The scooter was not quite big enough to take both Jake and I and our two bags so Jake did two trips dropping me and my bag off before going back for his own. Luckily the marina was only a 15 minute drive away from the campground so we made it to check in at 8.30am with time to spare. We were sad to leave the campground which had been our home for the last few nights. The night before we left the lovely Portugese/German family we had met brought us a bunch of white ginger flowers from their adventures that day to say goodbye. As we were up so early we didn't get to say goodbye to anyone else but will hopefully visit one couple at their home in Warsaw and another couple when we are camping on the next island Pico.
When we booked our flights to the Azores we picked one island to fly into and a different one to fly out of but didn't book the internal flights. To get to Pico we had two options a 12 hour ferry ride going through all of the central group islands or a quick flight. The ferry was a lot cheaper so it won out and we figured we could get a bit of sleep, catch up on the blog, do some reading and hopefully see some whales or dolphins.
Having caught the Inter-island ferry quite a few times as a kid I thought the ride was fairly smooth considering we were put in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Obviously not everyone felt this way.
The next few ferry rides were not so dramatic as we were on a larger smoother boat with comfy seating and an outside area for those feeling sickly to get some fresh air.
Jake and I fumbled in the dark with the tent which was an effort as there is little soil to dig pegs into on the volcanic island of Pico. After bending a few pegs into the solid lava rock we finally laid down to rest. Sleep on the other was not to be had just yet as the Cory shearwater birds came out to play. At first these birds sounded hilarious kind of like a rubber squeaky bath duck and the female was crossed with a bull frog. It soon got old. They sure like to squeak all night long!!!
The next morning we rose bright and early to the sounds of prettier bird songs. We were hoping to go for a dive in Pico and had noticed a dive shop down the road the night before. Unfortunately on enquiring we were informed that they were fully booked up for the next few days. With no wheels to get to the other towns to ask about diving we decided to rent a couple of bikes from the campground.
We kept being told by locals that we could go whale watching on a boat. After saying we were from NZ and had seen a few whales pass by our beaches (or washed up on them) before they soon trend their attention to why we had traveled so far to their islands.
Diving into the water was bliss. Unlike the water on the main land, tthe water in the Azores is refreshingly warm that I think I could swim all day. I love the sea but normally I am an in and out person as it's gets to cold for me. In the Azores the water temperature was similar to the pacific. In fact Pico Island reminded me a lot like the Big island in Hawaii with its old lava fields, black rocks, crystals blue water, and of course Mount Pico sticking out through the clouds.
Although we could have stayed there all day I wanted to make the most of our bikes.
Heading back past the campground we were faced with a few continuous hill climbs. That and the strong breeze that was coming off the mountain straight into us made it a hard ride. We were soon sweating from the hot sun and the burn from a constant bike up as we wound our way through small villages and fields of green crops. A sign showing a way to a beach and the UNESCO protected vineyard landscape had us turning off after an hour or so. All that uphill climb soon came to a halt. We sped down a steep road through a stunning back drop of walls built of basalt rock protecting the grapes growing for the locally produced wines and liqueurs. Brakes off, what a ride. A few minutes later we were down by the coast once again. With the adrenalin wearing off it dawned on us that we would have to ride back up that road or one similar to get back.
We sampled a few different whites and one liqueur. They were all very strong fortified wines (18-19%) and too sweet for my liking. Most wine is produced only for local consumption with a few being shipped abroad. The region received it's UNESCO world heritage status in 2004 and grapes grown in the special area are only cared for manually with no machinery involved in the cultivation process.
Luckily after the initial steep incline the road petered out. We were able to hop back on our bikes and slowly but surely wound our way back up the hill. The last 100 meters was the hardest. I could see the top but my legs were aching and I was gasping for air. Finally I got to the top triumphant but out of breath. Definitely need to go for some runs whilst traveling. Jake joined me and we paused for a breather.
The rest of the ride home was a breeze. With the wind behind us and a predominately down hill ride we were able to forgot the pain in our bums from the dam small bike seats and enjoy ourselves.
The rest of the evening was enjoyed creating ripples in the lagoon, drinking a few Super bocks at the park with the locals and listening to a DJ spin some beats. Later we joined Zoe at the local restaurant for dinner and gushed over the days we had and made plans for the next.
We had been sad to leave Sao Miguel but our first day on Pico had left us even more impressed with what the Azores have to offer.