Location: Faial, Azores
By George, we’ve done it. We made it to the Azores and learned that simply seeing green for the first time in two weeks can turn a zombified crew into a shrieking gaggle of schoolchildren. What a day to be alive.
Between the hours of 9-10 a.m., we all awoke to see the incredible view that is the harbor of Horta. There is an incredible diversity in its lush vegetation, the white-walled, terra cotta-ed town is gorgeous, and the island looks healthier than ever. What’s more – it’s chock-full of sailors, as they’re pretty much the only people on the island besides the locals (the boat is essentially the only form of transportation that can easily reach the islands). Being the first day after the passage, today was what we call a “boat appreciation” day. Essentially, this means that the crew spent most of the day scrubbing, sweeping, wiping, hauling, coiling, sponging, and hosing down Argo as a “thank you” for carrying us 2/3 of the way across the Atlantic. After being able to dock in a commercial docking space (we’d had to anchor due to lack of space), we completed another brief round of cleanups and settled down to dinner (courtesy of Raul, Paige, and Claire). Boat appreciation really took up a substantial portion of the day, so by the time dinner was finished, the sun was beginning to sink, and the crew was in need of a solid refresher. Name one better way to refresh yourself after a long day than actual showers and some gelato. We couldn’t think of one either.
Not too long after completing post-dinner jobs, almost everybody donned their land shoes and walked about 10-15 min. Into town to exchange currency, start replenishing snacks, pick up some killer gelato/sorbet (maybe with waffles and/or sprinkles), and enjoy the town. Did I mention it’s amazing? Not only does it have cobblestone roads, mosaics on the sidewalks, and picturesque architecture, but there are plenty of locations to hike that some of the crew have expressed interest in exploring. What will the Argo crew be up to in the next few days? Who knows.
Tune in tomorrow to find out.