Day 25: Porto

Our last day in Porto.

What a difference a weekend made. The streets burst into life, which was a great contrast from the ghostly quiet city of Porto the day before. Like a busy city, numeorus people rushed back and forth to catch public transportation.

However, a huge fog shrouded the city in the morning. It obscured most of the city skyline, making photo taking a huge headache.



We headed back to Douro River to catch a glimpse of the difference between day and night of the riverfront. We passed through the old district through a series of back lanes once again. However, this time, they didn't looked so threatening during the day.



The only annoying thing was the omni-presence of the fog. It made the whole city looked so dull and its people unfriendly. Don't get me wrong. Portuguese are a bunch of extremely friendly people.



It was only at around 12 noon when the sun started streaming in streaks, peering through the thick fog. Soon, the fog dispersed...



... and Porto was showcased in its splendour. From across the river, the whole city looked anciently beautiful. Being a low season for tourists, there were quite a number of boat operators hawking for business. We were approached to take their river cruise. Unfortunately for them, we were more interested in exploring the river front on foot.


Ponte D. Luis. Trams will move on the top while vehicles will move at the bottom.

Ponte D. Luis is a striking structure over the river but I thought it blended in perfectly well with the ancient skyline.



As we headed back to the hotel for a rest, the receptionist informed us of a free wine tour near the river. Port wine is famous worldwide and it's here in Porto where the wine is brewed. I thought that it would be a great idea to visit a factory and experience first hand, how wine is brewed, right up to the bottling and packaging process. Furthermore, the tour was free.

The only drawback: The factory was situated by the river and we had just returned back from there. =.=



Trudging back to the city from another route, one couldn't help but wonder about the state of the city. Compared to Lisbon and Funchal, Porto seemed pretty much a very poor city. Plasters are peeling off from the walls and missing tiles from the roofs are a common sight. Streets are not that clean and the locals had clothes which reflected the state of their welfare.



However, it was interesting and insightful to explore the back lanes. Since Christmas was just a couple of weeks back, mini dolls of Santa Claus were hung outside the windows. These were a common sight throughout Portugal as well as Spain.



The sign, Barros, greeted us when we entered the factory. A receptionist told us to wait while he called upon his colleague to guide us around the factory. We were suprised to discover that we were the only customers attending this free tour. Kind of like a personal tour.

Trust me, I don't know so much about wines. When the guide introduced the different terminology, I was confused.

Nevertheless, the tour was informative. In the end, I decided to buy a bottle of wine for my friends back in Sweden.

***

I've realised that I've taken a long time to update my travels. At the same time, the entries are getting shorter too. I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. But sadly, procrastination often leads to short and dull entries.

Being a long trip, my memories will be the freshest on the first couple of weeks. However, as the days progressed, my enthusiasm will taper off due to the long gruelling trip. Hence, I'll tend to forget the actual events that occurred. I've squeezed every last possible drop of my brain juices to recall. Hoped that all of you have enjoyed reading them.

My travel entries are simply an overall picture of my travels. I've tried to make them as accurate as possible. Preparing for a trip involves tons of work and research. In order to fully enjoy my trip, I've read about the history, heritage as well as the local culture beforehand. To supplement them, I'll grab brochures at tourist information counters.

At least when friends want advice on a travel destination, I can always direct them to my blog. XD

Day 24: Porto

Gonçalo suggested taking a bus to Porto instead of taking a train since it's much cheaper. Furthermore, the bus will pass through numerous Portuguese villages, which will be insightful.

After bidding Gonçalo farewell, we boarded the bus without delay. By the time we reached Porto, it was around 3pm. Basic tourist instincts prioritised the tourist information as our first stop. Asking for directions to the tourist information wasn't helpful since the locals spoke limited English. That was a great contrast from our experience in Funchal.

I approached a hotel for directions since one would expect them to command a reasonable level of English. However, when we reached the tourist information, to our dismay, it was closed!

Never mind, we thought. We can always get a map from the hostel.

Since we didn't book the hostel in advance, we had to hunt around the city for the best deals. Being the low season, booking in advance was unnecessary. Yee-Chen, our undisputed bargain queen, was appointed the task of searching for the best deals.

After checking around at a few hostels, we managed to get a room for 10 euors per person per night in a hotel. It was the cheapest hotel I had ever stayed in. Considering the fact that the price included a breakfast buffet, it was too cheap to be true.

Ok, but I have to admit that the breakfast buffet was nothing more than bread and croissant. The meal was sweetened up by some diluted fruit juices.

Being the low season, I guessed the hotel won't think twice before letting out a room for such a dirt-cheap price. It's better to earn something than to earn nothing at all!

As night slowly engulfed the wintry night, we left the hotel, eager to explore Porto before it got too dark. Being a Sunday night, the streets were deafening silent. A few people loitered around, reminding us that the city was still alive. Lamps were dimly lit, casting ghostly shadows.


Porto Cathedral

The Porto Cathedral is situated on a high point in the city's oldest district. It dates all the way back to the 12th century. The old faded exterior made the whole place looked neglected. The only thing that made it tingled with life were the orange lights that emanated from within the cathedral. WIth the absence of a single soul around, one would be led to believe that Porto is simply a dead abandoned city. Kinda eerie.


Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Everything looks pretty run-down.

Walking down the steps that led to the Douro River, many houses looked dilapidated. Broken windows, fallen tiles and even a collapsed roof, all made up part of the old district streets. One would have guessed that these houses were abandoned, judging from the state of disrepair. In fact, this part of the city is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its long and rich history justified its inclusion but I thought the authorities could do a better job in maintaining the houses.


In one of these lanes, lurked 2 drug addicts whom we were unlucky, or rather, lucky to meet.

It was in one of the back lanes of Porto where we met 2 drug addicts. Relying on the map for directions, we headed in the direction of the river by following the steps which lead us through a labyrinth of streets and back alleys. The girls were already feeling jittery, having to negotiate through the dimly lit streets. However, stated on the map is the tourist route. So I thought it should be pretty safe.

Soon, we were kinda lost. Having the map didn't really help since the whole place was gloomly. We couldn't make out what was on the map.

As we descended on a flight of cobble-stoned stairs, we saw 2 lanky guys bent over in a corner. They were trying to roll some white powder into small strips of paper.

Sensing something amiss, my first instinct was to turn back and take a detour.

"我们走另一条路！" I told the girls.

As soon as we turned back, one of the drug addicts called out, "It's ok. You can take this route. If you want to go to the river, it's faster this way."

We were shocked. The streets might look menacingly unfriendly, the drug addicts were alarmingly friendly.

On a lighter note, without them, we might have been lost. In a sense, we owed them much gratitude.

Upon reaching the river front, the sky was already dark. Turning back to the hotel was a wise option since we didn't wish to land ourselves into serious trouble. The whole city already looked spooky enough.

Day 23: Lisbon

Santa Justa Elevator costs 1 euro to ascend but somehow we managed to find a secret route which enable us to get to the top for free. Since the observation deck is built against a hill, the top of the tower will be level with the summit of the hill. Hence, one can simply hike up the hill to gain a free entry onto the top deck.

Even Gonçalo doesn't know about this!

The top of the observation deck offered a fantastic view of the city skyline. Most buildings have painted red roofs, which made the whole city sizzled with character.


Convento do Carmo, with its characteristic missing roof.

Convento do Carmo was devastated in the 1755 earthquake and it remained roofless today. Today, the whole place is used as an open air theatre with an orchestra playing there. Sounds cool. I can imagine the evening sun casting long shadows within the compounds while the orchestra is in full swing. Hmm... a truly unique experience.


St Geroge's Castle (left) and Rossio Square (right). Notice the lush canopy within the castle premises.

From our vintage point, it gave us a commanding view of the surroundings, with the castle nicely nestled under the foliage. Under the clear blue skies, Rossio Square is magically awashed in the bright sunshine.

Lisbon enjoys cool and moderate winter days. Here, you can feel the warmth of the sun penetrating through your clothes and impinging on your skin. In Sweden, the sun's presence is betrayed by the freezing temperatures.

Initially, we had planned to visit Sintra, where the National Palace is located. Its unique architecture stands out from the rest of the European palaces and it's hailed as a must-see landmark in Lisbon. However, due to the lack of time, Gonçalo introduced Cascais as part of an impromptu itinerary.


Cascais

Cascais is a rich district as well as a summer getaway. Its fine beaches offered excellent spots for sun bathing as well as surfing. We spent some time watching the mightly Altantic waves crashing against the Portuguese coast.

I've always enjoyed watching the waves. Each wave is unique in its own way. It's interesting to watch them roll across the ocean until they crash onto the coastline with a deafening roar.


Huge spring roll. Gonçalo couldn't comprehend why we were able to use chopstick to eat spring rolls!

As a show of gratitude for Gonçalo for being such a hospitable host, we treated him to a nice dinner in a Chinese restaurant recommended by him. We ordered some sumptuous dishes. It was kinda interesting when he ordered the dishes for us in Portuguese. He communicated with the waitress in the local language but we ordered in Mandarin. Then, the waitress decided to switch to English so as to make everything easier. You don't have to be a perfect master in a language but a linguist is what impresses me the most.

Hot and sour soup was on my menu and I offered Gonçalo my share. It stung his tongue so much that he exclaimed, "How can you drink this?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Nope, I think it's ok for me."

"You are crazy!" came the reply.

Next, came the spring roll. He was amateurish in handling the chopsticks but he could manage it pretty well. However, after a few attempts, he gave up. The spring roll was huge and we had difficulties ourselves, let alone him. He was amazed and watched us in disbelief when we picked up the spring roll without much effort.

However, when the next dish came, he handled the chopsticks pretty well after observing us holding in the proper technique. It was only towards the end of the last few dishes when he decided to switch to spoon and fork.

He realised that he had taken too much time to eat fried rice.

Day 22: Lisbon

Once again, Gonçalo wasn't available to guide us so we had to explore Lisbon ourselves. There's something good about having a guide. Map reading is unnecessary. Furthermore, Gonçalo is a Portuguese. This means that he'll know the place much better than foreign guides.

However, Gonçalo's absence meant that I was the unofficial tour guide. =.=

We headed straight to the same place for brunch. The owner could recognise us. He acknowledged 谢谢 when we handed him the payment.

"Obrigado!" We signalled back.

In Europe, English is not necessarily the lingua franca. However, a simple gesture in their local language will earn yourself some respect from the locals.


Rossio square

Rossio Square is the heart of Lisbon. From here, all city sights are easily accessible on foot. If I don't remember wrongly, the fountains in the square were gifts from Paris a few hundred years ago.

It was in this square where we met a British who begged us for 2 euros so that he could have a simple meal. He claimed that he came to Portugal to work, but remained unemployed. And his visa had expired ages ago. I could barely believe him. Yes, his accent is unmistakingly British. However, he was foolish enough to be stuck in a foreign land, unemployed with an expired visa. He should have stayed in UK instead.

I brushed him off, dismissing him as a thief.


View of downtown Lisbon from Castelo de São Jorge

Castelo de São Jorge was built on a site of a Roman fort, the highest point in Lisbon. This castle was unique as it had plenty of vegetation in the premises of the castle. One of the Portuguese kings lamented about the lack of foliage in Lisbon so he ordered trees to be planted in the castle itself. This king didn't order the construction of the castle. Its existence dated all the way back to the 2nd century BC. The first king of Portugal, Afonso Henríques, only arrived in Lisbon in the 12th century. From afar, the whole castle seemed to be sheltered nicely under the shade of the interlocking canopies.




Inside Castelo de São Jorge. The 3rd picture above spolit everything. What's with the ass peering around the corner of the moat?

The interior of the castle looked pretty bare and bleak. Most of the castle was extensively rebuilt in the 20th century. At 1.50 euro, we had no qualms. Although the castle is rich in history, the lack of exhibits made everything looked dull.


In one of the backlanes near the confines of the castle

The residents in Lisbon reminded me of Singapore in the older estates, where people still hang their clothes outside to dry. Pretty interesting. Portugal is one of the European countries with a resemblance to Asia. The local gastronomy is a prime example. The tiles are another.


Traditional Portuguese tiles

Traditional Portuguese tiles are common. Some facades are plastered with the tiles, forming a part of the Portuguese culture. In some restaurants and cafes, the tiles decorated the interior beautifully. Somehow, these tiles have transported my memories back to Malaysia. The Portuguese influence in Malacca could be a factor. On top of that, it could be the blue and white definition of the tiles which made everything sizzled with an Asian flavour.


Romanesque cathedral, or Sé

Sé used to be the site of a mosque. When the Christian crusaders arrived, the whole structure was rebuilt and it became the first church in Lisbon.

We wanted a good shot of the church with the tram forming the foreground. Since the tram will emerge from around the corner without warning, we had to wait patiently for the best moment. Even with the camera ready in hand, we missed the shot as the trams moved pretty fast. The picture was probably the 4th take. The first 3 trams produced either blurred pictures or photos with missing trams.


Parque das Nações

Parque das Nações is a new addition to the urban facelift of Lisbon. The recent MTV Europe Awards was held here in this convention. Everything looked very modernised compared to the downtown area. Up north of the convention, Vasco da Gama Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, spans acorss river Tagus. Standing at the promenade, the end of the bridge is hardly visible.

A shopping complex is located here as well. So you know what to expect when I had 2 girls with me.

Day 21: Lisbon

Food in Portugal is much cheaper than its European counterparts. Like Singaporeans, they indulge in gastronomy. Pastry shops are abundant. Alfresco dining cafes are plentiful. Due to the price, Portugal was where I was very willing to spend money on food.

We woke up at around 10.30am in the morning. Gosh! That was the latest I had ever woke up during my travels. It was a classic example of "你等我起床我就赖床" mentality.

We started the day by arguing with the hostel about its atrocious conditions. (refer to the previous post on the blog) Despite being defeated honourably, we refused to be distracted with the outcome. The sun was beckoning to us.

Gonçalo introduced us a small cafe right in the middle of Lisbon which offered food at really low prices. After being so numbed to the high costs in Sweden as well as the places I had visited during this trip, I was suprised and delighted by the low prices. I can't recall the actual price but trust me, even with the strictest budget, you can't resist the temptation to reach into your pocket. The food in Portugal is delectably cheap.


A cake and vegetable soup for breakfast. In all, I spent no more than 2.50 euro, I think. Don't be fooled by its portion. It's enough to fill up your stomach.

According to Gonçalo, the soup that we ordered was very spicy. Really? I didn't even notice that!




District of Baixa in Lisbon

In 1755, an earthquake devastated much of downtown Baixa. It emerged from its ashes with a gird-like downtown neatly laid out. Navigation in the district is easy since all streets are laid out at right angles with one another. With our hostel right in the middle of Baixa, eveything is very convenient.

The city was also spruced up in anticipation of Euro 2004. Everything was neat and clean.


Elevador de Santa Justa... it costs 1 euro to get to the top. In fact, during our last day in Lisbon, we discovered a way to get to the top for free.

Elevador de Santa Justa was opened in 1901. Its architect was the same person who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris. During that time, Paris was the role model for all major cities around the world. Lisbon aspired to be Paris of Portugal as well. Hence, the Portuguese engaged the services of Eiffel to build this tower in Lisbon. Unfortunately, it's obviously ain't as impressive as the French counterpart. At first glance, this cast-iron structure looked as though it was built from leftover materials from the Eiffel Tower.


Belém: Jerónimos Monastery on the left and the Monument to the Discoveries on the right.

Belém is about half an hour's tram ride from the city centre. The Monument to the Discoveries commemorates the Portuguese greats who set sailed from Lisbon to outlying territories as far as the Philippines. I thought the monument was bombastically chessy though.

Jerónimos monastery is a prime example of the late Gothic Manueline style. Cathedrals in Portugal are somewhat different from those in Europe. Abandoning the "all-churches-are-the-same-in-Europe" mindset, I couldn't deny the fact that Portuguese cathedrals are unique in its own way.


Antiga Confeitaria de Belém

Up next, traditional Portuguese egg tarts!! They are those kinds which you get them in dim sum restaurants. However, they spice up their tarts with white icing and cinnamon powder. Heavenly divine! So reminiscent of the egg tarts in Singapore. According to Gonçalo, the shop that we bought the tarts from was the most popular in Lisbon and held the record of being the oldest.

I can still remember the name of the pastry cafetaria... Antiga Confeitaria de Belém. The name card is still in my hands.

Day 21: Lisbon... prelude

I shall digress to the hostel in Lisbon which, in my opinion, was my worst European experience.

Do not choose Pensão

New Aljubarrota hostel

in Lisbon!

I had booked the hostel via Hostelworld. The hostel caught my eye due to its excellent location, price and excellent ratings by previous guests.

Italian hostels are notoriously famous for being really bad. Especially the experience in Venice during my travels in the winter of 2004, the accomodation was a nightmare. We hit the jackpot once more when we realised the hostel in Lisbon was managed by an Italian. Prior to that, I had no idea that the hostel was managed by an Italian. The truth hit me hard on the day we arrived.

A long tiring day in Madeira, coupled with the flight to Lisbon, we were looking forward to a comfortable stay to rest our fatigued bodies. The hostel was located on the 4th floor of an old-looking building. With no elevators available, we had to drag our backpacks and luggages. Lights were so dim and it looked absolutely spooky. First impression had been tarnished.

As soon as we trudged to the 3rd staircase landing, something pungent stung my nose. It smelled of sewage. When I looked up, I was shocked to the core...



OMG! The whole wall seemed to be crumbling down at any moment. The plaster had come off, with parts of the wall badly chipped off. It exposed the water pipes, which dangled from shoddily constructed fittings. The internal wooden structure was also exposed, with some parts obviously rotting away due to the leaking pipes. And just in case you are wondering where the window belongs to: it belongs to the toilet. Disgustingly, It serves as a potential vintage point for voyeurs.



Initially, it was also curious as to where the window in the toilet will lead to. After hearing heavy footsteps echoing on the creaky wooden staircase, I peeped outside and realised that it was the staircase which we just ascended from.

The toilet was dirty. The shower curtain was old, dinky and badly stained. It emanated an odour which was repulsively similar to somebody who had accidentally splattered the outer rim of the toilet bowl.

Both the sink and the bath tub were so dreadfully stained that it made me wondered whether the cleaner had done a proper job in maintaining the hygiene.



Upon entering our room, it was a sight to behold. It perforated our sanity. The door was perhaps only 3cm thick. When firmly closed, a gap could be seen clearly, which allowed people to peep inside. No privacy at all.

The room reeked of an odour. It's those kind of smell when you get dry water stains on the carpet in a humid environment.



This old apartment had been converted into a hostel. This was pretty obvious with the beds stacked up not against the wall but against a door. When the girls were sleeping, they were awaken in the morning when the guest next door was taking a shower. Thankfully, the water didn't splatter onto the bed. Even the sink was awfully fitted onto a door.

We were promised a private shower and this was what we got...



What a private shower! Let's give a standing ovation.

Come on! You call that a private shower? Do you think conservative guests even dare to use this? I can't imagine what they'll do if they decided to fit private toilets in the rooms. I don't wish to wake up in the morning to see the girls sitting on the toilet bowl right at the side of my bed.

We were also promised a spectacular view of the castle from our room since it's located on the 4th floor. Guess what we saw?



Well done! Another round of applause.

From our experience, an atmosphere of distrust and disgust has permeated this management. I complained to the manager and I was greeted with disdain. Since we had Gonçalo to assist us, the manager spoke to Gonçalo in Portuguese.

That was the final straw that broke the camel's back. I slammed the manager, "You are so rude and ain't showing me respect.

Then she replied to Gonçalo in Portuguese, "Because you spoke so fast that i couldn't understand you."

She even added that she wasn't obliged to learn English! What the?!?!

In fact, I demanded a refund but the manager refused, emphasising that a 72 hr notice must be given. Since we were staying for 4 nights, there was no way we could argue. In the end, we had to stay for the 4 full nights in anguish agony.

Upon the end of my trip, I gave the hostel the worst possible ratings and submitted them on the internet via Hostelworld. On top of that, I added in distasteful comments which reflected our true experiences.

However, a few days later, a quick check on their website revealed that my comments had been removed. So how was that possible in giving future guests a fair assessment of the property in question? Obviously, that isn't fair when bad comments are removable by the hostel. A quick glance through the website also disclose the fact that there aren't any poor comments.

So for those who wish to visit Lisbon, avoid this hostel at all costs! Once again...

Do not choose Pensão

New Aljubarrota hostel

in Lisbon!

Day 20: Madeira

This was probably the most enjoyable part of my trip. I've always liked road trips and this was made even more unforgettable by the fact that I was the first Singaporean to drive in Madeira. I think. :p


Our rented Daihatsu. Possibly the worst car I've ever rented.

Our rented car was a 2-door Daihatsu with a pathetic horsepower. I can't exactly remember the capacity but I knew the car gave us donkeypower. 40kmh was the maximum speed it could master when it tackled a 20 degree gradient slope. It managed to hit the 100kmh mark only because the car was cruising down a slope. At flat ground, a 80kmh speed was already impressive.

Possibly the worst car I've ever rented in my life, the only credit that I could give was that it looked small and cute. Being small, parallel parking was easy. Parallel parking had never been so easy before.

Funchal might be small but we spent quite a while trying to find the way to get onto the highway. Signs are not placed in advance and they will pop out near an exit point without warning. Thus, you need to peel your eyes constantly before you miss the turning point.

Yee-Chen, armed with a map, was responsible for navigation. Every time we had to make a turn, she would say, "这里转！"

With 3 to 4 possible exit points in a roundabout or a junction, what's a 这里转? We missed the exit point numerous times because she gave me the 这里转 instruction. I was constantly reminding her to use 左转 or 右转 instead.

When we finally managed to hit the highway, cars were already overtaking us in numbers since our donkeypower couldn't compete with their horsepower.

As we hit the outlying small villages, I was struck by the strikingly familiarity of the houses. The whole place looked as though we had been transported back to Malaysia. A very kampung feel, the people adopt a complete different fashion. Being farmers, it's more practical for them to wear casual instead of tuxedoes.


Parts of Malaysia in Madeira.

Different parts of the island will offer different perspectives. Laurissilva Forest is a large tract of protected forest which occupies approximately 20% of the island. According to Gonçalo, this is the largest protected forest in Europe listed under the UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Laurissilva Forest. Reminds me of Hawaii.

The island is small yet the climate varies pretty much. Up in the mountains in Laurissilva Forest, it was cloudy but it was sunny in Funchal when we left the city. Parts of Laurissilva reminded me of Oahu, Hawaii.

Numerous signs were put up, warning drivers of cows. I thought it was a joke and it turned out otherwise when we saw a wild cow occupying one lane of the road. It lazily staring at us when our car passed by.


The road seemed to stretch into infinity on this barren land

The landscape changed once more when we reached the top of the mountain plateau. In fact, temperatures can vary as much as 20 degrees Celsius when you drive from Funchal up to the mountain tops. A tundra landscape beckoned and we were transfixed by the vast landscape.

Lush greenery awaited us as we left the barren mountain plateau. A real significant change.

As soon as we reached the other side of the mountain chain, the scenery altered yet again. This time, we were greeted by lush greenery, which was a welcome relief. The tundra landscape looked too bleak and depressing. I had enough of crazy Swedish weather.



Peaceful landscape. I was wondering if there were occupants in the house. The place looked so isolated that a house in the middle of nowhere was really intriguing.

The road winded to another part of the island which offered another vintage point. There's practically nobody living in these parts of Madeira due to its undulating, mountainous nature. We felt absolutely peaceful and the tranquility serenaded the surroudings.

Inland, the road would snake around the sides of the mountains countless of times. A vertical drop would greet us if I were to veer too much to the side of the road. Being the driver, I couldn't afford to take my eyes off the road to enjoy the scenery. That's the con of being the only driver. Other than that, we would stop by the road side for photos whenever we were presented with the opportunity.


The gloomly side of the Atlantic Ocean.

There's something to do with the leeward side of Madeira and its windward side. The weather can vary a lot in different parts of the island. Skies were very clear in the south. Saved for the swirling clouds up in the mountainous, skies were gloomly in the north.



Traditional houses in Santana.

In Santana, you can find traditional midget houses where the natives used to live in. The houses are small yet cosy enough to accomodate a small family. It comes complete with a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen. The locals are very small in built. In fact, they are smaller in size than an average Asian. In Holland, I felt like a hobbit while here in Madeira, I felt like Gulliver in Lilliput. That's probably why the houses are constructed so small.

Some of these houses are preserved for tourists. Suprisingly enough, some Portuguese still live in these houses.



Ponta de São Lourenço Nature Reserve

Our last stop was Ponta de São Lourenço Nature Reserve. Situated at the eastern peninsula, it also includes the islands of Ilhéu da Cevada and Ilhéu da Ponta de São Lourenço. This is also the only part of the island where you can view the north and south part of the Altantic Ocean at the same time. The north side of the island faces rough ocean erosion, which accounts for its rugged landscape. In the south, the converse is true.

We were almost late in returning the vehicle by the time we reached the airport. An extra day would be charged if we missed the time. Lukily, we were there at the desk just a couple of minutes before the expiration of our rental agreement. All thanks to the staff at Hertz, they gave us the wrong information as to which town to fill up our petrol tank. Petrol is expensive! Although Madeira is a very cheap place, petrol prices are more than 1 euro per litre.

We spent the next couple of hours or so waiting for our flight to Lisbon. Upon arrival, Gonçalo was already at the airport, awaiting to fetch us to our hostel in his friend's car. (Gonçalo left Madeira one day earlier than us.)

Excellent host. He was already a fantastic guide in Madeira. Little did we expect to be driven to our hostel. We really appreciated his warm hospitality.

Then our nightmare began. The hostel was an absolute hell hole which deserved nothing but the most severe condemnation. I shall elaborate more in my next entry.