We decided that today and tomorrow would be our car rental days, so that we could explore the island at our own pace. After a very yellow breakfast (yellow eggs, buttered toast, yellow cheese, orange juice), we picked out a rental car and waited for it to be delivered. This is our rental car.
The racing stripe is clearly what makes the car. We're tentatively calling it Stripey McStriperson. Nothing else really fit. Anyway, after signing off on our rental car (a steal at 35E per day), we took off to explore.
First on the general list was going to the tea factory, which Wade and Katie had highly recommended.
And we did that, but first we stopped at a lookout point (marked on the highway by a pair of binoculars - they're really pretty good about people not knowing any Portuguese, as we found out today). So, for some scenic views:
The second picture was taken by a member of a tour that hit the scenic outlook at the same time we did. First, he tried to take a picture of us with his camera. Then he got artsy. This was the result. It really was beautiful, and we got a great sense of what the coastline looked like.
We also hit the tea factory at the same time as that tour group, so we decided to take the "easy walk" through the tea plantation. I'm beginning not to buy the words they use here to describe their exercise activities. This was probably two and a half miles, at a better than 30 degree incline the whole time. Conceivably, it was made not-easier by my somewhat inappropriate footwear, but I really do feel like I'm getting my daily dose of fights with my legs. So that's good.
The tea plantation was really fragrant and lovely. Apparently, the tea is entirely harvested by hand, and this operation has been ongoing since the late 1800s.
After the tea plantation, we headed to Furnas, where we explored the city a bit and ended at the hot springs. These springs (labeled a geothermal phenomenon) were very heavy on the sulfer, and just over 100 degrees F. Very pleasant to hang out in for an hour or so, and well laid out, so it was very pretty and calming. And at 2E for an unlimited stay, who can complain?
(This was taken by someone other than me - I wasn't sure about the conditions, so I didn't bring in my camera. Original image can be found here.)
After we finished at the hot spring and got a snack, it was around 4:00, so we started heading back in the general direction of Ponta Delgada. This required a lot of travel on narrow and winding roads, which requires me to say how very, very thankful I am that Jenn has done all of the driving thus far. I think I would have been a hot mess for a good chuck of this. We tried to stop at a ceramics factory on the way home, but despite our best efforts (which required some very nimble smart car maneuvering) to find the correct street (maps here aren't all that good), it seems that the factory was closed.
Instead, we found some stairs that led down to the beach.
One more scenic lookout, and we headed back to the hotel for the evening (or at least until we go out and find some dinner, which will likely be soon).
Can you tell that I've rediscovered my favorite camera feature? :)
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