Today started with a hike through some of the loveliest agricultural land I have ever seen. Steadily gaining altitude we passed through a number of different ecosystems on our journey towards our final destination “janela do inferno” or the “window to hell”. Hiking is conducive to interesting conversations, and a lively exchange ensued about different interpretations of hell: which ranged from the traditional to – for one hiker – a world without cheese 🙂
Several small tunnels and bridges took us into a forested ecosystem with an understory of wild yellow ginger and ferns, providing a base for the ubiquitous laurel species endemic to the islands as well as the introduced Japanese Cedar. The area is bisected by numerous water ways, fairly dry at this time of year. In the rainy season Dec-Feb, this trail is impassable.
After an hour or so of hiking, there it was in a hillside “ janela do inferno” – a hole in the rock with water coming out. Whoever named it must have had a macabre sense of humour as this was one of the most beautiful walks I have done here.
A brief stop for lunch followed – accompanied by some local felines that liked french fries – new sunball for me….
Our next destination – Lagoa do Fogo – Lake of Fire – took us to the centre of Sao Miguel. The day was a moody one, mist and clouds coming and going. We were fortunate to catch a glimpse of the lake during a break in the mist. The trail to the lake is closed for maintenance and rejuvenation to recover from heavy hiking traffic, so back into our transport we went headed for our next destination, Sete Cidades Parish to visit a number of lakes within the caldera.
The walk into the first Lake was stunning, the sun again playing peek a boo with us, the contrasting light and clouds providing some excellent photo ops.
Our journey continued through forested trails to the other series of smaller lakes in the caldera.
Some interesting trash can and recycling container ideas along the trail. The park and areas surrounding the lakes are all spotless.
We fly tomorrow to Terceira Island to continue hiking this amazing place. Another perfect day was complete with grilled tuna, another lovely local white wine and people watching as the huge cruise ship in town prepared to depart.
