ZOMBIE LAND

A very reliable source once told me that the only way to make overseas travel work, is to immediately accept the time of day wherever you land, and force yourself to function as you normally would at home. If you arrive at 11pm, go to bed……..even though your head knows it is really only 5pm………if you arrive at 7am, after a sleepless plane ride that left Toronto at 10pm…….suck it up buttercup, and make it through the day……….don’t try and sneak in “just a little nap”, or you will be gone for hours and be totally screwed. Luckily I was able to grab a few hours on the plane before landing at Ponta Delgada, Azores, so was feeling pretty good about my chances of making it through the day……..albeit a little bitchy and hard to get along with, but that’s just the way it goes.
The first order of business was breakfast, and after an unacceptable option in a supermarket, suggested by our agent, down the road from the rental car shop, we figured we could just boogie on up to our hotel in Ribeira Grande (north shore)……..take a chance that our rooms might be ready for us at 8am…….(laughing)……..but at the least, we could have breakfast there, dump some bags, get the lay of the land, and hit the road. My version of the “FULL AZORIAN BREAKFAST” is below……..although it may look similar to the FULL IRISH OR FULL SCOTTISH……..it is merely a poor imitation. I mean, what are these? ……cocktail sausages? Couldn’t eat it! I settled for the yogurt/fruit/granola starter, but finished strong with a self made toasted sandwich bun, w/multi layer cheese, ham, salami, cheese, prosciutto, ham, salami, cheese, mayonnaise, ham, salami, cheese, prosciutto, mayonnaise, salami, ham, cheese, salami, and salami, sandwich, with a couple of boiled eggs on the side……..brilliant!

Jutta suggested we try to find this ECO Hotel in Santa Barbara, just a few miles west of us, where she hoped to have dinner for her birthday on November 2nd……..great sushi bar, etc………but along the way we ran into Santa Barbara Beach……a really big bay, with HUGE waves breaking just offshore……..many people hanging out just watching the sea do its thing, and we joined right in. We hiked around the elevated lava rock cliffs, trying to get that perfect picture of the waves, showing their undeniable power, but at the end of the day, through the lens they all looked pretty underwhelming. Believe me though, they were spectacular……unrelenting and 15-20ft minimum for sure. Just off the parking lot were a collection of buildings, housing the local surfing school, and our new all time favourite spot on the north shore “TUKA TULA”. A must visit spot if you come here. Great drinks, great food, great views, and just what was needed as we were starting to fade into Zombieland.

Revitalized, we were back in the Citroen, and found ECO Central just down the road………very cool place……only 30 rooms…….right on the ocean…..great vibe inside……..Jutta books her birthday dinner for tomorrow night, and Sibylle and I are quick to reinforce that it is Jutta’s birthday tomorrow………”Zombieland”…….we leave Toronto pm 29th…..arrive Azores 30th…..tomorrow is Oct 31……..Jutta B’day Nov 2! We don’t even realize what we have told them until much later.

With hours to kill before our rooms will be ready, we target a drive to Lagao Fogo, a crater lake in the centre of the island, where there might be hiking opportunity……….just what I am looking for at this stage of the game……and we are off, trusting the onboard GPS, but backing it up with our phones, just in case. After a few thousand hairpin turns and % grades that would make your hair stand on end, we arrive at the overlook to Lagao Fogo…………stunning…….must do. Trails are available, but I am happy to find that even the mountain goats are a little reluctant to drop a thousand feet into the crater, only to have to turn around and hike back out. We opt for the scenic drive up and over the top……there is a point where you can look down and see Ponta Delgada (south shore), and Ribeira Grande (north shore) at probably the skinniest part of the island……..too much traffic so didn’t stop for the pic……trust me, it was there. Loosing elevation as quickly as we gained it on the way up, the decision is clear…….without notification from our hotel “Verde Mar Spa” that our rooms are ready, we are heading back to TUKA TULA for another cocktail.

And that is what happened. Later, upon arrival at the hotel, Sibylle was clearly gone…….Jutta and I stayed the course until 9pm, supplemented by a trip to the local store across the way for snacks, wine, vodka, and then we were unconscious ourselves. Somehow along the way we have managed to book a golf game for tomorrow morning……(OH YEAH…..ZOMBIE)………this will be fun………see you then.

View from our room at Verde Mar