Today was very interesting to say the least. This island has a specific magic to it reserved to only the good, honest people who have heard of it. Untouched by tourism, the island is not only green, but still preserved this sense of family and community that big cities have lost touch with. I woke up in the morning bright and early at 7am. It was a rough start, and I was not happy to do it, but I had a bus to Furnas to catch at 9am and wanted to get breakfast in me.
My hostel ( Hostel Procyon) always has the most delicious spread of home made goodies. The two owners, a couple, inherited the home and weren't sure what to do with it. After trying to turn it into a tea house and bureaucracy falling them, they decided to go for a hostel. The warmth of a home is still felt throughout the walls and the love of this couple. They have a cat, who got injured today (it jumped out of a three story window, drama queen) and they have a passion for their guests. After making little just-in-case sandwhiches out of the croissants, cheese and jam, I headed to the bus station.
Again, be ready for a "humanity is great" day, because this day was all about people. I stood at the bus stops, and there is not true dedicated bus stops here. There is four unmarked bus stops. I needed bus 318 to Provoacao. I stood next to a man with a satchel for about five minutes before I worked up the courage to ask him if this was the right stop. His answer was the same as mine "I guess". We stood there, until he asked a passerby, and that passerby directed us across the street. We made the bus by 2 minutes. There is no other bus on Saturdays. My day would have been ruined if it wasn't for that man.
Once in Furnas, I headed to Terra Nostra, a botanical garden that also has hot springs. The price was about 8 Euros, but you get a beautiful walk through manicured gardens and the famous orange, iron-enforced lake, and two jacuzzis. I went in to morning before the crowds. Enjoyed the little walk, but better yet, enjoyed the hot springs while most had forgotten their swimsuit. The temperature was divine. The springs differed in temperature depending on which spot you stood, and if you looked up you had a mix of pine, deciduous and palm trees. After spending about two hours, I became a little pruny, and started to taste the iron on my lips. Also, the tourists were started to swarm around me, making this little paradise a little less enjoyable.
I decided to walk to caldeiras das furnas, the geysers of Furnas. It was a 30 minutes walk up hill, going through the most interesting properties cut off by rivers, forests and ravines. With a little walk on the highway, I found the fork towars Pico de Furnas and just continued there. It was rewarding to see that I was the only one who opted out of driving and I felt accomplished. This was until I got to the open space of the geyser, and the wind blew the lake's water onto my bare arms, and the geysers started to smell funky, and I didn't care about the beauty of nature anymore.
I headed back and realized my bus home was not for another 4 hours. I had a choice to make. It was an awkward, difficult choice. I had read online that it wasn't uncommon for people to hitchhike. It was safe, and enough people drove back to Ponta Delgada that I could get a ride before 5pm. So I got on the highway, and stuck my thumb out. My ego was immediately shattered when the first ten cars drove right past me. Luckily, I had those home made croissant sandwiches to fill in that void.
After about 30msn of standing by the side of the road, someone pulled up. He was a music teacher who was going to give a private lesson in Ponta Delgada. I agreed to ride with him. I turned on my location on my phone, pulled up the map and kept my bag on my lap. Mind you, he played his CD in the car with all the songs he composed. He asked me what I thought of them, and gave me a free CD half way through the ride. I was worried he was here trying to kidnap me and sell me into some weird sex trafficking ring, and the poor man was just trying to jam out. I did make him drop me off at the fanciest hotel in town, just in case he tried to ever find me. Like that would throw him off.
I got home at about 2pm, just in time to watch France destroy Argentina. I still had the CD in my bag, the story fresh in my brain and the adrenaline rushing through my vein. I did it. My day couldn't have been more perfect.
After a quick nap at the hostel, I went out to watch Portugal vs Uruguay. Once there, I had a glass of wine I had plan on sipping. Little did I know, the man who was sitting next to me (who had a dog named Billy) was not Spanish. Even though we had communicated in Spanish the entire time. He was from France. Well, that little skill earned me another two glasses of wine, and a loss for Portugal.
I met my two roommates for dinner after the game at this little Tapas place in downtown Ponta Delgada. We had more delicacies, such as limpets (in the family of clams), and a traditional egg pudding. It was all delicious of course, to the point, that I would a 100% to go back anytime.
Unfortunately, tomorrow is my last day and there is so many other restaurants I would like to try.
It just means I will have to come back in the near future!
6/30/2018
6/29/2018
Ally in Azores
My dear lovelies,
This is my first travel on my own in two years. It's crazy to think about how much happened in two years. I have had so many travels in between, and so many experiences. I went from being 25 years old to being 27 years old. I went from feeling like the world was mine to being restrained by my own capacities.
Yet, traveling is still making me feel youth is coursing through my blood. No matter my age, the airplane air, and the waiting in the airport will give me the rush and the adrenaline to feel like I am 23 years old, in love, and that the future is in front of me.
I am in the Azores at the moment, and I wish I didn't love it as much as I do now. Most people have not heard of this wonderful archipel of islands. They are an autonomous group of islands from Portugal that are in the middle of the Atlantic. Do not feel discouraged, there is three direct flights from the United States: Oakland, Providence, and Boston. The flights are five hours long, cheap and actually more convenient that going to Central America.
I landed at midnight. I made a poor decision to go with the first flight I saw. I realize that now, but there is something about late night flights that bong people together. I have four people that I connected with on the flight, and that I can hang out with anytime I want. It is very reassuring to think about the fact that I am still young enough at heart to be around early-20-something-year-olds.
Anyway, today I obviously enjoyed my not-so-shiny day in Ponta Delgada. I woke up extra early, because my teacher schedule will never leave my body. So I woke up at 7am, and showered and started my day by booking a few tours and having the most decadent breakfast. It started with pastries, and ended with cheeses and jams. I wish I didn't spend an hour eating, but truthfully I did. I then went headed and explored town a bit. There is nothing that I love more than a bird's eye view of a city. I went up the bell tower of Ponta Delgada, but that was not before I accidentally walked into the city hall and asked in my very-obvious tourist English if I could go up. The security guard took me outside and pointed me in the right direction. The bell tower is a skinny structure that allows 1/2 person to go up stone stairs that are falling apart. Once I got up, I enjoyed the view, until 18 German tourists walked up. It crowded the bell tower and even as I tried to leave more were coming up.
Once they were all up there, trying to speak to me in Portuguese, I went down and got back to the hostel. I needed a break from the walking, the heat, and the jet lag. My lunch was seafood, as is tradition in this town, and a bit of learning basic Portuguese as to not look too silly.
I had booked a tour to Sete Ciudades, even though there was clouds. Everyone says it is not beautiful in the clouds, but to be honest it is mostly magical. Driving up with my tour guide, Carlos (the face of Ponta Delgada) was also magical. ASking him the weirdest questions was only the fun part. He knew every answer. How much milk does a cow produce in Sao Miguel? A good cow produces 30 liters. What's the weirdest bird? The Azorian Blue finch. What's the amount of cheese an Azorian (carlos) person eats on a daily basis? I was just met with laughter. But 60% of milk production in Portugal happens on Sao Miguel island. And there is 1 1/2 cow per person here, and you would believe it.
After my Jeep-ed out tour around the craters of the Western part of the island, I went home to work a bit. I was greeted by my fellow Americans and we tried to go have dinner in town. Without reservations, this town is impossible to have dinner. We spend a solid hour trying to eat somewhere, only to eat on the main strip. Don't worry. I had squid AND octopus, because you have to have both in one meal. The fresh seafood must be the secret to happiness here; and all the cheese.
Having tried a good amount Vinho Verde, and the local wines, we decided to walk back to the hotel through the illuminated town. There is nothing more magical than a port city in the lights of night. The fresh air brings the people out. The moon helps the artificial light freshen the town. The waves crushing are the soundtrack to your steps. This was one perfect day under the clouds and the rain. I wouldn't compare Ponta Delgada to Paris in the rain, but I would say the people's acceptance counterbalance the miserable rain.
Can't wait for tomorrow and my trip to the hot springs, rain or shine; I will be there.
This is my first travel on my own in two years. It's crazy to think about how much happened in two years. I have had so many travels in between, and so many experiences. I went from being 25 years old to being 27 years old. I went from feeling like the world was mine to being restrained by my own capacities.
Yet, traveling is still making me feel youth is coursing through my blood. No matter my age, the airplane air, and the waiting in the airport will give me the rush and the adrenaline to feel like I am 23 years old, in love, and that the future is in front of me.
I am in the Azores at the moment, and I wish I didn't love it as much as I do now. Most people have not heard of this wonderful archipel of islands. They are an autonomous group of islands from Portugal that are in the middle of the Atlantic. Do not feel discouraged, there is three direct flights from the United States: Oakland, Providence, and Boston. The flights are five hours long, cheap and actually more convenient that going to Central America.
I landed at midnight. I made a poor decision to go with the first flight I saw. I realize that now, but there is something about late night flights that bong people together. I have four people that I connected with on the flight, and that I can hang out with anytime I want. It is very reassuring to think about the fact that I am still young enough at heart to be around early-20-something-year-olds.
Anyway, today I obviously enjoyed my not-so-shiny day in Ponta Delgada. I woke up extra early, because my teacher schedule will never leave my body. So I woke up at 7am, and showered and started my day by booking a few tours and having the most decadent breakfast. It started with pastries, and ended with cheeses and jams. I wish I didn't spend an hour eating, but truthfully I did. I then went headed and explored town a bit. There is nothing that I love more than a bird's eye view of a city. I went up the bell tower of Ponta Delgada, but that was not before I accidentally walked into the city hall and asked in my very-obvious tourist English if I could go up. The security guard took me outside and pointed me in the right direction. The bell tower is a skinny structure that allows 1/2 person to go up stone stairs that are falling apart. Once I got up, I enjoyed the view, until 18 German tourists walked up. It crowded the bell tower and even as I tried to leave more were coming up.
Once they were all up there, trying to speak to me in Portuguese, I went down and got back to the hostel. I needed a break from the walking, the heat, and the jet lag. My lunch was seafood, as is tradition in this town, and a bit of learning basic Portuguese as to not look too silly.
I had booked a tour to Sete Ciudades, even though there was clouds. Everyone says it is not beautiful in the clouds, but to be honest it is mostly magical. Driving up with my tour guide, Carlos (the face of Ponta Delgada) was also magical. ASking him the weirdest questions was only the fun part. He knew every answer. How much milk does a cow produce in Sao Miguel? A good cow produces 30 liters. What's the weirdest bird? The Azorian Blue finch. What's the amount of cheese an Azorian (carlos) person eats on a daily basis? I was just met with laughter. But 60% of milk production in Portugal happens on Sao Miguel island. And there is 1 1/2 cow per person here, and you would believe it.
After my Jeep-ed out tour around the craters of the Western part of the island, I went home to work a bit. I was greeted by my fellow Americans and we tried to go have dinner in town. Without reservations, this town is impossible to have dinner. We spend a solid hour trying to eat somewhere, only to eat on the main strip. Don't worry. I had squid AND octopus, because you have to have both in one meal. The fresh seafood must be the secret to happiness here; and all the cheese.
Having tried a good amount Vinho Verde, and the local wines, we decided to walk back to the hotel through the illuminated town. There is nothing more magical than a port city in the lights of night. The fresh air brings the people out. The moon helps the artificial light freshen the town. The waves crushing are the soundtrack to your steps. This was one perfect day under the clouds and the rain. I wouldn't compare Ponta Delgada to Paris in the rain, but I would say the people's acceptance counterbalance the miserable rain.
Can't wait for tomorrow and my trip to the hot springs, rain or shine; I will be there.
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