Monte Brasil

Not exactly Everest but near the summit of Monte Brasil

One thing different about this adventure is the amount of hiking that we've done.  Although the island offers some really nice trails we weren't able to take full advantage of them.  I was out of commission for the first 6-7 days while waiting for the incision in my leg to heal and the stiches to be removed.  About the time I was back in action and ready to go Beth came down with a cold.  Nothing too serious (easy for me to say) but enough to slow her down a bit.  We did manage to get a few short hikes in and we also covered plenty of distance strolling into and around Angra.  Our hotel (Terceira Mar) is about a 20 minute leisurely walk into the city center which we did pretty much every day.  If you're interested in this hotel but not a walker don't worry, there is a city bus that picks up about every fifteen minutes and for .30 euros will drop you right on the town square.
Yesterday we did manage to hike the Monte Brasil Trail.  Starting from the hotel it was probably a mile or so to the trailhead.  The actual trail is around four miles in length going up, down and around the caldera of an old volcano which is known as Monte Brasil.  The trail is fairly well marked, although as usual we did manage to occasionally wonder off for brief periods.  It also had several fairly steep and challenging, but thankfully short, climbs.  There is a monument at the top and the remains of a military post used for both defense and communication during World War II.  Also at the top is a small zoo or as the nice front desk clerk put it "a place where they have animals in jails" (his English wasn't that good!).  We also learned that a couple of years ago they imported and released a few deer to help control the vegetation.  The deer are doing what they do best, controlling the vegetation and having sex.  Just wait till they see how many deer they have in a few years!  We were frequently rewarded for our  hiking efforts with amazing views of the island or the ocean. In spite of smooth water and unlimited visibility the song remains the same............no whales, no whales!

The beginning of the trail........flat and paved along here but that changed quickly

Angra from along the trail

I don't know the name of the small island but it actually has separated in the middle so I guess technically it's two small islands

Signal station at the top.  The coast is clear!

Beth along the trail

There were some nice shaded areas as well.  These were very welcome.  It was the hottest and sunniest day since we arrived.

The inside of the volcano that created Monte Brasil  This caldera was formed by three different eruptions.

Happy Hikers at the end of the trail!