Teacher Aboard Logs
Part 2 of October 20, 2000 Log

Madeira - Day Two

The next day, I was picked up at the same place, but instead of a full-sized bus we had a minivan! The guide told me that there were only six other passengers, so we'd have the luxury of a smaller vehicle and a flexible itinerary! I sat beside the driver, and off we went to pick up the remaining passengers. I was especially excited about this tour as it only had two major stops. One was in Rabacal where we would take a "Levada Walk," and the other was in Sao Vicente where we would explore the caves and lava tubes created by the ancient volcano eruption.

We began our trip along the sea, and we stopped for pictures now and then when the scenery was particularly interesting. This picture reflects what a great deal of Madeira's coast looks like. As we climbed higher, we passed through towns where the streets could only fit one vehicle at a time. What a ride that was!

I noticed that the corners of many of the shingled roofs had small sculptures. The guide explained that these figurines were originally used to ward off evil spirits, and then it became customary for the local housing.

We reached Rabacal after an exciting ride up the mountain on a road that was too narrow!

We began our walk along the irrigation channel, Levada do Risco. These channels, or levadas, were originally made of mud and allowed the farmers to irrigate their crops using mountain water. Later they were rebuilt with concrete and had small paths made alongside to provide access for the maintenance workers. When the city dwellers and tourists discovered how picturesque the area was, the paths became popular for hiking.

The path on which we walked took us among laurel trees and led to a waterfall. What a beautiful walk that was!

After a few hours on the plateau, we headed for the north face of the island where we had another delicious meal. That time we had fresh tuna steaks with garlic potatoes and green beans. The delicious meal was topped off with pudding and a cup of espresso coffee.

After lunch, we drove into the center of Sao Vicente where we had the opportunity to visit the local Catholic church that was built in the late 1700's. That was one of the prettiest churches I've ever seen. The painting inside the church was just incredible.

On the other side of the small town, we met the guide who would take us through the caverns. A quick picture outside the entrance reveals the lovely fauna that greets visitors to the caverns.

Inside, we were treated to an awe-inspiring look at the 400 thousand-year-old product of the birth of this island. These caverns were only opened four years ago and haven't been completely explored. Some of the lava tubes go back into the heart of the mountain and disappear.

The ceiling shows how the lava cooled and left this "chocolate kiss" texture! We walked through cavern after cavern, exploring the natural stream that flowed throughout.

At one point, we saw a rock that had been washed down by cooling lava until it became stuck in the passageway. Since the lava was cooling, the rock wasn't melted. If you look closely, you can see where lava dripped onto the rock from the ceiling and left runs of lava on the side of the rock. It was a fascinating tour through the mountain!

Once again, it was time to go. We were all a bit tired from the day's activities, so we watched the mountains pass by as we headed back to Funchal. Once in the city, I made my last few purchases and headed for the boat for a good night's rest.

Departure

The next morning we were cleared to leave. Before we did, however, we managed to have our picture taken in front of the artwork we were leaving behind.

There was a technical problem with the gear that allows us to send pictures back to the U.S, so I quickly I loaded my shots onto disks and asked the local agent to mail them home. When they arrive, they will be inserted into this log. Never a dull moment!

We finally left the harbor at 1300 hours and hoisted the stays'l, fores'l, and the main. There wasn't much wind so we cranked up one of the diesel engines and motored away on a heading of 180 degrees South. Our coordinates that afternoon were 32:34.71 N by 16:53.40 W. We were off toward San Juan, Puerto Rico and even warmer weather! I'll try to let you know how the trip goes as we get farther along! Bye for now!

Your Teacher Aboard Pride II,
Lee Vogtman

YOUR THOUGHTS

1. In the final paragraph is a set of coordinates. On a map, mark these coordinates and then locate and mark the coordinates from the beginning of the log. How does our approach to Maderia differ from our departure?
2. Are all islands created from a volcanic eruption?
3. What is "lava" made up of? What do you think cools the lava as it runs down?