A broken fuel line on the road to Agaete and the stranger who fixed it

Von Ralf Korten

It’s been a few years since my wife and I travelled by ferry from Santa Cruz on Tenerife to Agaete on Gran Canaria in a Seat Ibiza. We’d already bought the return ticket on the outward journey, so we could have made the return journey at our leisure.

After a week of stunning hikes, we made our way via Agaete to the harbour one Sunday afternoon, where the ferry to Santa Cruz was already waiting. The ferry can be spotted from a distance as you leave Agaete behind and take the road down towards the harbour.

And that’s exactly when it happened: the engine cut out. All attempts to start it failed miserably. A glance under the bonnet made it clear: the fuel line was leaking and fluid was spilling out.

Gran Canaria: Canary Islands helpfulness on a Sunday

What to do? You don’t usually carry a suitable replacement hose with you, and there were no houses or petrol stations to be seen for miles around. Not even a car, let alone any people, were on the road.

Whilst we were still standing there with the bonnet open, trying to work out what our options were, a car suddenly pulled up beside us. Inside were a family from the Canary Islands, dressed in their Sunday best, with two small children. As it turned out later, they had just come from lunch.

The driver got out, asked what the problem was and, after a few moments, explained that he had a friend in Agaete who was a mechanic and who could certainly help him with a new piece of inner tube. He said he’d be back in a few minutes. With that, he turned his car round and drove off.

Our ‚Canary Islands angel‘

A short while later, the man returned with a piece of hose, fitted it, and the car started up again. He politely declined any offer of payment. He wouldn’t even accept the sweets we’d intended to give the children. Our thanks were enough for him.

And so, one Sunday afternoon on Gran Canaria, we met a Canarian angel to whom we are still grateful. Not only did we manage to catch the ferry, but the new tyre also lasted right until we sold the car.