We are off for our first group hike! I am a bit worried that I am not in good enough shape but since hikes are rated as average I should be okay? Our Guide, Ayla, is giving us facts and information about the island which is good.
- The Azores is made up of 9 islands
- 27 active volcanos
- If all the cows in a field are laying down something bad could happen but if most are standing will be a great day.
- Cows are milked in fields by portable milking machine and guarded by a field dog
Our bus drops us off at the end of a road to start our first hike, Ribeira Funda to Maia.
I can already tell this is going to be challenging. Most of our group walks fast. I prefer to take it slow and enjoy the scenery while stopping to snap a photo.
We came to my first challenge, crossing a creek by stepping on rocks. I am terrible at this!
Well, I fell in at water crossing. The right side of my body hit the stream and got wet which wasn’t great since it was the beginning of the hike. The good is my clothes will dry fast but my shoes and socks not so much. Oh well! I know for sure that the average trail rating is definitely not what I consider average but at this point I have no choice but to push onward. It is super hard, and I am miserable! At least these random structure would pop up and remind me this is an amazing experience.
Thankfully the views are amazing and the trails were well marked. In my misery I loved seeing the marked trail signs with the yellow and red stripe.
Down we go . . .
. . . which means back up we must go!
We took a break for lunch on a black sand beach.
Since we were on the beach that meant there were a lot of steps and uphill climbs and steps and cue the broken record for the rest of the day. I think at this point I was questioning me signing up for this tour. I walked alone a lot which was fine with me. I like being alone and the back of the pack.
These cows brought a smile to my face . . . not sure why but maybe because I knew the end was near or they are just cows living in such a beautiful place.
Almost done for the day . . .
The end of the hike was a restaurant and I was so happy to sit down and have a Kima, a fizzy drink made from passion fruit.
Our next stop was at Caldera Velha Hot Spring. This would be nice to relax in hot spring water and maybe help my muscles because I know tomorrow I might not be able to walk.
The springs were nice but not as hot as I would have liked . . . relaxing no doubt.
We arrived back at the hotel and my day was d-o-n-e even if it is only 5pm. I am exhausted. I thought I was going to die. Oh and there are still 3 more days of this hiking fun!
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