Tag: Backpacking

Traveler & Tourist

Travel Itinerary

A tourist visits a country for a week or two on vacation.
A traveler visits a country for an extended period of time.

Tourists book their vacation a year or two in advance to get away from the everyday hustle. They want a holiday escape to unwind, relax, and take time off from their responsibilities.

Travelers go to a country on an expedition of sorts where the purpose is to learn something about the world. They want to stay for as long as possible or until they achieve what they originally set out to do.

Continue reading Traveler & Tourist

6 Principles For Life and Travel

“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.”

Anthony Bourdain

If you love traveling and your enthusiasm for foreign cultures prompts you to buy a one-way ticket, chances are you follow a certain set of unspoken rules that I call,

The Avid Traveler’s Code of Conduct.

Continue reading 6 Principles For Life and Travel

24 hours in Velas, São Jorge

From the Vulcão dos Capelinhos I made my way back to Horta completing my trip around Faial Island. The next morning I took the earliest ferry over to Velas, São Jorge’s capital.

I spent 24 hours walking around the town, checking out the viewpoints and making photographs. My initial goal was to backpack São Jorge as I did with Faial, however I decided it would be best to postpone until the summer.

For now, I hope you enjoy looking through the photos I took on my day trip to São Jorge Island.

This set of photos is part of a larger collection named Por Caminho that I created during my backpacking trip around Faial Island.

I intend to continue adding onto this project when I make my way back to the Azores. Until I visit all nine islands Por Caminho is still in the works.

Photos taken towards the end of November, 2019.

A ferry ride from Faial to São Jorge cost around 15 Euros.
Disembarking at Velas, São Jorge
São Jorge is known for their absolutely delicious cheese.
Pico mountain in the distance
Theres a trail behind the church that leads to the “Miradouro do Morro Das Velas”
Old whale watching tower at the top of the trail
A peaceful sheep pasture situated at the end of the trail
Velas, São Jorge
Parque De Campismo, Velas, São Jorge
The building to the right is the auditorium and library. Lucky for me, the day I arrived they had a screening of the new Joker movie!
5/5

The next morning…

Sunrise walk back to the Marina

If you guys liked this photoblog, please check out the previous collections from my travel project Por Caminho.

Have you guys been to the Azores? Comment which Islands you’ve visited and any recommendations you have. Thanks!

Por Caminho: Vulcão dos Capelinhos

Vulcão dos Capelinhos was the most impressive site I visited on Faial Island.

I spent all day here walking up and down the volcanic landscape, checking out the museum and catching the end of day’s light from the highest point.

Walking from Horta to the lighthouse pictured below was a fantastic achievement. I celebrated by giving my complete and undivided attention to my surroundings and the Atlantic beyond.

Photos taken mid November, 2019.

Volcanic cone warping into the blue sky

The Capelinhos lighthouse withstood the eruption of 1957-58 and now stands as a landmark of the Island of Faial.

“At this whale lookout wreckage, destroyed by the eruption of the volcano, it was seen the first volcanic manifestations of the Capelinhos. On September 27, at about seven o’clock in the morning, the whale watcher on duty Mr Jose Soares da Cunha observed at less than 1km away on the sea, at least four points that hurled effervescent volcanic rocks and water vapour. It was the beginning of a submarine volcano that lasted 13 months until it stopped at 24 October of 1958. Faial Island lost about 35% of its population, mostly to the US and Canada and also opened a new page in the understanding this this type of volcanic activity.”
Farol do Vulcão dos Capelinhos
Most of the surrounding landscape is barren with the exception of shrubs and small flowers. Nature always finds a way.
Two birds prepare for flight
The last photo I took before hiking back

Check out the previous blog posts of my backpacking trip around Faial Island!

Por Caminho: Salão, Cedros, and The Road to Praia do Norte

From Praia Do Almoxarife I hiked 10.6km(6.5 miles) to Salão. If you plan on backpacking Faial I recommend stopping here. I stayed at the campsite which had fireplace cabana and a direct path to a natural swimming pool. This set of photos is part of a larger collection named Por Caminho that I created during my backpacking … Continue reading Por Caminho: Salão, Cedros, and The Road to Praia do Norte

by Ryan Quaresma

Praia Do Norte & Capelo Photo Collection

The hike from Salão to Praia do Norte proved to be the hardest part of my week long trip around Faial Island.

The road to Praia do Norte inclined steadily with each curve. Though it helped me in the long run, trekking uphill in the cold, grey hills was challenging. The worst part by far was feeling water in the soles of my boots soak into my socks.

As the sky cleared towards the end of the day the sun reached out to the surrounding landscape. By then I had reached Praia do Norte and my goal for the day was complete. My reward was a complete sunset overview of the youngest part of Faial.

This set of photos is part of a larger collection named Por Caminho that I created during my backpacking trip around Faial Island.

Photos taken mid November, 2019

Miradouro da Ribeira Funda
The owner of Lamborghini originally owned a tractor company
Miradouro da Ribeira das Cabras

“The Ribeira das Cabras Viewpoint shows the complete landscape of the youngest area of Faial Island, the peninsula of Capelo being 10,000 years old. In here are the most recent volcanic cones of the island. On the right, it’s possible to see the Fajã, a portion of land created by lava flow that cooled down on contact with the water. The two historic eruptions of Faial happened in here: Cabeço do Fogo in 1672 who’s lava flows formed the Misteiros and finished the formation of the Fajã causing a great destruction in the parishes of Praia do Norte and Capelo and the emigration of several families to Brazil. The Capelinhos Volcano eruption in 1958 devastated and caused a large emigration flow of almost all the population of Praia do Norte parish to the United States.”

-Tourism board

Capelo

The next morning I packed up camp and headed to Capelo where I planned to spend the entire afternoon at the famous Vulcão dos Capelinhos (Capelinhos Volcano.)

I enjoyed every step of the way through the little town of Capelo. There were numerous traditional-styled homes (pictured below) and the view of the ocean was always to my left.

Along the way I noticed how far I had already come. I was more than halfway around the Island of Faial and I was about to gaze upon what all the Azores travel magazines advertised as the “Mars-like landscape of the Azores.”

Green field farm house and Cabeço do Fogo in the background.
Boa tarde!
Ponta de Castelo Branco
Traditional Azorean home
Backpacking grants you the time to think about life in symbolic terms.
Casal do Vulcão- Hostel
Sign to Vulcão dos Capelinhos: a natural reserve and Azores GeoPark
The lighthouse at Vulcão Dos Capelinhos now acts as an interactive science museum. You can walk around the exhibit or climb to the top for a 360 view of the surrounding landscape. More on this in the next blog post.

Previous:

  1. Horta
  2. Horta’s Marina
  3. Praia Do Almoxarife
  4. Salão, Cedros, and The Road to Praia do Norte

Next: Vulcão dos Capelinhos

Por Caminho: Salão, Cedros, and The Road to Praia do Norte

From Praia Do Almoxarife I hiked 10.6km(6.5 miles) to Salão.

If you plan on backpacking Faial I recommend stopping here. I stayed at the campsite which had fireplace cabana and a direct path to a natural swimming pool.

This set of photos is part of a larger collection named Por Caminho that I created during my backpacking trip around Faial Island.

Photos taken mid November, 2019

I reached Ribeirinha mid-day with enough sunlight and energy to continue hiking towards Salão
The Islands in the distance from left to right are São Jorge and Pico
One thing I noted on my backpacking trip were how colourful and vibrant some of the houses were.
From Horta to Salão- 15.7 km or 9.7 miles
Parque de Campismo (campsite)
Fireplace Cabana at Salão’s camp site (parque de campismo.) Although I was here alone in November, I could imagine sitting around the fire with friends during the summer. It’s a perfect location day and night.
The boardwalk leading down to the natural swimming pool
São Jorge in the distance.

I woke up the next morning to wind dashing against my tent. Water droplets dotted the roof and one by one scurried off the side. After a few minutes more laying there watching the raindrops race each other, a warm glow cloaked the tent. I unzipped the door, flung my feet onto the wet grass, and laid there a while longer.

Nothing ever lasts. Grey clouds were gathering in the distance. I packed up camp and headed out. As soon as I turned onto the main road it started to rain. Luckily, there was a Casa do Povo which is a sort of gathering hall/cafe for locals. I waited out the rain there, having breakfast and making small talk with the older gentleman behind the bar. When the clouds cleared, I took my chances.

Xavier Cafe- Modern restaurant and cafe in Cedros where I stopped for a meia de leite
I took this photo right outside Ribeira Funda, 9.7 km (6miles) away from Salão. Fortunately for me, it didn’t end up raining even though the entire day was dark and cold. What was challenging however, was the slight incline of the roads. Each turn seemed to be steeper than the last This actually worked in my favour since it increased my body temperature.
3 miles out
From Horta to Praia do Norte: 29 km (18 miles)

There wasn’t much to look at as I passed Ribeira Funda and not three miles away was the next major town: Praia Do Norte.

That’s where I would set up camp.

I was determined to make it there.

In the distance I could see large mountains hiding behind a screen of mist. I knew I just had to keep walking and I’d eventually make it there.

Street Photography In The Heart of Bogota

Bogota was one of the three major cities I visited in Colombia this past summer.

When I was there I didn’t have a precise objective. Everyday I ended up walking around the center of Bogota taking photos of the architecture, the graffiti and the liveliness of the streets. Of course there were certain things I wanted to see as a tourist like the world famous Gold Museum and the spectacular view atop mount Monserreti, but they weren’t my main focus. Aside from the tourist attractions, I really just enjoyed wandering around. 

Bogota was cold when I arrived mid August. Unexpectedly cold. Coming from the summer heat of Cartagena and the refreshing mountain air of Medellin it really threw me off when I got to the high-altitude capital of Bogota. I must say however, the people I became friends with in Bogota were warm and welcoming. That made all the difference.

Continue reading Street Photography In The Heart of Bogota