Today
Oh boy up at 3:30am for 4 am shuttle to airport for 6 am flight to Madeira Portugul by Tapp air, which is a portugees airline, very nice 1 hr 45 minute flight
Shuttle ride in a BMW mini van. The ride was scary (or so we thought at the time) with our driver again driving his vehicle up and down roads like he stole it.
We arrived shaken but not deterred.
Our Airbnb is a very nice two bedroom two bath suite with a strained head and neck view of the ocean. Periwinkle off to bed while I stayed with the maintainence guy for an hour to do repairs in our suites. Kerry and sue went for a walk.
We woke assembled our thoughts then off we went in search of the “toboggan rides of Madeira.”
Now to get to the top of Madeira you need to catch a ride to the village of “monte”. We determine that for 2 euros each a bus will take us up the mountain. Cha Ching cheap Harold is in. Locate bus stop and two minutes later no. 21 arrives. Basically looks the size and colour of a Manitoba school bus. Hop on and we are in business.
Huh this drivers a bit speedy, nice let’s get there. Okay what the heck he thinks he is driving a ferari.
We are ascending up a mountain in a old yellow bus. The road width is similar to a north Winnipeg back lane.
“Strange huh seems kinda narrow for this big bus but oh well.”
“Huh we are passing on coming vehicles” didn’t think their was room for two vehicle.
At least it’s a small vehivcle on coming . “Oh geez passing busses going opposite direction to” wonder how this will work
“Well at least no pedestrians on the road” “ oh yes there are” huh suicidal I guess
So we have buses cars and pedestrians on the same, what we will call a road but I’ll call a wide sidewalk.
Now add this Road bends 45 to 180 degrees every 200 or so meters. That sounds like fun you say?
Now picture high walls with mirrors afixed to rock face on one side to see around corners and perilous cliffs on the other.
Thank god for the guard rails. Not so quick no guard rails anywhere to be found.
So I notice my arse has puckered up but periwinkle is okay she is playing candy crush on her iPhones, oblivious to what’s going on.
Oh by the way he was doing all this at 60 kph . I broke the buses “wholly s*** handle ”
Survived. Now we are looking for where to catch this ride. Meet a nice British couple who provide direction and insight on the ride . 30 euros for two of us to ride in a wicker basket downhill 2km. That sounds exciting. “ then she adds “ON A ROAD” yeh but the road is closed right? “No cars actually pass you she says”, yeh but theirs no cross streets” oh lots of them love” she says.
So to recap on an active two way road in a wicker basket being passed by cars with cross traffic. What could go wrong?
In we go periwinkle giggling all the way Down. When crossing major roads at least they have a guy stopping traffic for you as you slide by sideways.
10 mins later we arrive. Great fun and well worth putting it on your bucket list.
Then down the rest of the mountain. Cabs were charging 15 euros “ huh we are strong we will walk”. Wholly crap feet burning, hip popping out like popcorn and a wee tear going down my right cheek we made it. Well we made it to a sea side bar where I am writing this. Wine and beer fuelled off we went back to our suite
Happy hour done rest and then to supper at a nice restaurant and to bed by 11
Take care all
U