Funchal

If one was to travel about 3000 nautical   miles due east or so, of Fort Lauderdale you would run right in to Funchal Portugal, and that is just what we did.

Arriving Funchal

 

After being at sea for 8 days it was a welcome sight to see the lights of Funchal. From the ship the lights of town went on for as far as I could see, up and down the steep coast line. One of the activities we had booked would involve sledding down one of those steep snowless hills.

Of course, every town build on the steep cliffs of a volcanic island in the Atlantic if they do not have a paddle wheel boat, then they should have a tram, and our guide took us to the tram after a short motor coach ride. I never saw a paddle wheel boat but there could be one.

Our Ride To The Top

 

Trying to coax a internet signal out of this ship, is the hardest task on board, but then to arrive at the tram station and discover real wi-fi, and complimentary as it should be. Well that would have been enough of a adventure, but I boarded the tram car with my traveling compadre, and three other people two from the ship and one not. The two from the ship were worried that they would use up their camera before getting the perfect shot of Madera, and they only moved carefully around the car pointing their camera at different things and not taking a photo. The other person never said a word the entire ride.

We oood and awed took pictures of everything including someone laundry and a cow.

From The Tram

 

The tram dropped us off high on the mountain, at a little church, with a commanding view of the town, and the beginning of the sled ride, the sled ride with out snow.

Church Piro Technics

 

Now this sled ride was started years ago when someone needed to bring produce down the mountain to the town, and then someone thought it would be a great tourist attraction.  The modern sleds are wicker with wooden runners. You get in and two men dressed in white, with special shoes for breaking, push and steer you down the steepest road in town. I say steer, but careening would be a better word. The journey is totally survivable, and quite fun, but did reassure me that I should only do things with breaks.  

Going Down