THE PYRAMIDS OF GUIMAR:THE WORK OF THOR HEYERDAHL AND FRED OLSEN-THE ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK

It was a must to go to the Pyramids at the town of Guimar on the Canary Islands, Tenerife, staying on the island as a Norwegian tourist. The life of Thor Heyerdahl is known to most of my generation –born after the Second World War. The Pyramids of Guimar was worth a visit. Six rectangular pyramids are built from lava stones located in the district of Chacona, part of the town of Guimar.Dr. Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) was a Norwegian explorer, ethnographer,adventurer, with background in biology, zoology and geography

. He became aware of the ” Canarian Pyramids ” by reading an article in a newspaper. The article was written by Francisco Padron in the Tenerife newspaper ” Diarode Avisos ”. Thor Heyerdahl was of the opinion that the Canarian pyramids formed a temporal and geographic stopping point on voyages between ancient Egypt and the Maya civilization in Central America. The park contents a modern information centre, a cinema, an exhibition of the life and work of Thor Heyerdahl, models of his boats, a replica of RAII. The park is accessible to the public.

The making of the park was made possible due to the support from the Norwegian ship owner and businessman, Fred Olsen. Thor Heyerdal and Fred Olsen were close friends for years. But who is Fred Olsen, you may ask? What is his connection to the Canary Islands?

Fred Olsen is recognised as one of the greatest entrepreneurial brains of our time. He is the president of the Fred Olsen Group. A former art student and sailor with no academic education as far as I know. He is the fourth generation of the family to head the firm. The company is a major employer and investor in the islands with Fred Olsen Express, Fred Olsen shipping, Hotel Jardin Tecina, Tecina Golf, Pueblo Don Thomas ,and Restaurante Las Rostas- so far the official reports available for the moment. And above all: Transport of banans from the Canary Islands since 1904.  The Fred Olsen Group is also involved in underwater drilling, marine water transport, renewable energies, properties, risk capital management and computer technology.

Thor Heyerdahl could not get a better friend ! Fred Olsen came to Tenerife in 1949 for the first time as  ” an ordinary seaman ”.

The local farmers and  local academics were of the opinion that the rocks of the pyramids were rocks left over from the farmers cleaning out fields for agriculture. Both Thor Heyerdahl and Fred Olsen disagreed with the local farmers at the town of Guimar.

The Pyramids of Guimar was founded in 1998. I recommend you to pay the park a visit next time you go to Tenerife.

BORN TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER: HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE MAHIDOL OF SIAM

If you are busy making an attempt to challenge your personal  courage in competitions with young teenagers sliding from the top of towers in the SIAM Park on Adeje coast, you will not see him at all. The sculpture of His Royal Highness Prince Mahidol of Songla is a moderst sculpture and a small one too.

The sculpture is situated in the SIAM park surrounded by trees and flowers. He is not a dominating person. I passed him many times before I descovered the sculpture of the late Prince from Thailand.The encounter with the Prince was a wake up call for me. I had no knowledge of the man and his life at all. Later on, I found information about him. He was born on January 1, 1891 in SIAM(Thailand) and he died in year 1929. He paid a visit to Tenerife in 1913. The impression of the island of the Prince was overwhelming – intoxicating. He wrote about Tenerife in his dairy. The result of the visit of the Prince to Tenerife was the building of SIAM park. The SIAM Park is a copy of a village in Thailand. The park is made for children and families to have fun playing with water in water. The activities in the park are many. But you may enjoy a the park without taking part in the activities. ” … Prince Mahidol was born to make the world a better place …” –the statement was made by Professor A.G.Ellis, a former Dean of Siriraj Medical School. The Prince left his military career to get a medical education. He enrolled at Havard University in United States. In 1921 he obtained his Certificate of Public Health and a Doctorate in Medicine in 1928. The former lieutenant in the Royal Thai Navy and the Imperial German Navy had gone ashore once and for all to work for the sick and the poor.A farewell to the arms, so to speak. Prince Mahidol decided to serve as a resident doctor at McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai in Thailand. Prince Mahidol was honoured with the title ” Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health of Thailand ” due to his work to improve the medicine and publich health in Thailand.

The American missionary hospital in Chiang Mai in Thailand became his working place for only three months. But he could not help himself with his own disease. A fatal kidney disease made him pass away in 1929. The nation mourned a great man’s death at the age of only 37 years.

When you pay the park a visit make a pause at the sculpture of the Prince who was here in 1913, and pay respect for the late Prince who wanted to make the world a better one to live in.