11/15/2022

 

    

 

Anchored at Funchal around 6:30. We breakfasted and got ready to take the tender to shore.  There were 3 cruise ships already at the dock, so the Jupiter had to anchor and ferry the passengers to shore via the tenders – which are basically large life boats.

 

 

                                                            A tender/life boat

 

Once ashore we saw a replica of the Santa Maria (As Chris Columbus lived here a while) and we were amazed how little it was – a bit bigger than our tender.  Wanted a pic, but were hurried to our bus.  (Thought it would be there when we got back, but they took tours around the island and it was gone when we got back.)

 

Got on the bus and made our 20-minute way to the cliff view point.  A word about this island – it is on the African Tectonic plate and was built up by a successive number of lava flows, much like Hawaii.  

 

                    Note the successive lava flows (Cliff verified that this is the case)

 

But it is Steep!  Every square meter is terraced or has a house on it.  Bananas, Guavas, Mangoes, sugar cane, and over 1200 species of plants – some of which were identified by Shirley’s app (SEEK).  Anyway, that does not leave much room for roads.  They are narrow, very crooked, using tunnels and bridges liberally.  This made for interesting traffic patterns especially when meeting another tour bus.  It reminded us of another bus trip along the Amalfi coast in Italy.  The tour guide was full of data – like Funchal is the hometown of Cristiano Ronaldo the soccer great, the Ukulele was invented here and sent to Hawaii (presumably along with sugar cane) and lots of other interesting trivia about this remarkable island.  He was a professor of Biology at the University … they must not pay very well.

 

 

                                                Shirley “SEEK”ing a new species

 

We got up to the point (this was called the cape of the turn-around because the early visitors would turn around there) and walked the glass bridge over the 600-foot cliff.  Took some pictures, bought some stuff and back on the bus to another lookout.  This one (called cape of the sea wolf because the early explorers saw a seal that reminded them of a wolf and the name stuck) was on the top of one of the many volcanic cones and it overlooked a scenic cove.  Winston Churchill painted that cove in the 50’s.  More pictures and back on the bus.  20 minutes later we were portside.  Bob and Anna tendered back while Shirley and Paul adventured into the town.  Very pedestrian friendly and 9v batteries were purchased.

 

Shirley and the bird of Paradise

 

                                                Ann and Shirley above the village      

 

Crooked narrow roads

 

                                                BobAnna at the volcano cone vista                

 

 

                                                Birds of paradise and a tulip tree

                                            About town and saw a fabric store    

 

Back on the tender and ship and siesta 

 

The Jupiter weighed anchor at 14:36 bound for the Cape Verde archipelago.  But the fun did not stop there – Inspired by the lecture the Naturalist did on the wildlife of the area (birds and fish) there was watching going on in hopes of getting one of the great pictures the Naturalist took of birds skimming the surface of the ocean – dolphins and even a whale. Paul took in another planetarium show and we all took in the ABBA tribute show.  All fun in different ways.