All twenty one of us are back from the hike and slowly drying out. Six miles, a 3,000 foot vertical drop, and almost six hours later, we are back onboard ship and have packed our drenched gear off to the laundry. The drizzle at the trail head became an ever steadier rain over the course of the hike. (Sneakers may need to be tossed—the verdict will be out until we can set them in the sun.) And, the abundant rainfall received today and in the past few days meant there were waterfalls everywhere. Tall waterfalls, big waterfalls, trickles, cascades, waterfalls through and over stone walls, and waterfalls over the trail in a number of places. Fingers and feet remain prune-like, but we are all still speaking to one another and perhaps are all the more friendly after our mutual foray into the discomfort zone. This hike was no walk in the park.
As Santo Antão is a volcanic island, the topography is stunning! Beyond the gentle sloping hills that meet the ocean, there are enormous monoliths of rock emerging out of the bottom of deep, narrow valleys. Cultivated terraces—primarily planted with young corn, beans, and manioc—carve parallel lines into even the steepest hillsides. Here and there, cabbages, bananas, sugar cane, coffee, mango and breadfruit trees add variety to the vista.
In spite of the adverse weather, the trek was amazing—switching back and forth through low-hanging clouds and a world of saturated greenery and glimpsing (while keeping one eye on the footing) spectacular scenery. The path, constructed of hand-laid cobblestones, is used with some regularity by the people whose villages would otherwise be almost completely disconnected. And, as we discovered on our (rather terrifying) ride back, one finds this impressive network of hand-laid roads and paths throughout Santo Antão. They are functional works of art that are best appreciated on foot!
It looks like you were walking in the clouds. Exploring indeed!
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