Madeira!

Madeira is an entirely new experience. It’s a sub-tropical island that is lush and green and filled with more flowers and fruits than I’ve ever seen. Dozens of different types of banana, passion fruit and mango grow here, plus huge eucalyptus trees, blankets of wildflowers and more.

We got a great look at the island during a jeep excursion that was part sightseeing/nature tour, part cultural experience and a big dose of roller coaster ride. Our guide Miguel was wonderful. He loves the island and really enjoys sharing it with his guests. We traveled to the highest point, above the clouds, did some off road touring, went up and down tiny paths that were steeper than some of what we walked on the mainland, sampled local rum in a traditional drink called poncha and ate at a great local restaurant. We also walked for 45 minutes along a levada. Madeira is known for its levada walks, which are trails along its mini-canal system. More than 1300 miles of levadas move water from the springs at the tops of the mountains down through the land all over the island, and walkers travel from around the world to experience these trails, some very treacherous.

Miguel picked us up at 9 a.m. and didn’t deliver us back to our place until after 5 p.m. We spent most of that time standing in the back of an open-topped jeep holding on and grinning. The day started off cloudy, but we punched through that cover on the mountaintop where it was warm and sunny. By the day’s end, the clouds had all moved out and it was sunny and beautiful.

Now we have to figure out what to do with the two days we have left. There are way more choices than we have time to experience. Of course, it goes without saying that Betsy wants to do another much more lengthy levada walk. I, on the other hand, want to do a whale watch. We’ll see what the day holds.