Monday December 29, 2014
Slept in today until after 9. Lots of ailments among Team Madeira so I need to make sure I keep plussing on my Emergen-C so I don’t get sick. After we got ready, one Mark had a headache so he slept some more and the rest of us headed to the supermarket/shopping mall. To me it was bizarre to see something like this here in Madeira, but I guess it’s shaping up to be more than I expected. After getting nibbles and dinner for tonight, we shopped a bit. I had to get a new adapter since I can’t find it in my bag, I think it’s somewhere at the hotel in Madrid. No worries, I managed to get one that not only has an outlet, but also a USB port for optimal charging. Also at the mall there were showing “The Interview”. I guess they are not worried about North Korea at taking the island.
We headed back and had some quick snacks before heading into Funchal for our whale watching adventure. We got our tickets and had a quick lunch (ham and toast for me) at this place on the harbor. It must be a happening place in the summer of when a cruise ship calls, but the people had the desperation barkers out front, which reminded me of Argentina. Before long, it was time to board our ship for our 2.5h cruise.
There were some big waves but it was still fairly calm compared to stormy white cap conditions, and the water was this awesome dark blue. We cruised around and it was making me so relaxed I almost fell asleep. Right near the end we managed to see one whale breech the surface and blow some air out. It’s the first time I have ever seen a whale that close and in the wild. It wasn’t a humpback whale, but rather a Bryde’s whale. After completing the cruise, we walked around Funchal to do some additional shopping as well as secure our tickets for a New Year’s Eve party at a hotel in Funchal with a big lounge on the roof with a great view of the pyro. A little gelato snack and some additional grocery shopping and we headed back to the villa.
We chatted a bit and it was getting late so we started making dinner. Well Nathan and one of the Marks started cooking and I volunteered to watch and give moral support. Nathan asked to have one of my allergy pills and when I came upstairs I was alarmed to see the entire floor of my room covered in water!!! Apparently the mechanism had broken that stops the water from draining out and the water kept trying to fill the toilet so it overflowed everywhere, I was so mortified….
The villa owner was quick to respond and Mark and I helped Nelson mop it up. Luckily just my shoes got wet along with some my toiletries. The towels and rugs that had to be removed took the brunt. Nelson told me he’s never seen anything like this in 30 years, and all I can think about is that he should be glad he doesn’t know me. Finally we all managed to get it mopped up and I’m sure it will all be totally dry by tomorrow afternoon. I salvaged what was left of my dinner and was ready to call it a night. I nervously used the bathroom again and it seems OK and hopefully there are no repeat incidents in the next few days.
