“I am surrounded on all sides by the ocean, and I am happy.”
I love the mountains. To hike among towering peaks; sit on a
grassy hillside and look out upon a beautiful valley framed by forested hills
and snow-covered summits; listen to the peaceful sounds of aspen leaves
rustling in a light breeze, a gurgling mountain stream, early-morning songbirds
or a buzzing hummingbird; to take in a lung full of pure, fresh, crisp air; to
feel the sun on my face, close my eyes, and just be – this has long been my
idea of heaven on Earth.
Nowhere has that dream been more real than in Colorado. I’ve been
in the Appalachian hills of New England, the jagged heights of the Peruvian
Andes, the forested highlands of Hokkaido, and a few other ranges, but no
mountains have spoken to my spirit like the Colorado Rockies, especially around the home I owned before I came to Ukraine.
But I was a latecomer to high-country bliss. I grew up in eastern
Massachusetts, not far from Cape Cod and the Atlantic Ocean. There were no mountains.
It wasn’t really such a long way to visit the Berkshire highlands of western
Massachusetts, White Mountains in New Hampshire, the Green Mountains in Vermont, or
the Longfellow Range in Maine. But my parents were not big on traveling, so we
never went to such places when I was growing up.
Before the Mountains there was the Ocean
Instead, our vacations were to the beaches and seaside close to
home: the near parts of Cape Cod and the area around Plymouth. Even in this, we
rarely got out to the outer cape, where the open Atlantic can freely deliver
its pounding surf on the eastward-facing beaches. They preferred the more
sheltered and calm beaches of Buzzard’s Bay or Cape Cod Bay. Only rarely did we
venture out on day trips to the outer cape or even to Provincetown on the very
end of the cape, and we never went out to the islands: Nantucket and Martha’s
Vineyard.
On those rare occasions when we did go out on the cape, seeing the
“real” Atlantic was always a treat, and I marveled at the immensity of the ocean
and the power of its surf upon the land. The Atlantic Ocean enthralled me, and I
never lost that feeling. When I was old enough to drive and go off on my own, I
went to the outer cape more often, and I took the ferry across to the islands.
I went to the coast of Maine where the Atlantic waves have been carving up the
rocky shore for millions of years. I loved all of it.
And more near-ocean living followed long before I got my first
real taste of the mountains. I spent a few months close to the shore of central
New Jersey, and had more opportunities to visit beaches along the American East
Coast from Maine to Virginia.
Guam is Good
Then, I had my first real island experience: an 18-month Navy
assignment on Guam in the western Pacific. Island living was something entirely
new for this impressionable kid in his early 20s, and it had a significant
impact on my young life. It was a turning point in many ways.
Guam is tropical; it’s always warm, sometimes hot, and it’s always
humid. And the water temperature is always in the mid-80s F (around 28-29 C). It
rains a lot, especially between July and November. The
vegetation was very different from anything I had known before, the native
people were very different, practically everything was different. And for a
young guy like I was, it was a great adventure.
What made life on the island especially unique was that it was
small. Guam is only 30 miles (50 km) long and 12 miles across at its widest
point (four miles across at its narrowest). On any given day, you can watch the
sun rise out of the Pacific Ocean in the morning, go about your business all
day, and the watch it set into the South China Sea in the evening. You can’t go
very far on such an island, but surprisingly, we always found a lot to do, so
we were never bored.
Guam came into my life at a time when I needed it. The exotic
nature of the environment, together with our youthful need for fun and our
raging hormones, fueled the “sex, booze and rock and roll” lifestyle (no drugs)
that my friends and I enjoyed for most of that time. We partied hard, but we
also enjoyed the beaches, jungle and other features of the island: “boonie
stomps” to old caves, Talofofo Falls, the ocean-fed pools at Inarajan, and more.
I even went on a week-long ocean adventure on a sailing yacht.
There were some bad points too, like a big earthquake during my
first month, the supertyphoon that ravaged the island, and
loosing a friend who stupidly went out from Ritidian Point on a surfboard and
never returned. But that island, with its amazing beauty and the ocean all
around, still visits my memories and dreams on occasion.
Even after Guam, the ocean wasn’t done with me, and the mountains
had yet to beckon. I lived for almost a year in Monterey, California, where
Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean were a regular part of my life. And for six
years in Japan, the ocean was never very far away, although I rarely visited
it.
After Japan, I came to Colorado full-time (I had already been an
official resident for more than six years). Here, I discovered the joy and
beauty of the mountains, and I pretty much forgot about the ocean. The Rocky
Mountains were just so awesome that I didn’t need the ocean. I sort of forgot
about the ocean, and in particular my memories of the island faded.
A New Island
Many years later, I found myself on an island about the same size
of Guam: Sao Miguel in the Azores. It is a different kind of island, but it
still brought back a lot of memories, and it reminded me of the things I
enjoyed the most about those 18 months on that little bit of tropical land in
the Western Pacific: lush vegetation and ocean views from almost anywhere.
Sao Miguel was the last phase of my “Vacation of a Lifetime” in Portugal. It is the largest of the nine islands in the Azores, all of which are essentially the tops of huge volcanic mountains that rise from the depths of the ocean.
We spent four days on the island before returning to Ukraine. It
was the best part of the whole trip. I had thoroughly enjoyed my days in
Lisbon, and experiencing the magnificence of the Atlantic Ocean along the south
coast of Portugal was amazing. But Sao Miguel was special; it was almost
magical.
The first thing you notice once you start to tour Sao Miguel is
how green it is. Everywhere you look, on the hillsides or the pasturelands, it
is amazingly green. It is, perhaps, the greenest place I have ever seen. There is a beautiful contrast of the brilliant green of the
island with the deep blue of the ocean. And in so many places, the green is
dotted with flowers of various types and colors. It’s a feast for the eyes.
We arrived in Ponta Delgada, the island’s main city, on a Sunday
afternoon and quickly got checked into our guesthouse, Atlantic Home Azores, which I wrote about in Part One of this series. Once we got settled, we had plenty of time
to explore the nearby parts of Ponta Delgada. Our island “home” was just across
the street from the harbor and marina, and we had a fantastic view of the
ocean, as well as the hills to the east.
We walked the length of the main street, checked out the locations
for our whale-watching excursion and our car rental, went through a number of
shops, and found a decent place for dinner. We also located a small grocery
store right in our complex – perfect for getting what we needed to make our own
meals.
Day One: Whales and the Lake of Fire
Monday morning was all about cruising out on the open ocean in
search of whales. This three-hour trip on a fast catamaran set the tone for the
whole visit to Sao Miguel because it was a unique and special activity that got
our spirits soaring. We cruised far out from the shore where the waters are
rough and the whales are plentiful.
We learned that these tours often go out without seeing nary a flipper, although they almost always manage to locate some dolphins. And we were lucky: we came across several pods of resident sperm whales. It is difficult to get close to them, and we had to settle for seeing their backs and flukes from a distance, but at least we did see them.
After the cruise, we got our rental car and set off for sights in
the central part of the island. The main focus was Lagoa do Fogo (Lake of
Fire), one of three large lakes formed in the craters of old (but still
nominally active) volcanoes. But we started at a small oceanside community
called Lagoa, just a short drive from Ponta Delgada. We noticed there, as we
did in most coastal areas, the distinct difference in the coastal landscape
compared to the mainland. The rocks are mostly black, as they are young
volcanic rocks. And the sand along the beaches is mostly black volcanic sand.
The drive up into the hills surrounding Lagoa do Fogo was breathtaking. Here is where we first saw just how green everything is. The hills on Sao Miguel are all volcano formed, and many are extremely steep. As a result, the roads have to weave their ways up the slopes, with a lot of S-turns along the way. The government has constructed many viewing points along these roads, places where you can safely pull your car off the road, walk around a bit, and enjoy absolutely mind-blowing views. Our first views of Lagoa do Fogo did just that.
When we finally had our fill of natural beauty for one day, we returned to our home base and found a place to park the car. Then we did some grocery shopping and made our own amazing dinner of spaghetti with linguica, a Portuguese sausage I remembered from my childhood. It was a fantastic first day.
Day Two: The East
We had a romantic idea to get up early one day and drive to the
eastern tip of the island to catch the sunrise. But getting up early was
difficult, particularly because the bronchial irritation that hit me in the
Algarve had gotten worse, and the coughing made it hard to get a good night’s
sleep. Still, my friend managed to get up and take some nice sunrise pictures
from Ponta Delgada.
Day one had been focused on the center of the island, so we
decided to go to the eastern end for day two. The main targets were the
volcanic Lagoa das Furnas and the hot spring baths in the town of Furnas. After
making ourselves a great breakfast in the guesthouse, we were off for Furnas.
Like the day before, we drove up from the coast into a series of
gorgeous green hills and had to wind our way to the small town of Furnas. Along the way, we also had to stop for a parade of cows. Dairy cows are big business on Sao Miguel, and they have the right of way on the roads.
We found signs to the Caldeiras das Furnas and Lagoa das Furnas, and in no time, we were there. Like Lagoa do Fogo, Lagoa das Furnas is a large lake formed inside an old volcanic crater. But there are some notable differences. First, the water in Furnas is green, not deep blue as in the Lake of Fire. And there are more active signs of volcanism around Furnas: the Caldeiras.
We found signs to the Caldeiras das Furnas and Lagoa das Furnas, and in no time, we were there. Like Lagoa do Fogo, Lagoa das Furnas is a large lake formed inside an old volcanic crater. But there are some notable differences. First, the water in Furnas is green, not deep blue as in the Lake of Fire. And there are more active signs of volcanism around Furnas: the Caldeiras.
The Caldeiras are a series of hot spots next to the lake and
include holes from which scalding hot water bubbles up from the ground and
others where boiling mud can be seen shooting out. And there is a lot of steam.
The area of the Caldeiras is a tourist spot with a wooden walkway that allows
visitors to safely get up close and personal with the water and mud geysers, a
nice park area, paddle boats on which to go out on the lake, and of course,
some small souvenir shops and food stands.
Local restaurants prepare food in special pots buried in the hot ground of the Caldeiras. As we walked along the boardwalk, we saw many spots where food was cooking, all marked with signs advertising the restaurants.
Our next stop was the famous hot bath resort in the town of Furnas: Poca da Dona Beija. To our surprise, the people running the place were from Ukraine and greeted us in Ukrainian. We changed and spent an hour or so enjoying the various pools in which hot geothermal water was mixed with a cool flow to maintain a comfortable temperature of about 40 degrees C (104 F). The water as quite rich in iron, which cast an orangish color on every place where the water flowed.
After the hot springs, we made our way leisurely down out of the
hills and back to the coast at a placed named Povoacao, which was the original
main settlement on the island centuries ago. The rest of our day consisted
mainly of driving eastward along the south coast, around the east end, and then
westward along the north coast. Of course, we stopped repeatedly at one
memorizing vantage point after another to take in the beauty and, of course,
take pictures.
As the afternoon drew late and evening was not far off, we decided
to look for a fishing village called Porto Formoso on the north coast. We had
been advised by the very friendly and helpful owner of our guesthouse that
there was an excellent fish restaurant there that always had the freshest fish.
We found Casa de Pasto O Amaral, but
were a bit surprised at what we found.
When we entered the place, it looked like we had simply walked
into a neighborhood bar, and we were not sure what to make of it. But the man
behind the bar asked if we were there to eat, and he motioned to a doorway that
led to a staircase. At the top of the stairs was a large dining room that was
open to the street along one side. We took a table with a view of the street
below.
Next, the waiter came to our table, not with a menu but with a
board, on which were three fresh, uncooked fish. We each chose one fish, and
the waiter went away to have them cooked up. In the meantime, we enjoyed an
appetizer of fresh bread, cheese that was sort of like mozzarella, and a spicy
sauce.
Finally, our fish arrived served with potatoes and a bit of sliced
vegetables. With the exception of salmon, tuna and perhaps fish and chips, I’m
not much of a fish eater. I’ve always been particularly averse to eating a
whole fish with a head, little bones, and all that. But this was quite good,
and I liked it.
And with that, once again it was time to head back to the
guesthouse and rest up for our last full day on the island. That night, we saw that a huge cruise ship had come into the harbor. Its size and bright lights added a little something extra to the allure of the harbor at night, but it also meant that there would be a lot more tourist buses on the road the next day.
Day Three: The West
There was still one more volcanic remnant to check out: Lagoa das Sete Cidades, a series of lakes created in an old volcanic crater. The two main
lakes, Lagoa Azul (Blue Lake) and adjoining Lagoa Verde (Green Lake), are
separated only by a narrow bridge/road from which you can take in the beauty of
the whole valley. There are other lakes as well, but we didn’t get to see them
because on this day, we had some low clouds and thick fog.
As always, the drive up the hillsides to the top of the crater was
amazing in its own right. And when we got to the point where we could see the
lakes, it was nothing short of phenomenal. But the best part was getting down
to the lakes, where we finally decided to take some photos of the car with the
top down. It was about time.
After seeing the lakes of the western volcano, we made for another
famous site, Termas da Ferraria at the very western tip of the island. Here
there is a small cove where water heated deep underground by volcanic forces
rises and enters the ocean. Ocean waves surge into the cove and mix with the hot
water to create a fantastic bathing experience.
After changing our clothes, we walked carefully on the volcanic
rocks that were sharp in some places and slippery in others until we got to the
ladders that allowed access to the cove. There were a series of ropes strung
across the cove so that bathers could hold their places, more or less, and not
be either pushed up against rocks or pulled out to sea.
The water temperature is never constant, but it tends to be warm
more often than cool. As the currents in the cove ebb and flow with the
movements of the ocean, you feel hot surges of geothermal water followed by
cooler waves from the sea. And all the time you are buffeted to and fro by the
waves. It was really a blast.
The complex has a restaurant and spa, so after showering (cold)
and changing, we had a nice lunch. Seafood, of course. Then we took off again,
this time for the north central coast and what they call the “Tea Country.” We didn’t find exactly what we were looking for – a tea plantation
and factory – but we did find more awesome ocean views as we went through
several northern towns.
Driving back to Ponta Delgada was a little sad as we knew we were facing our last evening on the island and the vacation overall. It was coming to an end. The next day would be about returning the car, heading to the airport and starting our journey back to Ukraine. We made dinner at the guesthouse, and I even did laundry.
Driving back to Ponta Delgada was a little sad as we knew we were facing our last evening on the island and the vacation overall. It was coming to an end. The next day would be about returning the car, heading to the airport and starting our journey back to Ukraine. We made dinner at the guesthouse, and I even did laundry.
The Last Day and the Long Trip Home
The next
day, my travel companion made the most of the time available by walking around
Ponta Delgada and spending some time at a swimming and sunbathing area near the
marina. But I was too exhausted to do more than return the car and then stay at
the guesthouse until late afternoon when it was time to go to the airport.
Dealing with my bronchial irritation and the associated coughing, the lack of
sleep, and a few other issues had left me more tired than I had imagined. I was
wiped out.
And so we returned. We left Ponta Delgada on Thursday afternoon,
had one more overnight in a guesthouse in Lisbon, left Lisbon Friday morning
and got back to Kharkiv around mid-day on Saturday. In between, there were
planes and trains and taxis and one bus ride, as well as killing five hours or
so on hard bench seats in Boryspil Airport. We were tired, but we survived.
And just like that, it was all over except for the memories.
What’s the Point?
I started this post writing about the mountains and how I feel
when I am graced with their power. I realize that the same is true of the
ocean. The difference has probably been that I’ve spent more time alone in the
mountains, more time to experience that power without distraction, to let
spirit move deeply within me. I had some of that long ago when I was on Guam,
but it has become hard to really remember it. I think I just haven’t given the
ocean the same opportunity to awaken my soul.
Spending time in such beautiful places on Sao Miguel, as well as
the beaches of southern Portugal, gave me glimpses of the peace and spiritual
connection that one can receive from the ocean if one’s mind and heart are in
the right place, and if enough time is allowed. We didn’t have that much time –
we were on the move almost constantly.
But I saw enough and felt enough to know that I want more. I’ve
long thought that I would like to spend a week or so on the west coast of
Ireland, just looking out at the ocean. Perhaps spending time on one of
Ireland’s Aran Islands would be even better. I often imagine the inspiration I
might get from just being in the presence of the ocean in this way, inspiration
to think, to write, and perhaps inspiration to find answers to some of my
biggest personal questions.
Of course, I also like being warm, hanging out in shorts and
t-shirts, or even being able to swim in warm water. That is something Ireland
definitely does not offer. So maybe a trip to a warm island is in order.
I’ve been thinking recently about the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, Bali in
Indonesia, the Canary Islands of Spain, or even Maui in the Hawaiian Islands.
Have to save up for that kind of trip.
Perhaps a return to the Azores is in the future. There is more to see on Sao Miguel, and there are other islands to explore.
I have other thoughts about the trip, about what it meant, and
about the future. But I think I will save those for one last post, sort of an
epilog to the whole experience.
--------------------------------------------
Other parts of this series:
