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LISBON, PORTUGAL -> PONTA DELGADA, PORTUGAL
JUNE 28: LIS -> PDL RYANAIR FR2637 6:40AM -> 8:05 AM
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PONTA GELGADA, PORTUGAL TO LISBON PORTUGAL
JULY 5: PDL -> LIS RYANAIR FR2622 7:10AM -> 10:25AM
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June 28-June
oneee"Whooo chile! I been waiting for this!"
-Lizzo
Seriously, though, I have been wanting to visit the Azores for a little while now. I discovered this archipelago maybe 8 to 12 months ago while searching up information on islands to visit. The pictures looked enchanting and I immediately started fantasizing about making a visit to this place.
I bought a double plane ticket to Ponta Delgada, which is on the island of Sao Miguel. The fare was $100 per seat so I chose to save the hassle of having a neighbor and just fork over the extra money. The plane journey to the islands was pleasant enough- I was seated by the aisle (which ended up being super nice since no one was in the middle seat. I had plenty of room to lady spread.) Fair winds and following seas, as the sailors say, accompanied us on the journey. The place took off, flew a housand miles and landed without incident. I got a chance to update the Porto post and forget I was flying.
At the airport, I encountered a sight that is singular in it's trippiness: the ocean is situated right beside the airport. The island is super compact anyway, but I wasn't expecting to see the ocean from the airport. That kind of messed me up. I sent a quick video to my family to share the amazement before one of the airport worker shoo'd me off the tarmac.
I snagged a taxi to the Air BnB and had a ewwwww experience with the taxi driver: he was just kind of creepy. Kept asking me to call him for a special private tour. Held my hand too long on the handshake and wouldn't let go when I pulled away. Anyhow, I made it to the spot unscathed and put my things down, then proceeded to assemble my adventure bag and walk about the city. The thing about towns in the Azores is that the priority when building was to ensure that houses had backyards for garden and clothesline space, so the buildings are VERY close to the street. Like... sidewalks are only wide enough for your standard sized person to walk down, and if two people meet one of 'em are gonna have to step into that street, which is a perilous activity in any part of Portugal! Folks drive like bats out of hell and you had better be careful if you value your life. So, I walked around, found the ocean, looked into going on a whale watching excursion (apparently the whales aren't very active in this area in the sumer so I passed) and renting a car, saw the city gates and some of the historic center, then went back to the room since it got late. Not too much to see that suited my interests in the city.
Saturday I went to the Jardim Botanico Jose do Canto-- excellent use of time! Public transportation is basically unheard of in the Azores so I hoofed it on over to the park and that was just the coolest way I could have spent my day. So many interesting trees exist in this world! Does that not just excite you beyond all reason like it does for me?? Well, even if it doesn't quicken your heart and moisten the corners of your eyes to experience the glory of creation, I'll still be friends with you. Of course I loved wandering the grounds and discovering the Australian banyan and the Queensland kauri, the bamboo forests and stands of Japanese cedar, the hydrangeas (more on them later) and the rose garden..... Oh, I could have set up shop there, should have sent for my things...
Then there was the chapel. If you follow my Instagram or Facebook you may have seen the little video of the creepy mini church that's on the grounds. It was poorly lit in the entrance way and I had some serious reservations about venturing in further... but of course I walked on in- slowly- and investigated. There were a number of effigies of my Lord and Savior peering at me as I moved about, peeking around corners and trying not to get jump scared by some ghoul in the holy place. To the left of the vestibule was the main sanctuary, preceded by a partway opened closet with an old clergyman's robe ominously hung up, slightly askew, covered in a layer of dust. The sanctuary was small but ornate with a crucifix (complete with a fella in a tattered loin cloth) hovering over the whole affair.
From a spiritual perspective, I am not a fan the classical imagery of blue eyed, smooth haired white saviors and crosses with Jesus still on them. Jesus was an middle eastern man, not the anglicized guy that adorned this holy place. Crucifixes with a person on them also kind of bother me, Jesus conquered the grave and isn't still resting on a wooden cross, so I prefer not to him symbolized in such a way. That's just me. If you have questions or comments, please invite me over and we can chat.
Sincerely.
Anyhow, after moving about that garden for a while I meandered again to the city and found a little loja to buy a drink and snack. The drink was a mango drinkable yogurt made with milk from the Azores- SO GOOD. The snack was margarida cake, also SO GOOD. The desserts and food in general had been kind of hit or miss for me on this journey, so I was pleased to have a yummy treat. Next I found a library and attempted to translate some of the encyclopedia and learned about puffins from the random passage I chose.
Sunday was just divine. Starting late in the afternoon, I was picked up by Elueterio, a tour guide who is native to the island. I didn't fall in love with this guy, don't worry. My heart is still in Porto (haha.... I'm kidding). We scooped up a couple of other people and headed to Furnas, a little town halfway across the island (aka 20 miles away, I have driven further while not leaving Jax!).
The whole experience was tremendous. From a scientific standpoint, there was so much to see and marvel at. The town, famous for its natural mineral springs and volcanic activity, was full of amazing geography. The lake, Lagoa Furnas, that sits just outside the town is surrounded by evidenc of the violent natural history on this place. You can smell the volcanic activity because sulfur is one of the main elements on display here. Many of the rocks near the hot springs areas have a strong, golden yellow patina from deposits of the mineral. There are crystals that have formed over many years from the vapors depositing minerals, the spot is surrounded by mountains that are covered in beautiful trees and ferns. You can see the impact of the magma that percolates right under the surface and interacts with the waters by creating these bubbling springs of near boiling water. The closer you get the more you feel the heat, which was nice since the perfect weather (and I do mean absolutely perfect weather, no more than 80 degrees while I was there with short bursts of rain and plenty of sun and cool breezes... island paradise) means cools nights. Our dinner, cozido, was cooked by using the natural heat from the earth. Pits are dug into the ground and stainless steel pots filled with cabbage, yams, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, pork, chicken, beef, blood sausages, chorizo and carrots are left for hours and slow cook to perfection.
After dinner we visited a hot spring spa. Please do yourself a favor and find a natural hot spring to visit! My skin felt so amazing after soaking for about 90 minutes. The mineral content in the water left me feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated. I met some random Americans and a Portuguese expat who relocated to Canada, we chatted and soaked the night away, moving from pool to pool, relishing the event.
Last stop on the tour was a fascinating visit to fountains that constantly flowed with fresh spring water. The thing is, the water has various mineral content depending on where the water starts and what types of rock if flows through, so there were some funky tasting waters to drink. Our guide gave us cups to sample the water and at the first fountain I filled my cup up since I was thirsty, anticipating a refreshing sample of the freshest spring water I've ever had.
Not so much.
The mineral content in the water was such that it actually tasted carbonated, like tonic water. This was quite a surprise... I politely emptied my cup and took a much smaller sample from the spring a few feet away. Also funny tasting but in a different way, more metallic or iron like in flavor. Elueterio knew how to showcase the tonic like nature of the first fountain's fluid- he brought limes, pineapple and gin and prepared us a WONDERFUL nightcap of gin and tonic to round out the evening. The water is not great on it's own but add in some Azorean gin and island grown pineapple with some mainland lime and you've got a winner! After getting a little buzzed, we drove on back to Ponta Delgada, well after midnight, felling like kings and queens.
So, I won't say I just saw all of Ponta Delgada and got bored with it, that would be an insult to the history and architecture drenched city. I will say that chilling in the city isn't why I can to the island. I made the choice to rent a car Monday and Tuesday to check out the island on my own. The buses run so infrequently that I wasn't willing to be at their mercy.
So, uh, I have been against Smart cars for as long as they have existed because they look like dumb little death traps. The disadvantage to not being able to drive a stick shift in a land that does not value the automatic, however, is that you have little to no choice in vehicle and you take what you get when you're on a budget.... so guess who drove around in a Smart Fortwo! This girl! It was surprising ly spacious and didn't feel super teeny behind the wheel. Monday one of the women in the Airbnb asked to travel with me and I figured, 'Eh, ehy not?' and we drove 124 miles around the perimeter of the east side of the island, visiting Povoacao, Nordeste, Ribeiera Grande and numerous little miradouros along the way. I gotta say, speaking to strangers is ok. Manuela and I shared alot, had a lot in common, and I made a friend! She introduced me to bolos levedos, an Azorean sweet bread that is yeast leavened and cook on the stove. Again, SO GOOD.
Tuesday I sojourned solo about the center of the island and visited the two tea factories, Cha Gorreana and Porto Formoso, and drove another 100 miles. I discovered the joy of cruising along the slopes downhill, riding the brakes and seeing the the roadsides full of hydrangeas and very few other humans. The Azorean roads are quite well maintained so the going was easy. I downloaded a map of the island and had no problem finding the grand, sweeping miradouros and random, hidden little landmarks that dot the land. I had reservations because the Portuguese are always in a hurry on the road, but I didn't experience any issues. In retrospect, I think my time on the island would have been sour instead of sweet had I not rented the Smart car. Seeing so many sights with my gal pal and by myself was definitely a highlight of this trip.
Wednesday I did laundry during the day and attended a free concert at Teatro Micaelense in the city center and had dinner at A Tasca. The concert was Violas do Atlanticos IX. Per the theatre's website, "The 2019 edition is attended by the musician Ricardo Fonseca, with Viola Beiroa, a Viola that was practically considered extinct in our country. Ricardo Fonseca will join the Azorean Rafael Carvalho, the latter with Viola da Terra." I copy the text because I cannot spell or pronounce the names therein. Each musician sounded like they were playing multiple instruments. The guitar like devices have up to 12 strings and I think that the effect of an expert playing is that the rhythm and bass are achieved by one person. I'm not adept at music stuff so I could be wrong. Either way, I know that I witnessed a monumental level of skill for free and I'm grateful.
Thursday I went on another tour, this time of the west side of the island, to Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo, two of the three major bodies on water on Sao Miguel (the third was Lagoa Furnas which I visited Sunday). I gotta say, I didn't love the guide. He was critical and negative about so many random things and had some trouble expounding upon the virtues of Azorean life and landscape without putting down other places. What I cannot blame the guide was how darn busy the spots we visited were. First stop was a pineapple plantation. In the Azores, it's not exactly tropical so the people grow pineapples in greenhouses. It was kind of cool to see, but not essential, to me. The we went to Sete Cidades, the twin lakes that form one of the most picturesque places I have ever been. Two viewpoints show off the bicolored lakes, Boca do Inferno and Vista do Rei. First we saw Boca, which is situated at the end of a path that goes up a hill and down a narrow strip of dirt. I'm a large, lovely lady and I take a little longer to get places that involve climbs and stairs than others, which I am cool with and don't feel any kind of way about.
Well.
Apparently my mobility is a marvel to some, including the tour guide and a random guy who walked past me. As we climbed up the steep path the guide hung back with me and calls himself trying to encourage me to keep going.... which wasn't needed... I stopped to have a sit, catch my breathe and look at the view, then an older lady came huffing along, stopped along side me and said something about not being in a rush to enjoy the area and I agreed with her. The guide chirps, 'We're not that far, you can do it!', then a random guy who's passing by's like, 'Yeah, you're almost there, keep going!' and I'm just looking at these people wondering if I really seem so pathetic, so worthy or pity, so derelict that I need to be encouraged... TO WALK. I'm feeling mildly embarrassed at this point, so I get up and keep it pushing. There is a combination of stairs and climbing to conquer in order to make it to the viewpoint so I'm taking my time. Again, the guide is trying to tell me to 'keep going' because I'm 'almost there' and 'it's worth it'...... I look at him sideways with my incredulous face and say, 'I'm fine, I'm just walking, you can keep going...." so he moves on, finally, and stops pitying me. I make it to the view point and indeed, it was worth the trek.
Sete Cidades is actually one lake that is cinched in the middle and appears to be bisected by a bridge. The two portions are flanked by different types of vegetation that give each side a different appearance, one side looks blue and the other side looks green. Vista do Rei offers another impressive view of the area and since it's a road side area, I didn't have to suffer the mild indignity of being praised for walking.
We toured around Lagoa do Fogo, which is actually at the top of an extinct volcano. Then we headed to Ribiera Gande and since there was time, we went to a beach! I dipped my toes in the coarse sand and immediately regretted it since these are black sand beaches and the ground cover was scorching. I collected some of the grains and I think I'll try to make a keepsake out of it. We headed on back to the city and I had the feeling that I wish I had rented that car one more day and viewed the westside on my own.
Friday I went on back to Lisboa after nearly missing my flight due to over sleeping! Made it with maybe 10 minutes to spare, luckily. Overall, I give Sao Miguel 10/10 stars!
-Lizzo
Seriously, though, I have been wanting to visit the Azores for a little while now. I discovered this archipelago maybe 8 to 12 months ago while searching up information on islands to visit. The pictures looked enchanting and I immediately started fantasizing about making a visit to this place.
I bought a double plane ticket to Ponta Delgada, which is on the island of Sao Miguel. The fare was $100 per seat so I chose to save the hassle of having a neighbor and just fork over the extra money. The plane journey to the islands was pleasant enough- I was seated by the aisle (which ended up being super nice since no one was in the middle seat. I had plenty of room to lady spread.) Fair winds and following seas, as the sailors say, accompanied us on the journey. The place took off, flew a housand miles and landed without incident. I got a chance to update the Porto post and forget I was flying.
At the airport, I encountered a sight that is singular in it's trippiness: the ocean is situated right beside the airport. The island is super compact anyway, but I wasn't expecting to see the ocean from the airport. That kind of messed me up. I sent a quick video to my family to share the amazement before one of the airport worker shoo'd me off the tarmac.
I snagged a taxi to the Air BnB and had a ewwwww experience with the taxi driver: he was just kind of creepy. Kept asking me to call him for a special private tour. Held my hand too long on the handshake and wouldn't let go when I pulled away. Anyhow, I made it to the spot unscathed and put my things down, then proceeded to assemble my adventure bag and walk about the city. The thing about towns in the Azores is that the priority when building was to ensure that houses had backyards for garden and clothesline space, so the buildings are VERY close to the street. Like... sidewalks are only wide enough for your standard sized person to walk down, and if two people meet one of 'em are gonna have to step into that street, which is a perilous activity in any part of Portugal! Folks drive like bats out of hell and you had better be careful if you value your life. So, I walked around, found the ocean, looked into going on a whale watching excursion (apparently the whales aren't very active in this area in the sumer so I passed) and renting a car, saw the city gates and some of the historic center, then went back to the room since it got late. Not too much to see that suited my interests in the city.
Saturday I went to the Jardim Botanico Jose do Canto-- excellent use of time! Public transportation is basically unheard of in the Azores so I hoofed it on over to the park and that was just the coolest way I could have spent my day. So many interesting trees exist in this world! Does that not just excite you beyond all reason like it does for me?? Well, even if it doesn't quicken your heart and moisten the corners of your eyes to experience the glory of creation, I'll still be friends with you. Of course I loved wandering the grounds and discovering the Australian banyan and the Queensland kauri, the bamboo forests and stands of Japanese cedar, the hydrangeas (more on them later) and the rose garden..... Oh, I could have set up shop there, should have sent for my things...
Then there was the chapel. If you follow my Instagram or Facebook you may have seen the little video of the creepy mini church that's on the grounds. It was poorly lit in the entrance way and I had some serious reservations about venturing in further... but of course I walked on in- slowly- and investigated. There were a number of effigies of my Lord and Savior peering at me as I moved about, peeking around corners and trying not to get jump scared by some ghoul in the holy place. To the left of the vestibule was the main sanctuary, preceded by a partway opened closet with an old clergyman's robe ominously hung up, slightly askew, covered in a layer of dust. The sanctuary was small but ornate with a crucifix (complete with a fella in a tattered loin cloth) hovering over the whole affair.
From a spiritual perspective, I am not a fan the classical imagery of blue eyed, smooth haired white saviors and crosses with Jesus still on them. Jesus was an middle eastern man, not the anglicized guy that adorned this holy place. Crucifixes with a person on them also kind of bother me, Jesus conquered the grave and isn't still resting on a wooden cross, so I prefer not to him symbolized in such a way. That's just me. If you have questions or comments, please invite me over and we can chat.
Sincerely.
Anyhow, after moving about that garden for a while I meandered again to the city and found a little loja to buy a drink and snack. The drink was a mango drinkable yogurt made with milk from the Azores- SO GOOD. The snack was margarida cake, also SO GOOD. The desserts and food in general had been kind of hit or miss for me on this journey, so I was pleased to have a yummy treat. Next I found a library and attempted to translate some of the encyclopedia and learned about puffins from the random passage I chose.
Sunday was just divine. Starting late in the afternoon, I was picked up by Elueterio, a tour guide who is native to the island. I didn't fall in love with this guy, don't worry. My heart is still in Porto (haha.... I'm kidding). We scooped up a couple of other people and headed to Furnas, a little town halfway across the island (aka 20 miles away, I have driven further while not leaving Jax!).
The whole experience was tremendous. From a scientific standpoint, there was so much to see and marvel at. The town, famous for its natural mineral springs and volcanic activity, was full of amazing geography. The lake, Lagoa Furnas, that sits just outside the town is surrounded by evidenc of the violent natural history on this place. You can smell the volcanic activity because sulfur is one of the main elements on display here. Many of the rocks near the hot springs areas have a strong, golden yellow patina from deposits of the mineral. There are crystals that have formed over many years from the vapors depositing minerals, the spot is surrounded by mountains that are covered in beautiful trees and ferns. You can see the impact of the magma that percolates right under the surface and interacts with the waters by creating these bubbling springs of near boiling water. The closer you get the more you feel the heat, which was nice since the perfect weather (and I do mean absolutely perfect weather, no more than 80 degrees while I was there with short bursts of rain and plenty of sun and cool breezes... island paradise) means cools nights. Our dinner, cozido, was cooked by using the natural heat from the earth. Pits are dug into the ground and stainless steel pots filled with cabbage, yams, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, pork, chicken, beef, blood sausages, chorizo and carrots are left for hours and slow cook to perfection.
After dinner we visited a hot spring spa. Please do yourself a favor and find a natural hot spring to visit! My skin felt so amazing after soaking for about 90 minutes. The mineral content in the water left me feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated. I met some random Americans and a Portuguese expat who relocated to Canada, we chatted and soaked the night away, moving from pool to pool, relishing the event.
Last stop on the tour was a fascinating visit to fountains that constantly flowed with fresh spring water. The thing is, the water has various mineral content depending on where the water starts and what types of rock if flows through, so there were some funky tasting waters to drink. Our guide gave us cups to sample the water and at the first fountain I filled my cup up since I was thirsty, anticipating a refreshing sample of the freshest spring water I've ever had.
Not so much.
The mineral content in the water was such that it actually tasted carbonated, like tonic water. This was quite a surprise... I politely emptied my cup and took a much smaller sample from the spring a few feet away. Also funny tasting but in a different way, more metallic or iron like in flavor. Elueterio knew how to showcase the tonic like nature of the first fountain's fluid- he brought limes, pineapple and gin and prepared us a WONDERFUL nightcap of gin and tonic to round out the evening. The water is not great on it's own but add in some Azorean gin and island grown pineapple with some mainland lime and you've got a winner! After getting a little buzzed, we drove on back to Ponta Delgada, well after midnight, felling like kings and queens.
So, I won't say I just saw all of Ponta Delgada and got bored with it, that would be an insult to the history and architecture drenched city. I will say that chilling in the city isn't why I can to the island. I made the choice to rent a car Monday and Tuesday to check out the island on my own. The buses run so infrequently that I wasn't willing to be at their mercy.
So, uh, I have been against Smart cars for as long as they have existed because they look like dumb little death traps. The disadvantage to not being able to drive a stick shift in a land that does not value the automatic, however, is that you have little to no choice in vehicle and you take what you get when you're on a budget.... so guess who drove around in a Smart Fortwo! This girl! It was surprising ly spacious and didn't feel super teeny behind the wheel. Monday one of the women in the Airbnb asked to travel with me and I figured, 'Eh, ehy not?' and we drove 124 miles around the perimeter of the east side of the island, visiting Povoacao, Nordeste, Ribeiera Grande and numerous little miradouros along the way. I gotta say, speaking to strangers is ok. Manuela and I shared alot, had a lot in common, and I made a friend! She introduced me to bolos levedos, an Azorean sweet bread that is yeast leavened and cook on the stove. Again, SO GOOD.
Tuesday I sojourned solo about the center of the island and visited the two tea factories, Cha Gorreana and Porto Formoso, and drove another 100 miles. I discovered the joy of cruising along the slopes downhill, riding the brakes and seeing the the roadsides full of hydrangeas and very few other humans. The Azorean roads are quite well maintained so the going was easy. I downloaded a map of the island and had no problem finding the grand, sweeping miradouros and random, hidden little landmarks that dot the land. I had reservations because the Portuguese are always in a hurry on the road, but I didn't experience any issues. In retrospect, I think my time on the island would have been sour instead of sweet had I not rented the Smart car. Seeing so many sights with my gal pal and by myself was definitely a highlight of this trip.
Wednesday I did laundry during the day and attended a free concert at Teatro Micaelense in the city center and had dinner at A Tasca. The concert was Violas do Atlanticos IX. Per the theatre's website, "The 2019 edition is attended by the musician Ricardo Fonseca, with Viola Beiroa, a Viola that was practically considered extinct in our country. Ricardo Fonseca will join the Azorean Rafael Carvalho, the latter with Viola da Terra." I copy the text because I cannot spell or pronounce the names therein. Each musician sounded like they were playing multiple instruments. The guitar like devices have up to 12 strings and I think that the effect of an expert playing is that the rhythm and bass are achieved by one person. I'm not adept at music stuff so I could be wrong. Either way, I know that I witnessed a monumental level of skill for free and I'm grateful.
Thursday I went on another tour, this time of the west side of the island, to Sete Cidades and Lagoa do Fogo, two of the three major bodies on water on Sao Miguel (the third was Lagoa Furnas which I visited Sunday). I gotta say, I didn't love the guide. He was critical and negative about so many random things and had some trouble expounding upon the virtues of Azorean life and landscape without putting down other places. What I cannot blame the guide was how darn busy the spots we visited were. First stop was a pineapple plantation. In the Azores, it's not exactly tropical so the people grow pineapples in greenhouses. It was kind of cool to see, but not essential, to me. The we went to Sete Cidades, the twin lakes that form one of the most picturesque places I have ever been. Two viewpoints show off the bicolored lakes, Boca do Inferno and Vista do Rei. First we saw Boca, which is situated at the end of a path that goes up a hill and down a narrow strip of dirt. I'm a large, lovely lady and I take a little longer to get places that involve climbs and stairs than others, which I am cool with and don't feel any kind of way about.
Well.
Apparently my mobility is a marvel to some, including the tour guide and a random guy who walked past me. As we climbed up the steep path the guide hung back with me and calls himself trying to encourage me to keep going.... which wasn't needed... I stopped to have a sit, catch my breathe and look at the view, then an older lady came huffing along, stopped along side me and said something about not being in a rush to enjoy the area and I agreed with her. The guide chirps, 'We're not that far, you can do it!', then a random guy who's passing by's like, 'Yeah, you're almost there, keep going!' and I'm just looking at these people wondering if I really seem so pathetic, so worthy or pity, so derelict that I need to be encouraged... TO WALK. I'm feeling mildly embarrassed at this point, so I get up and keep it pushing. There is a combination of stairs and climbing to conquer in order to make it to the viewpoint so I'm taking my time. Again, the guide is trying to tell me to 'keep going' because I'm 'almost there' and 'it's worth it'...... I look at him sideways with my incredulous face and say, 'I'm fine, I'm just walking, you can keep going...." so he moves on, finally, and stops pitying me. I make it to the view point and indeed, it was worth the trek.
Sete Cidades is actually one lake that is cinched in the middle and appears to be bisected by a bridge. The two portions are flanked by different types of vegetation that give each side a different appearance, one side looks blue and the other side looks green. Vista do Rei offers another impressive view of the area and since it's a road side area, I didn't have to suffer the mild indignity of being praised for walking.
We toured around Lagoa do Fogo, which is actually at the top of an extinct volcano. Then we headed to Ribiera Gande and since there was time, we went to a beach! I dipped my toes in the coarse sand and immediately regretted it since these are black sand beaches and the ground cover was scorching. I collected some of the grains and I think I'll try to make a keepsake out of it. We headed on back to the city and I had the feeling that I wish I had rented that car one more day and viewed the westside on my own.
Friday I went on back to Lisboa after nearly missing my flight due to over sleeping! Made it with maybe 10 minutes to spare, luckily. Overall, I give Sao Miguel 10/10 stars!