Lava Tubes and Bull Fights

After our fairly late night at the Sanjoaninas parade, we slept in, of course.  Rather than the torrential rain that greeted us yesterday, this morning was sunshine and singing birds.  Coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and freshly squeezed orange juice got us started, gastronomically speaking.  We lounged around for a couple of hours before heading out for today’s adventures. 



We think we already mentioned it, but we totally scored with our accommodations. No, they aren’t downtown Angra, which would have been great for the festivities, but if one enjoys solitude and tranquility, it’s worth the bus and taxi rides to and from town (one could rent a car, which would be fine except parking in downtown). Also, the hospitality of the owners is second to none. If you are ever headed to Terceira, please check out Quinta do Abacate. 

We left at 1:30 for an excursion to the top of the island, a whopping 1500 feet, for some geological exploration. First we visited the Furnas do Enxofre — a bog-like area with steam vents emanating from the ground. Jim burned his finger while testing the temp — it was HOT. We could also smell the sulfur in the emissions. 







We then headed over to Algar de Carvão — a lava tube cave that is open to walk through. It is quite the experience, and the pictures really don’t do it justice. 















After one last visit with Linda and David they dropped us off for the bull fights. It’s not that we’re fans of the sport, but when in Rome … we wanted to experience it. What appears to be the main difference between Spanish bullfights and Portuguese bullfights is the “suicide squad” — a group of men who literally tackle the bull as the finale of the fight. Tonight there was some drama as the first tackle didn’t begin well … the bull almost won.  It was a little scary … but the lead guy, after being removed from the ring on a stretcher, got back in the ring, bloody face and all, to thunderous cheering … it was kinda fun. 

We are not going to post a video … it’s a bit much. Ask us and we’ll show you sometime if you’re interested. 

















After the fights we walked back to downtown to enjoy some festival food being sold for Sanjoaninas and some sangria. We headed home early … we have a very short flight in the morning to another island. 







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