26.11.2020
116 km Eastern part of the island
It had been raining most of the night. I had slept well, but every now and then I heard the rain. Since I have the early breakfast slot at 07:00-07:45 I had set the alarm early and still in the dark I walked down to the Atlantis Restaurant in the rain. Breakfast was good again – they had fresh Papaya today and I also ordered fried egg sunny side up. Since I had been a few minutes later than yesterday, I could actually sort of watch the sunrise at breakfast.
Having no plan for the day again I went back to the room and started fiddling with the laptop. But the WIFI seemed to be down today and I could not research anything. So I decided to get an early start and was in my tiny car ready to roll by 08:00.
Last night while surfing insta I had seen photos of snow up in the mountains of Madeira. The thought of finding snow on Madeira was intriguing and now my mind was set! I was going to chase the snow! Little did I know at this point about the capabilities of my tiny car … But I was determined!
I did not even have to get on the expressway, but I drove along the old airport road – the one that was used before the expressway was built. It was still a main road and traversed the mountains maybe half way up. I was always looking for secret boxes hidden along the way – usually they are at strategically good viewpoints suitable for tourists … There were great views along the road anyway and slowly the sun made an appearance and rainbows popped up. The first geocache of the day was at a great viewpoint over Funchal in the distance and a spectacular rainbow kissed the city center and port.
My cameras were always ready on the seat next to me to take shots along the way. Rain and sun were chasing each other while I was following narrow winding side roads up into the mountains now. I had left the old airport road in Palmeira and drove uphill towards Palheiro Ferreiro were I again turned up following the signs for Terreiro da Luta.
The road got narrower and curvier leading up hill and then traversing the mountains even higher up passing valleys with spectacular views. There was another box hidden near a viewpoint – but before I searched I had to admire the magnificent double rainbow over the valley below. It seemed so close to almost being able to touch it.
On the opposite side of the valley I could see already the Sanctuário da Nossa Senhora da Paz in Terreiro da Luta. It was bathed in sun at this moment.
The geocache was hidden in a small hole on the outside of the wall of the viewpoint and I had to sit on the wall and hang over to reach it. It was no problem – I have long arms – but everything was wet from the rain and I got my bum wet for the first time today. Lucky me, I had put on the warmest winter trousers I brought with me to Madeira … In the far distance below the city of Funchal was laying in the sunshine …
Now I kept following the road around the valley – again it was raining – the narrow road was littered with leaves and branches and rocks that had fallen down during the rainstorms recently. Not much traffic was there, but I met a few cars. I was still in rural area passing driveways every now and then … meaning locals used this road frequently.
Soon after I reached the Sanctuário da Nossa Senhora da Paz – Sanctuary of Our Lady of Peace – only the sun had gone and dark grey clouds were looming over it now. Nevertheless I put my wooly hat on – yes, I had brought it! I was going to chase the snow, remember?! – and got out to find the secret box that was hidden here up the 31st stair leading to the monument. I found it easily.
Just when I had finished signing the logbook the heavens opened in a heavy downpour. However, I went up to have a look at the monument. The Nossa Senhora da Paz Sanctuary is the largest monument on Madeira due to its 5-m-high marble statue and is dedicated to Our Lady of Peace. This monument was raised after German submarines attacked the Port of Funchal in 1917 which sank various ships. At that time, the locals promised that, if peace was restored, they would erect a statue in homage to Our Lady of Monte – 10 years later the monument was built commemorating the end of the WW I. It incorporates the anchor chains from those sunken ships – they form now a rosary that lies at the feet of Our Lady of Peace framing the monument.
I did not see those, unfortunatly. The rain had turned into hail and I barely dared to take the camera out to take a photo. I only snapped a quick one with my mobile phone before I hurried back down to the car.
At least it was dry in the car … and off I went again. Shortly behind the small village I turned up into the mountains towards Poiso where the road to Pico do Arieiro was starting. But I was not that far yet … Nor should I come that far …
The road was narrow and it was still raining. Soon I left the forest and the landscape was more open – only I could not see much around because of the low hanging rain clouds. But then I saw the first sprinkling of snow on the side of the road … I was getting close to the snow!
I bypassed a couple of hidden boxes because of the rain and then I met the first real snow-slushy stretch of road … It was only some 50 m long maybe, in a bend and not too steep. My tiny car was still in upward momentum and was creeping through it with swimming wheels and me clutching the steering wheel before remembering not to steer too jerkily against sliding wheels … I kept my foot steadily on the gas and luckily I could not see the abyss at the side of the road … or dared to look … there were clouds anyway … Quickly I was through that slushy stretch and the road was just wet again. Wet road was not a problem for my tiny car. Up the mountain it could only go in max 2nd gear anyway and as long as the road was just wet the wheels had a good grip.
However, only around the next couple of corners the next snow-slushy stretch awaited me … By now my car had lost the uphill momentum because there was a minibus coming down the mountain. The moment I took my foot from the gas the car stopped in the spot and it would not move upwards again. On the dashboard the sign for sliding car was flashing furiously. I had no chance to move upwards any further. WTF … Just so you know … I know how to drive in snow and winter …. even though I cannot even remember the last time I did it … Not even in 2nd gear itthe car would move forward … but there are no winter tires or even all weather tires on Madeira! They simply do not exist … at least not on cheap rental cars … or expensive rental cars … on summer tires there is no way my tiny car could make it safely through that snow slush … Damn … what now?
I could not even turn the car … I mean, those tires had absolutely no grip at all … So I did the only thing possible and let the car roll out of the snow slush backwards. I mean, it was only some 20 m or so and hopefully there would be no other car coming up behind me. Letting the break out slowly slowly my tiny car started rolling down and after what seemed to me like an eternity, but was indeed only a few seconds I was out on wet road again and I could stop without sliding.
I still had to roll another few meters to be able to turn the car in the middle of the road and make my way down the mountain again. There was still that other snow-slush stretch to navigate, but I came upon it slowly and let the car roll in only 1st gear and used the break only slightly when the car caught too much momentum. After all, this stretch was around a corner and I did not know how deep the abyss was behind the stone guard rail and the clouds … The sun tried to come out, though …
But I got through it without any further problems – even had the guts to take a couple of photots – and kept driving down the rainy mountain – the sun had not won over. It was snow-raining for a while until I came further down when it was just raining again …
Where to go now? I had to follow the road all the way down to Palheiro Ferreiro and from there kept going east around the mountains through pretty villages. It was still raining, though.
In Ribeira João Gonçalves I found a secret drive-in box – I stopped basically right next to the GPS marker and could have reached the box from the car – but it was on the other side of the car. I jumped out in the light rain, found and signed it quickly.
But I wanted to see snow, so I started another attempt to get up the mountains. That last box had been right at a junction and I turned left and followed the signs to Poiso. I was going to try for the snow again!
“When you go on a roadtrip, the trip itelf becomes part of the story.” – Steve Rushin
The road led up in a curvy manner – some hairpin bends, some longer stretches ascending – through beautiful forest. Up up up it went. The clouds hung very low and it was raining. But the forest was beautiful with moss covered trees of a deciduous forest. The weather made it very mystical.
On a pasture next to the road there were sheep. They did not look bothered by the weather at all and were just roaming around grazing. And then all of a sudden I felt like in Iceland … The weather and the landscape … and then the sheep stood on the road side. Yeah, it definitely felt like on our Roadtrip in Iceland last year …
At some point the rain turned into increasing snow-rain once more … but I kept going up up up. Slowly anyway – no more than 30 km/h in the rainy visibility, narrow road and autumn leaves on the road..
The outside temperature was down to 2.5°C … that my little car told me … But I kept going … until a rather steep and straight stretch of road. There I made the mistake to stop to take a photo of the snowy road ahead … or maybe it was hunch in my subconscious … the further I go up the further I had o go down eventually again …
When I wanted to start again … the car did not … and would not move anymore … the tires had no grip anymore … whatsoever … the orange sign for sliding was franticly flashing on the dashboard … Yeah right! Thank you for telling me! I feel it! … I did not move a centimeter more forward … no chance … I let the car roll backwards for a few meters and tried again … nothing … I was only marginally going sidways when I tried forward … All of a sudden I saw a similar small bright red car coming down the road ahead of me. Oh shit … I was in the middle of the road! I needed to move to the side! … No way going up … so I started rolling back again trying to steer to my side of the road … My funny little car of course had no rearview camera … The rearview mirrows outside were all rainy and of not much use … I turned the rear window wipers on and craned my neck to look over my shoulder … trying to steer slowly in the right direction … slowly slowly … no room for mistakes here … no sliding please … not too close to the side! I did not want to end up in the ditch! … OK, brake … Oh no! … sliding again … Stop! Stop! … Phew …
I let the other car pass – the driver did not look much more relaxed than me! He was desperately gripping the steering wheel as well and his car was crawling along … At least I was not the only one with this problem … This let me feel a little less stupid for trying …
Once he had passed and was out of sight I got going again. The snowy rain was not letting up. So this situation was not going to get better any time soon. I had to get down that mountain if I wanted or not! I craned my neck again and let the brake go and the car roll slowly slowly backwards. I had to find a spot to safely turn … That was not going to be easy since I could not go forward upward … Hopefully no traffic was coming up behind me … But I managed to keep on my side of the road and crept down for maybe 150 m until there was a spot where I could turn in backwards and then across the road. There was a opening on the other side of the road, were I could turn and park for a few minutes and recuperate …
A 4WD pick-up truck was coming up sipping around the corner … good thing I was not stuck on the road anymore … Now … What was I going to do? … I had to get down and I did not know how far down it was snowing … So I took a deep breath and clutched the steering wheel, put the first gear in and tested the road. Since that parking spot was level, the tires had grip and I got back on the road going downhill … first gear and led it just roll … luckily the funny little car had ABS Antilock Brake System … I remembered now to press the brake pedal firmly, because only then does the system unfold its effect and usually remains sufficiently stable and steerable … I think I made no more than 10 km/h … there were so many sharp bends and constantly it was descending … The snowy rain was not letting up yet, so I crept along slowly.
Initially I thought I had reached the save road after some 500 m … but a few days later I came up here again and I actually measured the distance and it turned out it were almost 3 km that I had been slithering down the mountain. It is a wonder I did not have muscle ache in my arms after that, because I was gripping the wheel so hard, but in the same time tried not to steer too joltily while the ABS brake jerked the car along.
At some point I caught up with the little red car. Obviously that tourist in it had the same problems because he was going as slow as I was. But shit … now I needed to brake even more as so not to slide into him … no way could I over take him …for some reason I was marginally faster than him … if that was even possible and if 1 km/h more counted as faster … Fortunately the weather took the decision from me … the snow slush turned into rain and shortly after the road was just wet and immediately the tires had grip again and driving was safe …
The red car pulled over at the first possibility and I could see the relief on the guys face that he made it when he waved me past. I needed to find a spot to meditate, too. And I had one in mind which was only a couple of hundred meters further down. There was a geocache hidden in a beech forest and I wanted to have closer look at the mossy trees as well. I parked the car at the end of a driveway – where it was leading I did not know, but I hoped nobody was going to use it while I was here. The rain had basically stopped, the temperature was up to 5°C now, but clearly it had been snow-raining here as well. The forest floor was still covered in snow slush sprinkles.
I put all my 2 jacket on and even my wooly hat and went for a walk in the beech forest. Funnily enough the sun had come out. Not all those patches were snow but sunny spots in the delightful forest! I spent quite a while wrapped up in the landscape. It was a regular forest bathing session for proper meditation.
The geocache was hidden somewhere deeper in the forest. I trekked for some 200 m off the path and searched in the wet leaves. The hint photo was only marginally helpful … all trees looked sort of the same … but eventually I was successful and unearthed that secret box and signed the logbook.
Before I was ready to get back in that car, I went across the road and took a closer look at those mossy trees. The sheep that had been there earlier had walked off a bit and eyed me only from afar. But the moss hanging off the trees was so cool and mystical. The raindrops caught in the strands glistered in the sun. It was beautiful. I loved it.
Once I had enough forest and moss meditation I got back in the car and kept going down towards the main road … much more relaxed now. The sun was out … at least for a while. The drive through the mossy forest was awesome. It still looked mystical even without the rain. I stopped a couple of times to take more photos.
When I reached the junction of the main road I turned north. I had given up the thought of chasing the snow … Enough snowy-road-excitement for today! I drove the country roads towards Porto da Cruz on the Northern coast. There were some secret boxes along the way, but I passed most of them due to the weather – the rain was back – or no parking space. The weather was changing constantly – rain and sun were taking turns. Apparently Madeira has 4 different microclimate zones … While it is called “The island of eternal spring” … winter had the most rain … I chose this time myself and you will not hear me complaining!
Coming closer to the Northern coast the road started descending in many turns. I stopped at one viewpoint with a secret box, but it was pouring down again and I stayed in the car and decided to push on … There was another viewpoint further down the road … no secret box there, but the sun was there … I stopped and took some great photos towards Porto da Cruz. The view was stunning and it looked as if the weather was clearing up along the coast as well … or maybe it was just wishful thinking …
I reached Porto da Cruz around 14:00 this afternoon. The small town sits at the Northeastern corner of Madeira and has approx 2500 inhabitants. It appeared virtually deserted. I found a parking sport right in the center close to the church and took a walk.
The origin of the community’s name came from the fact that the original discoverer affixed a steel cross at the port – in order to make it more visible to ocean travelers. During the early settlement of the Northern coast was this the main harbor.
There was Multi-Cache in town and I planned on walking from waypoint to waypoint to collect the answers for the final coordinates. Such Multi-Caches are often set to be nice walking tours to get to know the places. This one led me first to the Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe – the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe – which is a modern church built after the old church was demolished in 1961 and still protects some decorative Baroque elements of the former church. I did not go inside, but had a look around.
Finding the first blooming Frangipani was making me happy, too. Those flowers always remind me of my time in Thailand where I saw them for the first time in the temples and they call them Temple Flowers … after all a church is a temple, too … Plumeria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae – deciduous shrubs or small trees. The species variously are endemic to Central America, the Caribbean and as far south as Brazil and north as Florida, but are grown as cosmopolitan ornamentals in warm regions. Common names for plants in the genus vary widely according to region, variety and whim, but Frangipani or variations on that theme are the most common.
Here they bloomed in a beautiful yellow. Frangipani flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers yield no nectar, however, and simply trick their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.
I walked the few steps to the shoreline where huge waves were crashing on the rocks. The sun was out over the cliffs along the coast and it made for spectacular vistas. I had arrived on the rugged North coast of Madeira! The wild Atlantic Ocean was showing off with roaring waves and strong winds. I love big waves! It was breathtakingly beautiful!
At the end of the beach promenade was the Piscina Complex – public swimming pools at the shore line. Nobody was swimming today – the waves were crashing right over the pools. The wind was howling as well. I spent some time taking in the atmosphere, watching the waves roll in and taking photos.
But then the rain came in hard anew. From one second to the other it started pouring down cats and dogs … There were a couple of open restaurants by the promenade and I already had started looking for a lunch spot while walking. Now I just ducked under the awning of the Piscina Snack Bar for cover from the down pour. No customers were there and the man working there looked at me expectantly … Well, since it did not look as if the rain would stop in the next minute and since I was ready for lunch anyway … Bom dia, is it open? – Yes, Yes! Open! … I had a great choice of tables and chose the one closest to the open but still under the roof and dry. The view was marvelous! I could watch the waves forever!
I ordered a Coral Beer and – was I happy – they had Lapas – Limpets! Finally I was going to taste them! Since they were usually served as a starter I ordered the Grilled Octopus – Polvo Grelhado – for main course. I was excited. While I waited for my food I watched the pouring rain hit the tables outside. Oh this weather … at least down by the coast it was not as cold as is had been up in the mountains. It was rather mild with 12°C. And a few minutes later it was sunny again …
The Limpets came in a still sizzeling pan and grilled in garlic butter. Absolutely delicious! Grilled Limpets are undoubtedly an excellent reason to visit Madeira. The delicacy is really typical and traditional. Madeira is the ideal place to produce those healthy and tasty Limpets due to the lack of coastal pollution. They are conical shells also known as patelliform – dish-shaped – living on hard surfaces in intertidal zones and are most vulnerable during low tide, which is the perfect time to catch them since they are on the surface and it is not uncommon to pick them and eat them fresh on the same day. They are grilled in the pan in their shell and are seasoned with garlic butter. They were absolutely yummy and I loved them! It would be for sure not the last time I had them while on the island!
My Octopus main course arrived soon after and what can I say … it was absolutely outstanding as well. I love Octopus and this one was delicious! I had ordered with salad only and what a salad it was – it had avocado and everything in it. But the Octopus … the Octopus was just … heavenly good! It was grilled with red capsicum, onions and green olives. It was so tender and so delightful … I was lost for words … I just ate it all … even though it was a huge portion …
In the meantime sun and rain and rain and sun kept dancing around each other and just when I was ready to leave … another shower went down … Really??? … What to do? – You take a Poncha! – OK, I take a Poncha! … It was the traditional Lemon Poncha and with this view it was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.
With the next sunny stretch I paid my bill – which was very reasonable – and continued on my walk. The promenade was leading behind the snack bar along the the shore above the pools and below the hill that was topped by the remains of Fortim do Porto da Cruz – the Fort of Porto da Cruz – which has apperently a fascinating view over the Western part of the island. The Fort had been erected as a sentry in the beginning of the 18th century and was demolished about 100 years later. Now there are only some ruins left. However, the promenade was closed due to the weather … probably … and I had to turn around to see if I can go the other way around and up, because up there was a secret box hidden as well … From the promenade I had a wonderful view over the Piscina and the town, though.
Walking around that hill I came across a much more interesting site, however … You have to know, I have not done much research on sights … I always research food, drinks, bar, sometimes restaurants – I always end up eating and drinking the most famous stuff, but very rarely actually end up in the bars or restaurants I googled, though – and most importantly I research where are geocaches hidden when I go somewhere … everything else I mostly stumble about … or somebody tells me about or so … Now, as I walked along I see that sign “Make great Discoveries and always find North” – sounds like a great slogan! But what was it for? It had rum bottles on it … That was … engaging …
Taking a closer look, I discovered it was the Caso do Rum! Yeah! I found the Rum Factory! I did not even have rum on my radar and there it was … the famous Engenhos do Norte – probably the main attraction of Porto da Cruz.
With the introduction of sugar cane began the Age of White Gold in Madeira’s history. Sugar cane has been grown on the island since the 15th century and also was the main source of income of early settlers of Porto da Cruz. Sugarcane is still one of the main agricultural products on Madeira – and Madeira Rum has a grand history. The Aguardente factory here, completed after 1858, was part of this industry, converting the juice into the local spirit. Back then the sugarcane mill and rum distillery was one of many on the island. They had a show and tasting room and a shop there – of course I had to take a look.
Rum barrels were on display but mainly this was the shop. Part of the Aguardente production is stored in oak barrels for at least 5 years. After aging in the barrels the result is Aguardente de Cana Reserva, a honey brown, mild rum which is drunk as a digestiv.
Rum of all variations lined the shelves and of course Poncha. If I wanted to taste Poncha? … Ah, no, thank you, I just had one.
A few other German tourists were in the shop as I came in. They had just ordered something … the shop assistant was preparing it and it looked intriguing. You know, I am all for tasting drinks and cocktails … I saw the sign for what they were having – Rumcomel € 2 – for sure I will have it!
I took my glass outside. There were tables set up and half of one was under the roof … it started drizzling again … But the cocktail was good. It was this Rumcomel with whipped cream on top and Mel de Cana. It was very good and hit the spot. Of course I bought some to take home – a Rumcomel and a glass of this Mel de Cana – dark sugar cane molasses – and one more Poncha. I could not resist. I am going to make that cocktail at home. And believe it! I did it! It looked as the original and tasted as good!
But now – before I was getting in the car again – I had to walk off all that alcohol. First I visited the actual Rum Factory, though. The mill that existed today was built in 1927 replacing approx 50 smaller mills and it was recognizable by its 27 m tall red chimney.
The factory here is still in full operation today mainly producing Rum and Mel de Cana. Apparently it is the only factory in Europe still using the original steam powered engine … At the moment there was no sugarcane season, though … the factory only operates from March to May … but it was open to visitors to look around and very interesting.
Something that really caught my eye was the 970 Rum Agrícola da Madeira Underwater Edition. In 2019 they had actually submerged 605 bottles of 6 year old Rum in the ocean to a depth of some 8-10 m where they were subjected to seawater temperatures between 17-24ºC. After some 7.5 months they had removed the first batch. The second batch was raised after 14 months in May this year. I found that totally fascinating …
Leaving the Rum Factory I walked around the hill the other way now. The road was lined with the red Sword Aloe flowers. I found an narrow excess path between them going up to the Fort. It was steep and with the rainy weather it was very muddy and slippery … I turned around after 5 m … That cache up there was not mine today.
I rather enjoyed the view to the other side of the bay to Penha d’Águia – Eagle Rock. That is an impressive 590 m high rock with a very steep cliff towards the ocean.
With the red Aloe flowers and the waves crashing in the foreground it made for a very picturesque view. Apparently a trail is leading up to a view point … not for me and not under this weather conditions, though. There were even waterfalls coming down … not sure if they were always there or maybe just because of the weather.
I just walked around the hill until I reached the point where the path was closed again. But the views were wonderful from the point and the waves kept rolling in. The sky was blue over the ocean … I took phototos and I collected some answers for that Multi-Cache and then walked back.
Ashore the rain was back again, but I kept walking around collecting answers. The typical red Aloe flowers were not the only ones blooming this time of the year. There were also Red Hibiscus hedges with bright red blossoms. Apparently tropical Hibiscus varieties will continue to bloom year-round, providing a continual feast of garden color.
There were a hedges of Corymb Rose – Rosa corymbifera – also known as Rosa canina – commonly known as the Dog Rose – a variable climbing, wild rose species native to Europe, Northwest Africa, and Western Asia. They were still having some of their white flowers as well.
The tour sort of led me back to the car … or maybe I just wanted to get out of the rain. Once I was, I tried to calculate the final coordinates for the Multi Cache without success. I think I might have missed a number or counted somewhere wrong. I am never good with calculating coordinates … The coordinates always pointed somewhere in the off near the coast … I gave up and decided to drive to Faial instead.
Above the town was another viewpoint by the road side and just when I passed there the sun was out for a moment. Good time for a photo stop. And the view was breathtakingly beautiful. Of course, there was also a secret box hidden close by, which I found quickly. But the view … the view was just stunning!
I followed the country road up and around Eagle Rock to Faial. There were wonderful views over the landscape and into the valleys along the road. I stopped to have another distant view of Porto da Cruz down below.
As I came around Eagle Rock and lost the ocean view on my right, the valley opened up on my left and if the clouds had not been hanging so low I probably could have seen more of the mountains. Being like it was I could just make out some villages and farm houses in the foothills. They lay in the sun and the orange-roofed white houses glistered in the light.
But since there weather was not really changing and it was more rain than sun at the coast, I decided to turn around and head back to the hotel. Before I got onto the expressway, I did another stop to take a photo of Faial in the distance.
Traffic on the expressway was light and as soon as I came out of the tunnel near Machico on the East coast, the sky was brilliantly blue, the sun was radiant and it was so warm that I pulled the window down. Around 15:00 I was back at Sentido Galosol.
During the day they had finished up with the Christmas decoration outside the front door of the wing my room was in. Not that I was in any Christmas mood yet, though. However, all of a sudden some Christmas goblins had appeared … Somehow they reminded me of my fantastic trip to Togo & Benin … they reminded me of … Zangbeto! The traditional Voodoo guardians of the night among the people in Benin and Togo – and my trip there around this time of the year in 2018.
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag
Well, that quote could be mine … Now I have been so deprived of travel this year, that I see things … maybe … But a few days later I messaged that photo to Oliver, one of my travel companions back then and he recognized it immediately as well!
The Christmas Tree in the lobby was also up now and I had to pass it 4 times this afternoon … because my key card was not working … Damn … I knew this would happen! I had paid up until 28.11. a total of € 240 including breakfast and on that info paper they had given me only 26.11. had been written. When I inquired about it yesterday morning at reception, they said – No no, all is OK. You paid until 28.11.! The paper is not important! … Yeah, right … Now I stuffed all my shit back in the car and walked over to Galomar reception. They were friendly enough, but of course had to check and – Yes! You paid until 28.11.! Sorry, we will fix the keycard for you quickly!
Walking back to the car and my room after getting the new keycard, it started raining again … Really? Again? … In my room I opened the balcony doors and then took a nap for an hour or so. After that the sun was out and I wanted to go for a sunset walk … there were a few more geocaches in the vicinity of the hotel … but just as I put my shoes on … it started raining … Really? Again? … So I resolved to sitting at the open balcony door sorting the many photos I took today and drinking Poncha and Coral Beer and watching the sunset.
I also started thinking about what I should do after leaving Galosol on 28.11. – it was only 2 more days until then. When I arrived on the island and it had been clear that I was good to enter, I had messaged some friends living in Funchal about catching up and having a cocktail. They were busy, but had time on Monday evening … Which day was Monday? Which day was today? I was on vacation and already lost track of the days … I was planning to move to the North Coast first, but decided for Monday evening to be back in Funchal as so not to have to drive after meeting up with them.
Nowadays it was really easy to find affordable accommodation on very short notice. Hotels were wooing the few people that dared to travel with unbeatable prices. Booking was my best friend … and I filtered – of course – ocean view … and found a holiday apartment in São Vincente directly at the shore for € 35 per night – I booked it for 2 nights. Funchal was more divers in accommodation prices and I wanted to be close to my friends place. This time I filtered ocean view and parking – because parking in the city would be a nightmare. Nevertheless I was successful – I booked 2 night in a bed & breakfast – but I took garden view – for € 20 per night including breakfast. I was being cheap, but maybe I could upgrade upon arrival. Now, with the next 4 days sorted I went to sleep early and content.
27.11.2020
109 km Central South Coast
I did not sleep well last night – it was raining heavily all night. Was it ever going to improve? I was up early and went for breakfast in the rain at 07:00. My friend, who had recommended this place, had told me that there was also sparkly wine for breakfast … so today I needed one and I looked out for it … but, no … no champagne breakfast today … Nevermind … the rain was easing up during breakfast and on the horizon I could see the sunrise over the Ilhas Desertas – Deserta Islands. The archipelago is located off the coast approx 25 km southeast of the eastern tip of Madeira – I could bearly make it out in the far distance.
Though close to the main island of Madeira, the geology of the Ilhas Desertas is starkly different. The high, long and rocky islands of the group are barren of topsoil and the only wildlife consists of approx 16 species of birds and a scarce population of feral goats, rabbits and rodents, brought from Portugal by the mariners who first touched the rocky shores. A tiny colony of Mediterranean Monk Seals inhabits the beaches and since 1990 the islands have been constituted as a Nature Reserve for their protection. Nowadays the population numbers approx 40 seals. The spot used to be a favourite dive spot and I would have loved to dive with seals … Once I did dive with friendly Southern Sealions when I was in Puerto Madryn in Argentina in 2014 and had a fab time …
However, since 2019 it was forbidden to dive, swim or snorkel at the Monk Seal spot and no boats are allowed to land there anymore. Pity for me, but good for the population of the Monk Seals!
I sat on my balcony watching the sunrise, journal writing and hoping the clouds would disappear and the rain subside. I was contemplating what to do today. I had no plan as usual … I still wanted to go in the mountains, but I had giving up chasing the snow … However I had always heard that it was not uncommon that the clouds hang low and the peaks and high plateau were in the sun. If my funny little car did not make it through snow-slushy clouds, then this would not help me, though. So I googled the most scenic routes on Madeira and most all of them were up in the mountains …
By 10:00 it look much more friendly outside, it was warm and sunny and I got going – Yes, I started late today! – I took the VE 1 along the South coast West towards Ribeiro Brava. There were many rainbows along the route again … I should start calling Madeira – The Island of Rainbows …
And all those tunnels … some were longer, some shorter … It is said that if the island would be cut across its length it would be like a Swiss Cheese … considering the number of holes in the volcanic rock … passages for vehicles as well as for walkers to navigate the island – it might well be the place with the most tunnels per square meter in the world … But even though the country roads are much narrower with more curves, I did prefer them, because there was more chance to see the scenery and enjoy the views – nevertheless – they had tunnels as well … just not as many as the expressway. It was just faster to get through the city of Funchal and half way across the island.
In Ribeira Brava I turned North onto the VE 3 which soon turned into VE 4. On this road it is only some 17 km across the Island from the South to São Vincente on the North coast. The old passroad over the 1007 m high Boca da Encumeada is the ER 228 and is supposed to be one of the most scenic routes on the island. Near Serra de Água I therefore left the expressway and turned onto this old passroad. It is only some 5 km or so longer than the expressway, but it takes quite a bit longer across the island due to the curves and the ascent and descent. In 2000 the 3086 m long Túnel da Encumeada – which crosses under the pass – had been opened to traffic and had shortened the trip between South and North coast not only by kilometers but also by time – just without the scenic charm. It had cost some 80 mio Euros and is apparently the most expensive tunnel per meter on the island. The tunnel also meant that there was less traffic on the old passroad … basically only tourists and a few loacls living along the road would use it … This time around there were almost no tourists … I however took the scenic route today … or so I thought … I could already see the clouds hanging over the mountains ahead …
I once more left the sunny South behind … As soon as I left the expressway the road started climbing the mountains side. There was a viewpoint with a geocache hidden and I stopped for that. It started drizzling already and I also did not find the cache … I did look everywhere, but then I gave up. No log today. I did enjoy the view to Serra de Água below, though.
Just after the viewpoint I passed the first rockfall area. I suppose the weather with all the rain and snow in the mountains had done the deed. And I also suppose this is not uncommon here. Maybe that is what the Europcar guy ment when he wanted to sell me an extended insurance cover on the car? If a rock hit the car … even if it was a small one … it would make a dent and I would have to pay … Let’s just hope that rockfall is finished for now …
I passed it without problems and kept going uphill. A couple of other rockfalls which were smaller littered the road further up, but a road crew was already on it to clear them. The weather was not improving, though … the higher I came the stronger the rain came down. I watched the outside temperature … I was going to turn around when it hit 4°C … because that it was just before the snow-slush started yesterday. However I believe it happened at an altitude of approx 900 m yesterday … So maybe I would be OK here. On the other hand the rain did not ease off … if anything it increased. I was sure the views would be magnificent … though, I could hardly see the road with the windshield wipers going full speed. Once more I was clutching the steering wheel going around sharp turns hoping for no oncoming traffic. I decided to call it and turn around, but could not find a suitable spot … so I made it all the way to the Boca da Encumeada. There was a restaurant or such and I pulled onto the parking lot. I could not see a thing … and for sure I was not getting out of the car to look for a geocache that was approx 100 m away in this rain … it was still 10°C, though. Contemplating that the weather was definitely better on the South coast, I decided to go back.
Going down was slightly easier and the further down I came the more the weather cleared up again. For the first time I noticed the huge Eucalyptus trees … a real Eucalyptus forest was lining the road and the scent was really nice. I could smell it, because I had the window down a bit to take a photo – which did not turn out.
I had to pass the rockfall by the view point again, but by now the rain had mostly stopped and as I rounded the corner I could already predict the sun on the South coast …
But first I took a tiny detour to look for a geocache. There was a wee settlement of only a few houses just off the VE 4 and I turned off there. It was called Meia Légua – Half a League. A small chapel sat smack in the center of the one-road hamlet and I parked right in front of it.
The Capela da Nossa Senhora da Sáude – the Chapel of Our Lady of Health – is a small catholic church that venerates the Virgin Mary. I did not go inside – I think it was closed anyway – but I looked for the cache which was supposed to be hidden behind the church. There was a rather narrow path between the church and rocks and I almost did not fit through … but the path opened to a beautiful Levada that lead to a waterfall in the distance and Strelitzia were blooming there.
I looked for the cache for a while … nobody had found or searched for it since the beginning of March, though. The logs before that suggested all kinds of hints where the box could have been hidden, but all seemed to involve climbing … I tried to step up a little bit, but soon gave up. It was too wet and muddy and I had no real idea where to find that box. I gave up and continued to Ribeira Brava.
In the outskirts of town I found a huge supermarket … and an Earth Cache right in the parking lot. I think I call it killing 2 birds with 1 stone … Quickly I collected data and took the mandatory photo, before I went in the supermarket and stocked up on juices, beer and fruits and bought also some bread and cream cheese.
The weekend was coming up and I was not sure if everything would be open. And in the holiday apartment from tomorrow on I had no breakfast included. There would be a fridge and a kitchenette, so I could also have dinner in case I did not find something … Not that I wanted to cook … But nowadays you never know what is happening the next day with restaurants and hotels …
I found the fish section and they had the Black Scabbard Fish on display … first time I saw it in whole. Those are deep-sea creatures, existing in abundance between 800 and 1300 m depth. They are mainly caught in mixed trawl fisheries along with other deep-water species and are highly vulnerable to overfishing. In Portuguese waters, the Black Scabbardfish has traditionally been caught by line gear only.
Even more impressed I was by the huge potions of Octopus in the freezer … I wish I could have bought some and cooked it! The Octopus is a soft-bodied, 8-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda of which approx 300 species are recognised and the order is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautilods. The Octopus is bilaterally symmetric with 2 eyes and a beak, with its mouth at the center point of the 8 limbs. They trail their appendages behind them as they swim. The siphon is used both for respiration and for locomotion, by expelling a jet of water. Octopuses are among the most intelligent and behaviourally diverse of all invertebrates. They inhabit various regions of the ocean, including coral reefs, pelagic waters and the seabed. Some live in the intertidal zone and others at abyssal depths. Most species grow quickly, mature early and are short-lived. Octopus fisheries exist around the world and methods to capture octopuses include pots, traps, trawls, snares, drift fishing, spearing, hooking and hand collection. It is eaten in many cultures and is a common food on the Mediterranean and Asian coasts.
With the weather being much better on the coast I decided to follow the VE 3 to Ponta do Sol. It was only a few quick kilometers on the expressway until I reached the small town which was named Sun Point. Statistically this place is the most sunny spot on the island … which also means it has on average the warmest air and water temperatures. However, the name was rather given due to the fact that there is a rock spur close by that apparently glows in the setting sun. I found a parking lot in the center and had to pull a 1 € parking ticket from the machine. Then I went for a walk.
The settlement of Ponta do Sol began shortly after the discovery of Madeira. The island was claimed by Portuguese sailors in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1419 and settled after 1420. The archipelago is considered to be the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the Age of Discovery, which lasted approx from the beginning of the 15th century until the middle of the 17th century and is an informal and loosely defined term for the period in European history in which extensive overseas exploration, led by the Portuguese, emerged as a powerful factor in European culture. Today, Madeira is a popular year-round resort, being visited every year by approx 1.4 mio tourists, almost 5 times its population … only not in this new normal of 2020 … the island and Ponta do Sol were literally empty and I had absolutely no problems socially distancing …
Indeed Ponta do Sol was sunny and very warm! After yesterday’s snow chasing I had put my warm trousers on just in case and that was totally overdoing it for the South coast … My funny car told me the outside temperature was 20°C … and I was sweating …Just kept the jacket on against the wind … did not want to catch a cold … even my Granddad already used to say – Better die of a heatstroke than freeze to death …
Starting from the parking I walked around the center and ended up by the Chapel of Santo António which was situated in the center next to the town hall with a beautiful view at the village and the beach. A geocache was hidden behind the church in the garden and I found it quickly and placed another of those TBs I brought from Germany in it.
The village was beautiful, but terribly deserted. I could imagine that in a reagular year even now in offseason there would be much more happening here. Flowers were everywhere – the Bouganvillea were blooming – and the resident ducks were noisy by the small canal that crossed the village – neither of them cared if there were tourists or not.
I walked along the beach and up to the viewpoint passing the bright yellow Restaurante Sol Poente prominently sitting on a rock overlooking the town. Unfortunately the sun was still behind it and the balcony with outside seating was in the shade … if it had been in the sun I might have stopped for lunch. But then again, I am not even sure it was open … it did not look like it.
There was a great viewpoint at the Cais da Ponta do Sol – the Ponta do Sol Pier – which was built around 1850. Architecturally, it is very unique with a wide and well-designed arch built on a basalt rock. I just loved the view over the sunny coastline and town. The water on the Eastern side was a spectacular shade of blue and very clear.
Towards the West along the coast I could see a waterfall thundering down the cliff. It might or might not have been the Cascata dos Anjos which I had driven through 2 days ago. What was nonetheless amazing … the water falling down was totally brownish muddy and stained the entire coastal water brown. No more multi-shaded blue ocean water … only brownish waves … The rain and snow up in the mountains were taking their toll …
Nevertheless I savored the gorgeous views in either direction and – I found the sun! I decided to follow it along the coast to the East this afternoon.
