Prvi štop dobiva v nekaj minutah. Nekaj se "zakramljamo" :P (kolikor to pač gre :P), nato prevoznika ugotovita, da sva ravnokar z letališča in da njunega otoka še ne poznava. Prijazno začneta razlagat - bolnica, Modelo, Continente ...
"Pa kaj je z vami, turisti? Vsi sprašujete kje je vulkan, ostale stvari vas sploh ne zanimajo!"
Ja, kaj, če pa nimamo vulkana doma! Oz. enih par vulkančkov na 15×20 km velikem otočku. Ko je sreča, se pokaže še vrh vulkana s sosednjega Picota - Pico (2351 m). In lov na vulkane se tako nadaljuje.
Po Faialu, katerega sva potem celega po dolgem in počes in še okoli obkrožili s skuterčkom, sva se odpravili na sosednji São Jorge. Med drugim mislim, da sva na Faialu uspele najt tudi "the kafič", kjer pa si žal nisva privoščile kave (ja, se ja tako mudilo na trajekt).
Trajekti so nekaj, kar je presenetljivo točno (saj ne, da se mi o drugih javnih prevoznih sredstvih ne sanja), saj smo zmeraj odpluli točno ob predvideni uri. Njihova frekvenca vožnje pa niha od sezone in željene lokacije.. "You know, I can go from my island to another - everyday, don't make fun of me!" Ja, čisto možno, amapk potem se lahko zgodi, da pač ostaneš "on another island"!
Da o vožnji z avtom niti ne govorim. Pač, kako bi vi vozili, če bi vedeli, da na tvojem otoku ni radarja in je na treh otokih samo en semafor (na keterem je vedno zelena) in policija ustavlja samo ob vikendih ponoči in preverja stanje alkoholiziranosti? Verjetno po principu prednost hitrejšega in močnejšega.
Vseh 8000 prebivalcev São Jorga ne samo, da se pozna med sabo, ampak tudi ve, kje se ob kateri uri kdo nahaja (še posebej uporabno, ko rabiš nove svečke za vodni skuter).
Kot pravi Portugalci (ali vsaj njihovi bližnji sorodniki), se morajo tudi Azorci do vrat kafiča prepeljati z avtom, pa tudi če je ta samo 2 ulici stran. In avti se puščajo odklenjeni, s ključem pripravljenim na vžig (in ko vračaš sposojene stvari, jih samo dostaviš do avta in pustiš v kuferamu).
Na Jorgu je hortenzij še več, kot na Faialu (ampak očitno so bili ti otočani hitrejši in so prevzeli ime modrega otoka), krave vseh barvnih kombinacij povsod, tako da se zdaj kar težko odločam, katera krava s plavimi hortenzijami in morjem v ozadju na sliki mi je najbolj kul. Prav tako še vedno ne vem ali je na Azorih več krav kot prebivalcev, ker to menda sodi med butasta vprašanja in domačini na njih ne odgovarjajo!
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Pico iz São Jorga   |
We got a first lift in few minutes and start to "talk" :P (our Portuguese is very limited). After a while they figured out that we are just from airport and we don't know the their island and start to explaining kindly - hospital, Modelo, Continente ...
"Vulcão, vulcão!" - we just passed the signal for volcano.
"What's with you tourists, you are all the time asking where volcano is and you don't care about the other stuff!"
Ya, but I don't have a volcano behind my house, or actually some volcanos! And volcano story continue - with a bit of luck, you can see the top of Pico on Pico island (2351 m).
After we had circled all the Faial island by scooter, we went to the neighbor island São Jorge. We successfully found "the bar" in Fail, but unfortunately didn't take a coffee there.
Ferries there are surprisingly on time (but I actually didn't use any other public transport), but they frequency depends on season and location. "You know, I can go from my island to another - everyday, don't make fun of me!" Ya, and than you can stuck "on another island"!
Not to mention car traffic. How would you drive, if there is no radar on your island and only one traffic light (with always green light) on three islands and police stop only at weekends nights just to check how much you have drank? Probably according to rule - faster and stronger.
All 8000 inhabitants of São Jorge know each other and they also know where to find somebody at specific time (very useful when you need some sparking plugs for water scooter).
Like typical Portugueses also Azorenas need to drive themselves till the bar's entrance no matter, if it is only two streets away. And cars are always left unlocked with keys inside!
There are even more hortensias on São Jorge than Faial (but still is Faial called as blue island). Cows all colors - I can not even decide which photo with blue hortensias, cows and ocean behind is the best. I still don't know, if there are more cows or people on Azores (this suppose to be a stupid question with no answer from locals).