your face. i will never eat in a place that does this. it might be an amazing place but because of the way they get on i wont put my money in their tills. most other pr's are ok and just be polite if you say youve already eat etc.
All in all, sad to be home, and its freezing, lol. we met some amazing people in our 2 weeks and cant wait to our next trip

Hi, just wanted to let people know that on our stay last year we had a hospital visit and ended up at Arrecife and yes most do not speak english,but there are a few that do and some that had some english and this was enough to see us through what was an awful night with my 11 year old son who had put his hand through a plate glass door and severed his tendons. He needed 15 external stitches and also internal ones,drips,bloods,antibiotics etc! All this was free! We did have the option of going to the private hospital but the surgeon wasn't available til the next day.But even if we has,you take your insurance documents and your ehic card and there is no change! Even if there was you can claim it back if you are insued and have a card!
I am really hoping we can return this year,but very unsure as the money always runs out before the next payday!!But if we do,NO HOSPITAL VISITS!!

Just to reinforce the last post, as someone who lives here and uses the health system, if you need medical assistance of a minor nature, such as mossie bites, the farmacias are the most convenient place to go. For more serious, but not life threatening problems, take your EHIC and passport to the local government health centre the Centro de Salud. There you will be treated free. The problem is that hotel staff and travel reps often can't be bothered to ask if you have an EHIC, and just call the local private doctor, who will charge you on the assumption private medical insurance will cover it. The A&E in the Arrecife hospital is much like one in UK.

Most health centre and hospital doctors speak enough English to be effective, but some of the admin staff may not. The actual medical care is very good.

We had our cards and insurance etc, but thomas cook were quite adamant she send a doctor to the hotel, rather than us go to hospiten. Although she did say even if we went there ourselves the fee would be about the same. Even when he came out his english wasnt very good, lol. before he gave a pain relief injection, he asked about other medication, and when we told him my wife is an insulin dependant diabetic, he asked us confused looking what insulin is??
We got some very good advise the following day from some english locals on what we should have done, and as i say you live and learn. first time we have ever had to use a doctor abroad. thomas cook emergancy number staff should be advising peoplebetter,unless they are on commission with hospiten.

Yes they did advise badly, Hospiten is private. Wherever you are in Europe insist on going to the state-run hospital or surgery where your EHIC will get you free treatment.

Yeh, will deffinatley be doing that if theres a next time. our insurance has an excess of £75, but at least we should get most back.

Hi there many thanks for your christmas trip experience, sounded great. Was just wondering where you went to go on the 'buggy safari'? We'd love to go Quad Biking around the island and will be staying in Puerto del Carmen.
Cheers!
Rick

We had previously used mega fun before, but they are no longer going. We booked through last minute travel across fro the hawiian bar ( speak to Mark, he is first class guy ). The one we booked was with lanza buggy aventura. Not 100% if they do quad bikes though. There is another company with better nick buggies but this company lets you cane them a bit more. We did the 2 hour trip which was plenty, took us down into puerto calero harbour etc, with the trip being almost 100% off road. Only downside was the lack of protective eyewear given. If you do book them make sure you have sunglasses at least. But they were good fun through some beautiful terrain and wee villages etc.
Think it was €70 for the 2 of us. Free bus pick up and return.

With reference to the holiday reps,we had a similar situation on Corfu a few years back .They insisted on taking us to the local private hospital and then you have all the hasssle of making a claim when you return to the UK. We are sure they are on some sort of commision from the hospitals !!!

This a message to Walker ! there is some talk in the UK of twinning Playa Blanca with Milton Keynes,so I was right all along

Best wishes,only winding you up as usual !