Exploring Madeira

     After catching up on most of our sleep Friday, we were reunited with Argo on Saturday. It’s been almost two years since the last time Darvil and I saw Argo, but it felt like we barely skipped a beat. We wasted no time organizing our belonging, replacing toilets and rigging sails. Mom and dad had already done a lot of organizing by the time we got here though! Two of our bags of lost luggage still have not arrived! The whole ordeal has been one step forward and two steps back. First they tell us they’re on their way, then they tell us they are still lost, then one of the bags is found, next mysteriously they are all missing again, and finally our latest news is that they should arrive past midnight tonight, but were not holding our breath! Aye yi yi!  

Argo on the Hard. The concrete pillars are holding up the airport runway directly above us :o! 

Dad's new captain's quarters ;)

     In spite of the luggage fiasco we’re all having a great time though! We had an exciting day touring around the capital city of Madeira, Funchal. The highlight of the visit was definitely “tobogganing” down the extremely narrow and steep streets of Monte (a suburb of Funchal) in wicker sleds with greased up wooden runners! Two men following behind act as drivers of the sled using their feet to brake and ropes to direct the sled; they do their best to avoid the steady steams of oncoming traffic! The idea of it ruffled our nerves a little but it wasn’t nearly as scary as we anticipated. It is still probably the coolest 2km I’ve traveled inside a city and the closest I’ll get to a convertible. 

Ready to take off 

ready, set, sled! 

The men waiting for their next takers 

     We also drove the coast of almost the entire island; it’s not too big! The views were spectacular and the flora of the island is beautiful. I think driving around the coastal roads is how the locals get their thrills! The more narrow the road the better and if it doesn’t have guardrails, no problem! Let’s just say driving along the coast was way more ‘white knuckle’ than the toboggan ride! But lucky for us, Dad was a champ behind the wheel and drove us safely! 

What a view!

We're pretty happy 

Sheer cliff on the other side of that guardrail! 

Tiny towns built into the hills 

     Our stay on Madeira has been great, but we’re all excited to set sail tomorrow! If all goes well (and the bags arrive) we will leave in the morning for Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands. It should be a 2-day sail as long as we get some good northeasterly winds! See you when we get there!