Finally, I am catching up on the blog! We are staying busy and the travelers are enjoying themselves..At least that is what they tell me. I will pick up with Friday, July 16. Fortunately, Justin was able to have the day off for us to spend some time together. It was cloudy but we were hoping for the best so we dressed for the beach. Waiting on the sun to shine we started with lunch at Soup & Salad. The food was good and the piece of chocolate cake that the girls shared was the best! When we finished eating, the clouds were still lingering, so naturally we decided to shop..some more. Friday night we ordered out Pizza and rested at the house. Saturday, July 17 was full of fun and adventure. The morning started early as we met a group for a tour "The Heart of Angra." This tour highlighted religious, cultural, and governmental monuments on the island. We visited "Joao Baptista" castle and cathedral "Salvador da Si" that dated back to the 1500's. Also on the tour we visited the convent of Sao Goncialo, city museum, and the Governor’s Palace. Lunch was included in the tour and was at The House of Fish. The restaurant overlooked the beach in Angra and had a great view. Saturday night was the bullfight in the village of Santa Rita. There were a total of 4 bulls that ran in the street but one at a time. The bulls would run in the street for 20 minutes each and chase anyone dumb enough to stand in front of them. Americans are not allowed to be in the street but are welcomed to watch. After the bullfight we ate some sandwiches and the girls headed to the theatre to see "Sex in the City 2" Needless to say, Saturday left us pooped. Sunday, July 18 we went to church, came home for lunch, and headed to the beach. The day started out beautiful and sunny and before the day was over clouds rolled in and the beach got chilly. We came home, changed clothes, and headed out for a scenic ride to Biscoitos. In Biscoitos there are swimming holes that are formed from the natural formation of lava rock in the ocean. There are concrete areas that make up a patio for people to sunbathe. This is one of the most beautiful places on the island. The water was blue and aqua and shimmered against the black rock. For dinner we headed back to La Barcia, everyone's favorite, and enjoyed pasta. Monday, July 19 the girls finished up some shopping and spent the afternoon visiting various caves on the island. The first cave, Algar do Carvao, is a volcanic pit. Parts of the pit formation date up to 3200 years ago. Inside, at the bottom of the pit, there is a lake formed by the rain dripping inside. The lake gets up to 15 meters deep in the rainy season! There are various forms of plant life throughout they vary from the opening to the bottom. This is the only volcanic pit like this is the world that is accessible to the public. The experience was amazing and pictures cannot do it justice. The next cave was "Gruta do Natal" which is a horizontal lava tube. In this cave we wore helmets and maneuvered our way through the crevices and pathways. Inside this cave is an altar that is used for Christmas Mass and other celebrations and events. The final stop was the sulfur springs where we got the see the earth "steaming." The day ended with a nice dinner at "Sabores do Chef" and Kayla and Lindsay liked the dessert the best, chocolate fondue with fruit! After dinner we came home and settled in for the night.
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