Kaikoura to Christchurch, NZ

The east coast of New Zealand near Kaikoura reminds me of the California coast between San Luis Obispo and Monterey; tall coastal headlands descending abruptly into a rocky but beautiful ocean shoreline.  However, 1 1/2 years ago a tremendous earthquake shook the area, raising the ocean floor and causing many tons of rock and soil to slide (or "slip"- the local term) crashing down to cover the coastal rail line and highway.  Suddenly the town of Kaikoura and surrounding areas were cut off from all normal transport.  Supplies were brought in by helicopter and ship, and tourists were taken out in similar fashion.  Today repairs to the coastal roads are still in process.

The coast near Kaikoura.  In places the highway was squeezed between the steep hillsides and the ocean.  When the earthquake happened in Nov. '16, the coastal highway was obliterated in places.

We stopped in a deserted park along the road for a picnic lunch.

When down swoops a helicopter very close to us; he lowered a probe into the water, presumably for water testing.  Then he up and flew off.

The town of Kaikoura is still recovering; lack of tourist traffic for almost a year caused accommodations and restaurants to close.  The crayfish and abalone habitat was destroyed (the seabed was raised by about 5 meters), affecting fisherman.  Aftershocks, and the threat of further major tremors remain. This is the coast we traveled yesterday. So much evidence of the "slips" and damage to be seen.  Many construction delays and stops for one-way traffic. But we met some interesting people.  Our hotel host, a native Australian, wanted to discuss US politics with us and seemed more knowledgeable of the subject than most Americans.  We met another couple, Ian and Gina, when we pulled off at a quiet park; Ian, a local hunter, wanted to understand US gun laws and compare the situation with NZ laws.  Such encounters make travel all the more rewarding.

At the botanic garden, Dawn next to a very large tree.  The garden is surrounded by a stream where kayaks, canoes, and punts pass by.

Our B&B in Christchurch was my worst accommodation choice.  Not that it was terrible; breakfast and the location were good, but the decor was very dark; the bathroom was small; and the bed was too soft.  While at Christchurch (a short stay) we went for a walk in their excellent Botanic Garden.  We love botanic gardens; so quiet, peaceful, beautiful,and with nice walking trails.  Christchurch suffered a major earthquake seven years ago and has not recovered.  It seems that buildings had been built on ground that soil surveys had noted were unstable.  All those buildings fell down and will not be rebuilt.  We also spent a day visiting Akaroa on Banks peninsula east of town. The area was created by a large, ancient volcanic cone of which one side collapsed creating a large bay surrounded by tall steep hillsides.  Very pretty.

It had rained in the morning, but was clearing when we arrived, leaving white, fluffy clouds covering the crests of the hills.  We ate lunch outside at a cafe in Akaroa overlooking the bay.  The village is a popular tourist spot. 

Abel Tasman National Park, NZ

We are the only guests staying at a B&B at Ruby Bay, near Abel Tasman Park.  The B&B is a vineyard; the entire region is full of vineyards, orchards, sheep pastures, and woods. Our hosts are from Hong Kong. The weather is such that we have breakfast on the patio outside our room, a very modern, well-kept wing of the home.  We discovered, on an evening walk, that a series of trails connect the entire neighborhood.  We met a neighbor last night who had lived in Santa Barbara, California, for 10 years while teaching geology at UCSB, which is where Dawn & I met and where I received my initial degree.

Dawn in the driveway of our Mapua B&B.  They also grow grapes, apples, and other fruit.  Many such orchards and vineyards are in the area.  We are only about half a mile from the coast.


We used this location to visit Abel Tasman National Park just NW of here. The park is a wilderness of towering heavily-forested headlands dropping off abruptly in places and revealing protected ocean beaches in other places, all of which are only accessible by hiking or boat.  Today we took a boat to a drop off point in Tonga Quarry bay, then hiked overland for 4.2 km. to Medlands Beach where we were picked up.  The hike included significant vertical gain walking through a multi-layered canopy of jungle-like plants including ferns growing 30-40 feet high. Perfect weather; how long will our luck last?

Looking down from a forested path to a beautiful bay in Abel Tasman park.

Bark Bay, Abel Tasman park. Substantial tide range and it is just starting to rise leaving wide sand beaches.

Split Apple Rock, just north of Kaiteriteri.  We needed to hike down from a cliff top to reach this beach; the other approach is by kayak.

We were hiking in a dark, overgrown canyon when we came across a group of these birds.  Due to the low lighting and zoomed lens, it was difficult to get a good picture before he scooted into the brush.  Kinda ugly but unique; they can't fly.

Looking down from Takaka Hill at the coast; what a beautiful area!  I could live happily here.

Travel in New Zealand is relatively easy. 1). The language is familiar. The perceived accent is relatively minor in most cases. We did meet a young man from central South Island whose pronunciation strained our comprehension, but that was exceptional. 2) The culture is familiar. Movies-music- TV fare get traded back and forth creating a common basis.  3) Credit cards are readily accepted making currency conversion a minor issue.  4) Driving is a significant change.  Not just right to left, but the complete absence of an equivalent to our Interstate highway system.  Mainly winding two-lane roads here.  Today, it took us five hours to travel about 170 miles.  With recent rains, a major tropical storm two months ago, and a major earthquake 1 1/2 years ago there are many large road repair projects in progress.

B&B insights, Asian culture

We have often favored B&Bs as a place to stay; more personalized than a hotel.  You can learn by interacting with your hosts.  We are currently staying with a Chinese family.  They come from Shanghai; moved here four years ago with neither of them speaking any English.  They had to give up a successful business designing and producing lingerie; let go their employees.  They came because their daughter was so sick from the pollution; she had been hospitalized several times.  They were told she could die.  So they moved to New Zealand on a trial basis. Their daughter has now completely recovered; participates in several sports, but she got sick again when they re-visited Shanghai.  Thus, the daughter cannot go back to China.  They are looking at colleges for her in the United States. Once the daughter leaves for college, the family will move back to Shanghai to take care of their elderly parents.

The family commitment is obvious; such commitment is common in Asian cultures.  Is that the reason for the high success rate of Asians?  Didn't we used to have greater family bonds in the U.S.?  Has our government and social media replaced family support?  Travel exposes us to such new situations and ideas.  Imagine moving to a new country, new language, new culture, and starting over.  That takes strong determined individuals.

We commented on the really high quality sheets on our bed at the B&B; so soft, smooth, and wrinkle free.  We asked if there was a website or store where we could buy such sheets.  Our hostess told us they were homemade locally.  Then when we were leaving, she gave us a gift of a new king-sized sheet and refused any payment.  Her comment was that life is about more than money.  What great people!  

Around Auckland, NZ

Our flight from Tahiti was wonderful; Air New Zealand has the most comfortable seats: reclining, adjustable head rests, extending foot supports with plenty of room.  A choice of wines and entrees, snacks & juices, satisfies your hunger, and entertainment choices are diverse with real head phones. Our bid for an upgrade to premium had been accepted and was appreciated.  But arrival was at 10pm; by the time we went through luggage, customs, and car rental, we arrived at our B&B near midnight by following GPS directions.

The B&B is brand new, six rooms (four of which are master suites) run by a Chinese woman (immigrated from China four years ago). Her family is renting the home, and she runs the B&B while her husband and two children are at work and school respectively.  The neighborhood is upscale: nice for us but not probably appreciated by neighbors.  Our room overlooks tidal Manukau bay.  All the shoreline is parkland with many miles of paved bicycle paths.  Our accommodation furnishes two bikes (both slightly undersized).  We explored for several hours on the bikes today (and every day). Beautiful scenery and the weather is perfect, 65-70 degrees with light breezes.  We did some local shopping this afternoon and encountered a real immigrant influence.  A food store had the seasonings, foods, smell, and personnel of India.  Another store featured the tastes and employees from China.  Walking down a street of many shops, each shop seemed to have its own culture.

Sunset over Manukau Bay.  Our B&B looked out directly on the Bay.  We loved bike riding along the well-maintained paths along its shore.

Manukau Bay shore.  The Bay is subject to large tidal changes and can have wide mud flats at times.

One Tree Hill.  This "hill" is in fact a small extinct volcano cone.  When we drove to the top. the temperature was notably cooler than below.  It provides a good view of surrounding areas.

Looking north from One Tree Hill towards Auckland.

The traffic congestion heading into downtown Auckland convinced us to explore elsewhere. Instead we enjoyed beautiful parklands at One Tree Hill, Cornwall Park, and the Auckland Botanic Garden.  One Tree Hill is an extinct volcanic cone rising high above its surroundings to provide excellent views of all Auckland.  Sheep graze on its slopes.  Cornwall Park, about 160 acres, adjoins and has many walking paths, trees, and meadows; very relaxing and scenic.  We arrived at the Botanic Garden in time for a guided walking tour of current attractions.  Our guide, Shelly made it very interesting, and we learned a new word "chocka", as in very crowded.

Auckland Botanic Gardens.  The area has a semi-tropical climate where almost any type of plant will grow.

On another day we headed southwest, west of Hamilton, to the classic surfer town of Raglan.  I don't think there is any stretch of straight road once west of Hamilton.  The speed limit may say 100 kph, but you don't want to go that fast.  On the way back we stopped at a nature preserve which had such lush, dense jungle that it seemed like something from the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Surfers near Raglan.  It was mid-week, but the beach parking lot was full.

You walk a path through dense growth to get to this waterfall/ nature preserve. You can also stand at the top of the falls which are almost 200' high.

On our last day, we headed northeast to the Coromandel Peninsula.  The day became somewhat of a bust.  A recent strong storm had caused the coastal highway to washout.  Traffic was limited to a one-lane road in spots with flagmen and delays for opposing traffic.  Then it started to rain.  We stopped for lunch in the town of Thames.  It seemed like a very nice medium-sized town; small enough to have a main street where most businesses are located and people know each other.

A very wholesome-appearing town where life is still centered around a single main street.  We had lunch here in a cafe staffed by a group of elderly ladies.

Cruise from Tahiti

We flew from Denver to LA and then were told that my checked bag (all my clothes) were still in Denver.  They didn't know when it would arrive; perhaps after the cruise. Grabbing a taxi, we made a one-hour shopping trip to Kohl's to replace the missing items before flying on to Tahiti.  The absent bag showed up 4 days later in Bora Bora. Now I have an extra bag and wardrobe for the trip. I was able to get upgraded seats on our flight to Papeete and also a confirmed upgrade to Auckland.

A sunrise rainbow greeting us upon arrival in Papeete on the island of Tahiti.

Sunset over Moorea as seen looking west from Papeete.

At a private beach at Bora Bora.  We snorkeled off the beach to the left, but we were called back from the reef because it was an outing sponsored by our cruise line, and they had no lifeguard for that area!  (and were worried about liability).

The Paul Gauguin anchored inside the reef at Moorea; the ship carries about 330 passengers.  At each island we anchored and used the ship's launch to reach shore.

We rode e-bikes and walked the shores of Cook's Bay on Moorea.  You could see many types of fruit  growing wild in the trees and bushes along the roads.

This is the volcanic peak referred to as "Bali Hi" in the movie "South Pacific".  It is often cloud-shrouded and impressive; rising from the surrounding jungle.

I would recommend our Paul Gauguin cruise to anyone who enjoys the tropical ocean. We snorkeled almost every day; sometimes we would just walk on the beach until we found a good place to snorkel, and sometimes we would take a paid excursion on a boat to some outer reef. Flowing with the current through fantastic coral gardens on Taha'a was amazing. The ship and crew were perfect. We much prefer this smaller ship to those with thousands of passengers. I will have to wait to transfer photos from my underwater camera until we get home; no Bluetooth or SD card port. The barrier reef, clear blue lagoons, and lush mountain sides are picture perfect.

The profusion of coral, fish, and other sea life is amazing.  I took 90 photos and they only showed a small part of what is present.

Dawn floating through a coral garden.  This photo does not capture the variety of colors.  She wears a "rash guard" suit to prevent sunburn.

Great variety of fish, but they don't stand still for photos.  Coral is much easier to capture.

Disturb this animal and this brilliant filtering array withdraws completely within the coral shell.

A young, black-tipped shark; not as aggressive as its white-tipped cousin we are told.   In Panama they extolled their white-tipped sharks, so who do I believe?

 In places the coral was like a forest, providing hiding places for thousands of small fish.

This is certainly a colorful specimen.  Sorry, I couldn't get photos of more varieties.

Papeete is a bustling, expensive, crowded, very French, somewhat third-world city.  We are staying in an apartment over night; bought dinner at the local supermarket and brought it home to eat. No credit cards used; French Polynesian Francs used or perhaps the US dollar discounted. Don't allot extra time to stay in Papeete.  An outlying resort would be better.  Taking a taxi from the town to the airport (3-4 miles) took 1 1/2 hours due to traffic congestion.

Outrigger canoe racing is apparently a very popular sport in Tahiti.  We often saw them practicing out on the bay.  Our cruise line dock is in the background.

Heading for the South Pacific

In two weeks we will be headed out on our longest trip yet, to the South Pacific.  We fly to Papeete, Tahiti, where we spend two days in Papeete and ten days on a cruise through the Society Islands and Tuomotu Islands.  Next we fly to Auckland, NZ, and spend five nights on the North Island where we have rented a Corolla. From there we fly to Nelson on the South island where another Corolla awaits us. We spend six days on the north end of South island: Mapua, Kaikoura, & Christchurch; then fly to Queenstown to pick up another Corolla.  (Corollas just seem to be a common rental car.)  After seven nights in Te Anau, Arrowtown and Queenstown, we fly to Melbourne, AU, for three days; then on to Sydney for three days.  Finally, we take the really long flight to San Francisco and back to Denver.

With flu going around, we have managed to stay healthy so far.  I hope we can survive the initial flights.  From LAX to PPT we have a cheap red-eye flight. I have a dental CE meeting the previous day, so we can't go earlier.  The alternative was Air France at about twice the price.   Our cruise is all-inclusive and should be relaxing.  We are looking forward to some really great snorkeling.  Our flight from Papeete to Auckland may be stressful.  I bid on upgraded seats, and the bid was accepted.  We arrive in Auckland at 10pm, then have to get baggage, go through customs, call the car rental company, have them take us to an off-site location to rent the car, then find our way, driving on the wrong side of the road (left), to our B&B using GPS. It will be a late night.  Pray for us.  We will sleep in the next morning.

Our next seventeen days in New Zealand should be fairly relaxing; easy driving, mainly day trips, great scenery, some refreshing hikes and boat trips in the bays and fjords.  In southern South island, the expected weather will be high temperatures in low 50's F. degrees, lows about 40.  Thus, we need both warm and cool weather gear.  We plan on larger suitcases for this trip.  By now we are into April; real Fall weather in the southern hemisphere.

We fly directly from Queenstown to Melbourne, AU, on a flight connection that only flies a few days per week.  We arrive at 5pm on a Friday night at the airport and again, find our baggage, go through customs visa required, then make our way from terminal 2 to terminal 4, and take the Skybus (leaves every 30 minutes) for a hour-plus ride to a stop near our hotel.  The alternative is a very expensive taxi ride.  However, our hotel is one of the top-rated in the city and should provide a very comfortable stay for the next three days.  This will be mainly a city exploration.

From Melbourne, we take Tiger Air to Sydney.  Never heard of this airline before, and we have not received advanced e-tickets or seats, but the flight is only 1 1/2 hours.  The connection to our hotel should be fairly easy.  Another three days in Sydney; said by many to be one of the most beautiful cities on earth.  Another city exploration.  We are giving Australia lesser attention for two reasons. 1) It is such a big country that the long distances and many locations would require another month. 2) Meeting some Aussies on our last European trip, they immediately started telling us how beautiful New Zealand is..... not how beautiful Australia is, even though they come from Adelaide, Australian wine country.  That suggests to me that NZ has the better tourist sights.

Originally, I planned for us to stop in Hawaii or the Cook islands on our way home, to break up that long 13-14 hour flight.  But we have already been to Hawaii 6-7 times and a flight from Sydney stops in the Cook Islands only once per week.  If we landed, we would have to stay a whole week.  Our trip is already long enough, and we will have already spent twelve days in French Polynesia.  We used United Airlines frequent flier miles to book the trip home including upgraded seating.  We depart Sydney in the morning and arrive in Denver just over two hours later by the calendar (crossing the international dateline).

I doubt we will ever take another trip this long. 

Eastern Caribbean

I have mixed feelings for cruises.  1) You are always in a crowd; when you enter a port, 2000+ others arrive at the same time.  2) Someone else sets the schedule. On this trip, we have had about 8 hours at each island. Do you take a tour or go to the beach? You will not have time for both.  3) You are pampered like you are in assisted living; I am not ready for that yet. I can't believe how many obese, many morbidly obese, people are on board. Is it the 24 hour food availability?  It is depressing to see such grossness.  A crewmember complimented us on using the stairway because so few people do.

On the other hand:  1) You have the opportunity to meet some very interesting people from many backgrounds.  2) Cruises work well for scouting a variety of locations in a single uncomplicated trip. 3) You are well taken care of. Rely on your self discipline to avoid excesses. There is a fitness center, basketball court, and outdoor walking track (the pool is small and worthless).

We have visited St. Kitts- Nevis, Martinique, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, and Puerto Rico.  On Martinique and Grenada we chose to go to a beach for snorkeling; not great snorkeling, but worthwhile. The island natives seem like sincerely nice people. Nobody tried to rip us off.  It is slightly depressing to see widespread poverty.  Looking at the yachts and estates of the wealthy reveals a dramatic difference. You start thinking about birth rates, culture, education, and opportunity.  Most agents will not accept credit cards, but US dollars are universally accepted.  Martinique is very French and uses the Euro.

Looking out over the small island of Nevis (where Alexander Hamilton was born).

The yacht harbor on Antigua which was a British naval base in sail ship days.

We took a ferry across the harbor, when we stopped in Martinique, to a more secluded beach.

On Grenada, we hired a taxi to take us to a beautiful shaded beach toward the south end of the island.  The snorkeling just offshore was fairly decent.

 Despite the recent hurricane, San Juan was a pleasant visit with an impressive fortress.

San Juan, Puerto Rico, is nicer than expected.  We are staying in a B&B in old San Juan, near San Juan Gate, with a canopied king bed, central courtyard, shuttered windows, and elegant carved furniture.  Last night we took a walk along the harbor front, watching the huge cruise ships depart, and exploring the many food and souvenir booths set up. Of course, Latin music played out over the street as we passed bars and restaurants. It was magical.

Our Nation's Capital

We are back in DC after more than three weeks in Europe. We are at a B&B which is more expensive and lower quality than what we experienced overseas, but, perhaps, that is just a reflection on just how expensive this city is.  Our son & family live here; they enjoy its many attractions and are doing well.  But it is far from a favorite of mine.

I see the tremendous wealth here; a result of the concentration of power and tax receipts gathered across our country and brought together in one place.  Tremendous economic disparity and racial polarization are also present.  This is a gathering point for all who think that big government can solve our problems, but a glance at the city itself shows that politicians have failed at even creating harmony in this one place.

Walking between our B&B and our son's cramped condo, I passed through an area where day and night many loiter, a major location for drug dealing.  Ordering a smoothie at McDonalds, when I ask whether the smoothie contains any milk, the clerk did not understand until the word "leche" was substituted for "milk".   Walking the neighborhood near our B&B, I noted several signs in yards stating, "Black Lives Matter".  I wonder what the reaction would be if the signs said, "White Lives ...."  When our host at the B&B discovered that the TV was turned to FOX news, he became concerned.  He explained to me that in this "liberal" city, some people become angry and confrontational if people are allowed to watch FOX.

We will, of course, be returning to this city to see our son, his wife, and their new baby.  It is convenient to do this on our way to Europe.  We still have some Euros, so we need to spend them.  Perhaps, the next trip will be centered around Prague, Krakow, Budapest, and Vienna.  Europe is so civilized.

Lisbon, Portugal, and Sintra

In our travels, we never stay long enough in one place to really know it well; if we did, the trips would be 2-3 times longer.  Lisbon has been only a three-night visit. Yesterday we went to Sintra, a 40-minute train ride NW of Lisbon. Many beautiful homes, a king's palace, a Moorish fortress, and forests & gardens are located there. The main attraction, the fully-furnished palace, is located at the very top of a small steep mountain, 500 meters above its surroundings, and, thus, enjoys cooler temperatures. We hiked up and down the gardens, but still left much undiscovered.  Three other palaces are located in the area.  Impressive is the wealth of kings.  How many man-YEARs were invested in building this huge structure from stone blocks at the top of a peak with limited access? Did he know that one day it would become a great tourist attraction?

Doesn't this look like Disneyland?  It is the "Parque e Palacio da Pena" which was the summer home of kings with a panoramic view, beautiful accommodations, and extensive gardens, hiking and horseback trails.  The forested grounds include a farm, hunting preserve, and the ruins of a Moorish castle.

View from Pena Palace toward the coast.  You can see a line of clouds/fog along the coast.

This Moorish fortress is thought to have been built in the 8th or 9th century A.D. and overlooks the town of Sintra.

Many wealthy people have homes in the area.  Doesn't this look like a haunted house movie setting?

We hiked the gardens of Villa Sasseti, just above Sintra, which were still in full bloom.  Nearby, rock climbers were practicing on some sheer cliffs which would lead to the Moorish fortress.

Beautiful, but what is it?  Found in the garden of Villa Sassseti.

We have started using a new program: MAPS.ME which is very helpful for finding your way around a new city when on foot.  When you arrive in a new location, download the map for that area using WiFi.  From that point onward, you don't need an internet connection.  Maps.Me will display all the streets and attractions in your area and show your location with a small triangle.  If you provide a destination, it will show a dotted line to guide you along the way.  If you drift to the right of the course, your triangle will also drift right.  We used it to help find our way back to the Sintra train station, which is small and not well marked or obvious. 

Today we intended to explore more of Lisbon itself. Unfortunately, temperatures are quite warm (90 degrees), and we wimped out; just too hot for hiking the concrete city.  We signed up for the "hop on, hop off" bus which took us to Belem and back, but even that proved hot & tiring.  You could bake in the sun on the topside seats or slowly cook in the lower interior seating.  After lunch at the harbor front, we took the Metro to our B&B for a siesta (which is the local norm for many businesses here).

Colorful fruit in an outdoor market, Lisbon.  The mild climate here allows fruits and vegetables to be grown year around.

Lisbon as seen from a parapet of the Castle of Sao Jorge.  This castle also is on a steep hill providing a good defensive position at the time it was built.

Lisbon, looking toward its magnificent harbor.  Enough room for merchant ships and many yachts and sailboats in protected waters.

Our B&B was located on the fifth floor of this building.  That is Dawn in the right foreground; with her cellphone, she has to get closer to take pictures.  Our host had traveled and lived in many places.  At one time he was an opera singer.  The B&B was comfortable; the host was very helpful; and the location was near the airport, the metro, and the train station which helped our travels.

We had our only experience of "getting ripped off" here in Lisbon. Our taxi from the airport (easy 2.5 km. drive) charged us 18 Euros, which is at least ten Euros more than it should have been. But 10 Euros is about 12 dollars; rather insignificant in the scheme of things. Overall, we have been impressed with the honesty of people we have dealt with.  Many have helped us with advice/ directions just out of kindness.

Portugal's Algarve

The Algarve is a favorite tourist region of Portugal. It has many qualities to recommend it: warm sunny weather, expansive fine sand beaches, modest prices, people and signs easily understood in English, great food from fresh local sources, good highways, and convenient flights. It is very close to Morroco, a neighbor of Spain, and also has nearby islands (Azores, Canary, Madeira) to visit. In fact, the negatives are that it is a poor country where many buildings look somewhat neglected, and it can get very hot in summer. The wealth here has been brought by many ex-patriots from other countries who have created retirement or second homes here near the coast.  Our B&B is owned by a single 50 y.o. woman who retired to here from Switzerland.  There are many similar properties owned by people who have moved here to semi-retire.
 

Our B&B only recently opened and everything is new and beautiful.  The house is on about four acres of fruit trees and a garden, on a hill with the coast visible a few miles away.  Breakfast includes fresh fruit from the property.

We talked with a young German couple, staying at our same B&B, who told us that they would normally vacation at the beaches in Turkey, near Antalya; however, currently there is a dispute between the two countries which makes it risky for them to visit Turkey.

Yesterday we visited the sea caves in the cliffs near Lagos; the experience was even better than expected. At one location we passed through a cave entrance so small that we had to duck as our open boat passed through the entrance, but inside was a large water-filled room.

We launched from the beach in a 20' outboard-powered open boat to explore the coastal caves. The boat captains were expert at maneuvering these boats in the tight quarters of cave interiors while  also dealing with ocean swells which could quickly change the clearance at the entrance to a cave.

Amazing how far into these caves the boat handlers were able to go.

Tour boat coming out of one of the larger caves in the cliffs here.

Did we come in through that tiny entrance to the cave?

This cave is large enough that people are enjoying the beach inside and have their choice of sitting in the sun or shade.  Imagine surfing inside a cave.

While in the Algarve region, we also visited an ancient fortress in Silves toured the extensive open market in Loules, and visited one of the prettiest towns on the coast, Tavira.  High season for tourists doesn't end here until the end of October.  At Tavira, a ferry boat that can take you to an offshore island, a giant sand bar of endless beaches.  Unfortunately, by the time we learned where the ferry boat departed from, what its schedule was, and where we could find parking; we just missed the last convenient departure.

Old town Tavira.  Dawn and I really enjoy looking at the architecture and layout of these old sections of towns built many centuries ago when it was a different world.

A small lush garden in the remains of an old walled fort in downtown Tavira.

 Last night we ate dinner at the harbor in Villamoura.  In Villamoura, English is probably the most common language due to the tremendous influx of Brits.  The town also appears to be more upscale and lush than most towns we have seen here. We talked to our server, who is from Bangladesh. He described his life: He met his wife 20 minutes before they were married; obviously an arranged marriage. He spends about 7 months per year here, and returns to Bangladesh for about 5 months per year to be with his family.  Fifty-two cousins; all income is given to his parents (he is 1 of 8 children) who then distribute it to family. He & wife are expecting a baby; which will be named within a week after being born by agreement from a family discussion. Here he wears western clothes; at home he lets his hair grow, and wears traditional garb.

Sunset at Villamoura from our beach restaurant.

We are in Lisbon, a very large city. After turning in our rental car, we bought city transportation tickets which will allow us to see the entire area for the next few days. We started this afternoon with the Castelo de Sao Jorge, located on a high point overlooking the entire area for miles.  We visited a busy marketplace with every kind of food from small booths , as well as various other items. Then we waited to experience sunset looking from the castle walls across the city and harbor.