31 May 2011 – Nazarene to Amsterdam (Tuesday)

We are off to catch the plane to Amsterdam from Lisbon this morning.  As we headed downstairs in the hotel we were shocked to see a very full and busy breakfast dining room.  This hotel must do a good business with the tour groups and I am not surprised.  It is a very comfortable hotel with a swimming pool and hot tub.  No, we did not get a chance to use them since Wes has a cold.

The rental car is parked in the underground parking lot and it really has very narrow ramps and sharp corners.  I would not like to have a larger sized car to get in and out, but we managed.

As we leave Nazarene we know that the freeways we take will have tolls and we are not sure of the best route.  Fortunately Karen has a route planned for us – or at least we think so.  There is a new section of highway that is not in Karen’s memory so we ended up winging our way through that and managed to get on a secondary road.   I should mention about the tolls when you do not have an automatic electronic sensor in your car.  When you come to a toll you need to look very carefully at the signs to figure out which lane to go through.  It is not always very obvious and you may end up taking an off ramp rather than a through lane – I know I did it.  Not a problem - just go off, take the round about and return to the on-ramp.

This is not a real concern since it wormed its way through a few small villages before giving us an entrance to the freeway.  Once there we had an easy drive to the airport.

When we got to the airport we learned that our flight had been delayed by two hours.  Since we have a connecting flight in Madrid this was not welcome news.  Not a problem we are told, they will rebook our flight from Madrid to a later one.  I am not pleased with Iberia airlines since this will have made the 3^rd change since we booked.  The flight we booked left Lisbon at 9:30 am with a change of planes in Barcelona.  That was changed to a flight to leave Lisbon at 12:30 and a change of planes in Barcelona.  Next we were informed that the change of planes will take place in Madrid.  So we originally were to be in Amsterdam at 4:30 pm and then with the last change it would be 7:00 pm.  When we got to the airport we were informed of a two hour delay with our 12:30 flight and so they changed our second flight to the 7:20 meaning we get into Amsterdam around 10:00 pm.  We are not too pleased since our hotel is at least 30 minutes away from the airport.

Oh well, what can you do?  Nothing so we just sucked it up.  The nice thing is that the airline provided us with a lunch and dinner snack – very high class (ham and cheese sandwich, a drink (water) and pastry with a sausage in the middle).  How could we not forgive the inconveniences of the time changes?

As we sat in the Madrid airport we noted the design of the airport and felt that it had a very Gaudi look with the feeling of being under a forest canopy.   However, when I checked it was designed by a British firm, Richard Rogers Partnership.

We completed our journey to Amsterdam arriving as scheduled around 9:50 (or as they say here in Europe – 21:50).  To get to the hotel we first had to walk downstairs to a lower level to catch a train.  With our Eurail this is a free service.  Our first challenge was to figure out which train we needed and the maps on the wall really did not help much.  Fortunately we had some maps on the blackberry that we had uploaded so finally figured it out.  Then we got on the train to our station.  As soon as we got off Wes got out Karen to figure out where the hotel was and how to get to it.  When he realized that the hotel was only 2 kms away he decided that we could walk there.  With his cold that he has been fighting I tried to convince him we could afford the 15 euro or so to take a taxi but he refused and stubbornly decided to walk.   I asked what he wanted me to say over his funeral and he said to say that he had saved us a few euros.  NOT FUNNY!!!!

At any rate by the time we got to the hotel he was feeling it.  All day he has not felt great, but better than the last couple of weeks.  I hope tomorrow he is back to feeling better again and that the walk did not set him back at all.   He is finding the meds he is on helping a lot.

The hotel is an interesting one and we will decide how much we like it during the week.  Our room is on the front and with no air conditioning, we have the window open.  The tram runs down this street so we do have a bit of noise to deal with.  However we are far back from the lobby so we do not need to be concerned about people coming and going. 

Tomorrow is a new day and we wills see what it brings.

29 30 May 2011 - Nazaré (Nazarene) - (Sunday, Monday)

As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, we arrived just after a terrible rain storm had swept through the town involving much flooding of the streets.  The cleanup has been quick and you would be  hard pressed to even know it had happened by Sunday. 

According to legend, the town of Nazare in Portugal, was named after a small statue of the Virgin Mary, which a monk brought to the town from Nazareth in the 4th century.   Nazare is resplendent in breathtaking architecture, and ancient traditions long forgotten by the rest of the world.  In addition to its majestic structures and cultural attractions, the village is also haven for divine natural attractions, ideal for those looking for some peace and tranquility.

We have been staying in a hotel in the lower part of town about 1 block from the beach.  With Wes resting and working on recovery from his chest cold we are taking a very relaxed pace.  This is an ideal place for such a relaxed, slow and therapeutic pace.  As we woke up and sat on the balcony overlooking the street below we see local residences sitting on chairs on the sidewalk visiting and relaxing.  There is no sense of rush or hurry and this is the atmosphere we feel.

It is not a large village so it does not take long to explore but town is such that you will want to walk down the streets many times.  As is common in European towns is the tall buildings that crowd to the edge of the narrow lanes making them feel even more closed in that they are.  The cars can not travel on all the streets they are so narrow, but this makes walking even more enjoyable.  The lanes are very clean and the cobbled sidewalks look freshly swept.  This is a town that people live and it is does not have the feeling of being a tourist town.

One of the town’s major attractions is its rich and colourful traditions.  Despite it being small and undeveloped, tourists come here to feast on the town’s mouth-watering delicacies, and to explore what the town has to offer.  Here, people still cling to their tradition as if time never changed. Tourists can see women in the town still wearing their traditional headscarves, embroidered aprons, and wooden clogs. Their aprons are worn over seven flannel skirts of different colours resulting in the appearance of flared skirts.

Meanwhile, fishermen still use wooden fishing boats that are of Phoenician design—with prows and painted eyes that are said to protect fishermen from storms in the sea.  This tradition of designing boats came from, of course, the Phonecians who settled in Nazare before the time of Christians.

In addition to the town’s cultural attractions, another interesting attraction that tourists shouldn’t miss is the church in O Sitio.  This church, which is the first to be built in the village, is a reminder of the Virgin Mary’s divine intervention which saved a Portuguese knight’s life.  To show his gratification, he built the Ermida da Memoria, a chapel that now sits atop the Virgin Mary’s statue.  To get to this church I had to ride the funicular from the lower part of town by the beach to the upper area of town.  In the square at the top is where I discovered and explored the church. 

Down towards the sea at the end of the cliffs is the Lighthouse of Nazareth (farol da Nazare) which is a beacon light of Portuguese located in Fort San Miguel Archangel.  The Fort of San Miguel Archangel , also referred to as Fort Hill of Nazareth or simply Forte of Nazareth, stands in a dominant position on the beach of Nazareth , the famous and traditional point of fishing , sanctuary and resort in the Portuguese coast.

The original defense of the site dates back to the reign of D. Sebastian (1557-1578), who determined to erect a fort to defend the fishing village of Flint Hill.  Needing repairs in the early seventeenth century, the era of the War of Independence and restoration established its modernization and expansion (1644 ) to establish its current conformation.

Of course, a trip to Nazare is never complete without visiting the town’s divine beaches, which are pristine.  Later on Sunday afternoon there were several people on the beach but not as many as I would have expected.  This is a very large beach and the few people on the beach (and fewer in the water) ensured everyone had lots of sandy real estate to claim for the sunbathing or swimming.  I suspect this is a bit early in the season for locals to do much swimming but when I put my feet into the water it was cool, but not cold by our standards – but then we are Canadian so our standards might be a bit different.

It is said that Nazare is indeed a wonder to behold.  This quaint fishing village serves as a window to the old world of Portugal, displaying the beautiful traditions of the people and the breathtaking scenery that can truly capture anyone’s heart.   I will not dispute this claim at all and hope to be able to come back here on a vacation one day.

28 May 2011 – Reguo to Nazarene via Porto Airport (Saturday)

Today we are heading to Porto to drop off one of the cars and the women who will be flying to Amsterdam today and home tomorrow.  We did not need to rush at all, so after a relaxing breakfast we headed out to follow the scenic route back to Porto.  There are no pictures for today since it was a traveling day.

We stopped around noon at a small town and found a resturant. It turns out to be a local resturant with locals eatting there.  This was a good sign and we soon learned how good it was.  The food was fantastic and the price was unbelievable low.  As well as that we sat on an enclosed, air conditioned patio with a nice view over the valley below.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and therefore very enjoyable.  No one got lost, we found the gas station (actually two since the first did not have diesel).  And got the car back to the rental office with plenty of spare time.  Now the women will have to wait for their flight so will have a few hours of sitting in the airport. 

Wes and I left and headed on towards Nazarene along the main roads.  We decided to take routes that would avoid the tolls, but soon found that to do so would add a couple of hours to our journey.  We changed the plans and tried to figure out how to pay the tolls since they are all electronic.  We decided that we would have to spend time on the computer tonight researching this topic.  One of the highways did have a manual option so we picked up a ‘ticket’ as we entered and paid as we left (9.80 euro). 

When we finally reached Nazarene we discovered a busy seaside town.  On a Saturday with the sun shining, just try to find a parking spot.  We drove around and spotted a hotel and so finally managed to park about 2 blocks away.  Then we learned that this hotel only have suites left for tonight and it seems like a 3 or 4 star quality.  We talked it over and decided to bite the bullet and rent the cheaper suite for tonight.  Wes is really not feeling well again – too much activity – so as far as I am concerned we needed to get settled for a few days and he needs to rest and recover.  The hotel room is not really that expensive with a suite costing 110 euro for tonight and we move to a double room tomorrow for the next two nights at 80 euro.   Breakfast and parking is included.  The internet is free in the lobby but we can purchase access in the room.  We will use the lobby so if you don’t hear regularly from us in the next couple of days, you know the reason.

We are definitely by the ocean.  The air smells fresh, clean and moist.  At the end of the street I can see a sandy beach so that will be worth exploring tomorrow.

We are talking about cutting the holidays short if Wes does not recover soon and we are giving it a few more days to see how he is doing.  This really has gone on for too long now.

27 May 2011 - Hiking Day 6 Reguo (Friday)

Wes is not feeling great since yesterday seemed to really sap his strength.  Coupled with the cloudy skies and the potential of rain he decided it was best to stay put today.   He is starting to feel better, but still not fully recovered.  I am going to go out and hike the hard hike today which will involve about 16 km of distance with a total of 800 meter elevation ascent and about a 1000 meter descent.

Today we passed through woods and mountain villages on the eastern slopes of the Serra do Aarao.  From the high viewpoint overlooking the valley we walked along a sweet chestnut tree lined track down to the beautiful town of Capela da Santiago.

As we left the drop off point we climbed up a trail through the woods which reminded us of the type of hikes we see in BC.  One difference was the shepherd we met at the start of the track who was minding one sheep.  The shepherd was blind but the sheep listened to his voice and finally returned to him rather than continuing to follow us.

Weather-wise we could not have asked for a better morning as we climbed lots the first hour and with the cloud layer it was comfortable – although a bit humid.  As the day progressed we moved from this wooded trail up to views of the mountains behind and the valley below.  In the valley we spotted many different villages but we are only planning to visit 4 villages with the end being the last one.

After climbing up the side of the hill towards the ridgeline we are walking along near the top towards the downward slope of the hills ridges.  We follow the trail around the leading edge and contour downward back towards the mountains.  Then we drop down to a village and take the trail on the other side which wanders around the hills below the  forested slopes downward into the valley.   

The views may seem similar to the many others we have seen this week, but also very unique.  I can not explain the difference easily but if you look at the pictures you will see the differences.  What I would like to comment on is the beautiful wild flowers we found as we trekked today.  But the pictures of my favourite finds are the best way to describe them.

We returned to the hotel to rest before dinner and plan our travels tomorrow.  We leave here to head back to Porto where all but Wes and I will be leaving by plane.  We will continue our stay in Portugal for the next few days to go to Nazarene. 

26 May 2011 - Hiking Day 5 Reguo (Thursday)

Today we took the coach to visit villages, view vistas of valleys and vineyards.  Our walk started in the mountain market town of Alijo, which is on the edge of the demarcated Douro wine region, and then passed through the village of  Favaios.  This village is famous for its Moscated wines and bread.  We walked through several vineyards to the villages high above the Douro River and then descended to the riverside village of Pinhao where we had time to explore the city but most of us simply sat down for a cool drink.

Wes is feeling better so today he decided to join the easier hike which means they started at the village and walked down through the Favaios village towards Pinhao.  However, their group would end at the village above Pinhao and take the bus down the steep mountainous road to Pinhao.  The harder hike, which I was on, started 3 kms further up in the hills at a different village and walked to the village where the easier hikers started and followed them down to the destination.  Our hike originally had us continue all the way down the hills to Pinhao but we opted to stop with the easier hikers and take the bus down.  The total distance for the easy hikers was 8 km and for us was 11 but if we had continued on foot it would have been 15 km.  Today the temperatures were over 30 again and we had been told that the trek from our chosen destination down the final 4 km to Pinhao was on a trail that had been recently dug up so it was not a good packed trail.  In addition, there were storm clouds gathering in the distance and even with the heat and humidity we were not anxious to be caught walking down a recently dug up dirt trail in a rain storm.

Once again we had fantastic views of the valley, quaint villages with church steeples and rows of grapevines on the hills.  We walked through pine forests, along narrow lanes with rock fences (slate stacked high to create the fence) and beside vineyards.  There were a few cherry trees to be found with ripe cherries as well.  As we walked we found many flowers, both wild and cultured, along the paths.  The roses are beautiful and have blooms that are colourful and plentiful. 

At the first village we came to, we stopped and had a cup of coffee at a café.  We enjoyed watching the traffic drive by as we sat on the sidewalk tables but have to admit that we were surprised when a tractor drove by.   Our group was not in a big hurry since we had shortened our destination so we set a leisurely pace and included a few extra stops.

Lunch today was in a beautiful pine treed woods along the lane. 

We met up with the other group of hikers at the bus.  Wes had no trouble with the hike but his energy level is down because he has been sick so he was tired.  When we got back to the hotel he took a rest and slept.  I joined a few of the others to go to a local winery to enjoy a wine tasting.

Tomorrow we have our final hike with the Holiday Fellowship group and many are electing to take the easier hike.  Most have no problem hiking the distance and elevation changes, but the heat has been over 30 degrees all week and that does tend to sap the energy.  

25 May 2011 – Hiking Day 4 Reguo (Wednesday)

Today is a ‘free day’ in that there are no organized hikes and everyone is welcome to plan to do sightseeing, hiking or just relaxing.  Our group has been thinking about options and since we have cars we are very flexible.  What w decided for today was to do a Port wine just north of Reguo.  Wes was able to get some information from the information center and with the help of the internet we generated a plan to visit two port vineyards and have lunch out.

We headed out to find the Fonseca Porto.  Guimaraens was founded in 1822, when Manuel Pedro Guimaraens acquired control of the Fonseca & Monteiro Company through purchase of the majority of the Fonseca holdings.  As a condition of the sale of his shares to Guimaraens, the departing Fonseca stipulated that his name be retained.

Not long after this purchase, Manoel Pedro Guimaraens, a supporter of the liberal cause in the 'War of the Two Brothers', was forced to flee Portugal hidden in an empty port wine cask.  He settled in England, where his company remained based until 1927, when the headquarters of the firm returned to Portugal.

During this period, Fonseca grew rapidly in reputation and importance. By 1840, the firm had become the second largest shipper of Port Wine and in 1847 the first Fonseca vintage port was shipped to England.

Family has been a part of every Fonseca Vintage Port.  Frank Guimaraens made all the vintages beginning with the 1896 through to the 1948.  His daughter, Dorothy Guimaraens, following his death, made the 1955.  Bruce Duncan Guimaraens, great-great grandson of the founder, made every Vintage from 1960 through to the 1992.  As for the 1994 Vintage, Bruce Guimaraens’ son, David Guimaraens was responsible for this extraordinary award winning port wine.  This remarkable continuity of winemaker is clearly evident in the wine.

Port wine is a fortified wine originating from the Douro Valley in the North of Portugal.  To solve the problem of tainted wines arriving in Britain, the shippers began adding brandy to stabilise the wine on its journey. Later on in history they began to use neutral grape spirit to preserve the natural flavours of the wine. The sweet Port wine that we know and love today, evolved over several decades, as the demand in Britain for sweeter ‘Porto’ wines increased. Sales to Great Britain were further helped by the Methuen treaty of 1703, which gave Portuguese wines a trade advantage over the heavily taxed French wines, due to the poor relations at that time between France and Britain.

Traditionally winemaking in the Douro has involved the fermentation of grape must, using simple and empirical methods, in stone ‘lagares’ or treading tanks, to produce ‘Port Wine’. Although this traditional method is still the reference point for producing quality port wine, the port wine industry has utilized many other methods in its long history.

Ok, now that I have given a bit of the history and method of making port I can talk about our tour.  We arrived to find our way to the front office where we were given MP3 headsets and a map so we could do a self-directed tour with detailed explanations through the vineyard itself.  We found the heat very oppressive today since it has become very humid as well as hot (about 30 degrees) so our tour around the vineyard was not as extensive as we may have wished.  But we did have a chance to walk along the terraced rows.  We listened to the explanations of the different ways of creating terraces and the resulting methods of planting the vines.  In very steep areas the vines are planted in a vertical line rather than horizontal.  For the horizontal there is a question of how wide to make the terraces, how many rows on each terrace and the slope of the land.  I am not going to give much more explanation than that since it can be become very technical. 

We returned to the main office to have a look at the port making shed but this time of year is the wrong time to see port being made.  We did get a chance to see some of the equipment used including a stomping vat, the fermenting concrete basins and large storage oak vats.

Our final visit was the port tasting.  We were given a taste of Siroco White Port which is described as:

“A full, dry white port with a superb balance of ripe fruit extract, delicate acidity and elegant notes of wood aging; finishing with an attractive, refreshing crispness.”  And we all agreed that this was excellent and a new item to be added to our list of potential drinks.

The second port we were offered for tasting was the Bin 27 which is described as:

“Fonseca Bin nº27 was created over a century ago for family consumption, and only released commercially in 1972.  It is produced primarily from wines from Fonseca’s own quintas in the Cima Corgo and thus shows an exceptional quality and consistency from year to year.  Blended from reserve wines selected for their superb fruit character and depth of color, it’s well-knit structure, rich, velvety full body and luscious blackcurrant and cherry flavors, also dominant in the bouquet, finish on an intense, lingering note.”  We found this also to be exceptional. 

When we finished the tour and port tasting we were ready to pay only to learn that everything is complimentary.  The tour and wine tasting is no charge but now we all took the time to pick up some small bottles of port to take with us.  I should add that the cost of port here is so cheap we really did not believe it.  Wes and I bought 6 small bottles (about 6 ounces each) for 7.20 euro.   Unfortunately for Helen and I we were designated drivers so we were only able to take a couple of tasting sips of the Port.  Oh well we will have some for happy hour tonight.

After we left we discussed going onto the second Port vineyard for a tour but everyone felt that we would not be able to top what we had just experienced and so decided to head on to Pinhao for lunch.  This community is beside the river and we were able to find a great place to eat lunch.   The train station in the community has beautiful ceramic tile pictures.

After dinner some wanted to carry on up the road to do a bit of exploring while others wanted to head back to Reguo so they could go to the museum and check out one of the river cruises.  So with two cars we were able to split up and do both.  I brought some back to town which gave me some time to work on the blog while Wes went with the others for a bit more car touring.

About 10 minutes after I got back into the hotel room I heard thunder.  I looked out the window to see lightening and heard thunder as the skies opened up and the storm that we had been expecting arrived.  The clouds blew in quickly but the rain was welcomed as we hope the heat and humidity would relieved after this rainstorm.  The storm lasted about 30 minutes and then dissipated to reveal the sun and broken clouds again.

Wes’ group on the car tour missed the rain but did find some really good views of the valley and a blooming cactus.

We finished the day with dinner and plans for tomorrow’s hike.  Wes is feeling much better today so he is planning on going on the easy hike tomorrow.  He will reassess in the morning.

24 May 2011 – Hiking Day 3 Reguo (Tuesday)

The mountains of Serra do Marao (highest peak 1416m) is an area of grand scenery in all directions, offering panoramic views as far as Spain and Galicia on a clear day.  Some of the hills have been developed with wind farms as Portugal plans to be the vanguard of renewable energy.

Today we took a bus from town around northward and then west to find our way to the top of the ridgeline.  We were absolutely blown away at the skill of the bus driver as he manoeuvred the bus up a very windy and narrow road which fortunately was paved.  At times we could look downward several thousand feet and there were a few I am sure who were in prayer mode.  We wondered what would happen if we actually met another vehicle on the way up, but since we did not, it was not something we had to find the answer.

At the top, which is above the alpine level, we had 360 degree views which would have been better with less distance haze but still very spectacular.  I am sorry that the pictures really do not do justice.  On the ground around we were dazzled with the blooming flowers.  In particular the red and white heather mixed with a yellow blossom which I had been told the  name but right now can not remember. 

Along the ridgeline are the windmills for electric generation.  At one of the windmills we came across a serviceman and I was able to have a bit of a chat with him.  The towers are 60 meters high and they generate about 1.7 kilowatts which means nothing to me to be honest.  What I did learn from the internet is that currently Portugal gets more than 1% (closer to 2%) of it’s energy needs from windmills and just recently opened up the first Portugal also recently inaugurated the world's first commercial wave power plant in the Atlantic Ocean off Aguçadoura, using technology developed in Scotland.  They have a national goal to achieve 31% of their energy needs by renewable resources by 2020 and are on their way to achieve this goal.  The windmills dotting the ridgeline may not be atheistically pleasing, but they are environmentally friendly.

Our hike today is to walk along the ridgeline pass several windmills until we reach the end of the ridgeline and then to decent about 3,000 feet to a village where we will be picked up by the bus.  The walk along the ridgeline with the views and flowers were memorable.  Having a chance to talk to someone working on the windmills was interesting, and no I did not get chance to go into nor up to the top of one.  However the route down the front of the ridge to the valley below was not very exciting at all.

We started to the descent on an old road that had been put in to service some forestry efforts (all the trees had died due to a fire it appeared) that had been abandoned.  As a result erosion on the steep grade of the road had a very damaging impact and we focused totally on watching our feet as we ensured to step over the water grooves, keep ourselves from tripping on the loose rocks and avoid slipping on the loose gravel.  Once we dropped over the ridgeline we lost any breeze we had and was in full sun baking.  The weather today was 32 degrees in full sun again so the trip down was not considered ideal or enjoyable, but doable.  Once again we reached the village in the valley with some extra time to stop for a much needed beer and relaxation.  We have suggested to Holiday Fellowship, the organization that plans these hikes, to look for an alternative route down from the ridge for future hikes.

Our evening was relaxing and we got our internet finally.  So I am working on the pictures and writing for the blog as well as getting caught up on the emails. 

Wes today had stayed back from hiking again and joined with Kate with a tour to the local museum.  Wes discovered that he still is not as recovered as he likes and returned from the tour to sleep for a couple of hours.  He did manage to get up and do some shopping for everyone at the grocery store before returning and going back to sleep in the afternoon.  We have decided that if there is not any more improvement by next week when we reach Amsterdam, he will seek out another doctor.  

23 May 2011 – Hiking Day 2 Reguo (Monday)

Our hike today involves exploring some villages in the Tarouca Valley.  We discovered hamlets and villages in the hills around the Tarouca valley, south of the Douro.  The walk started by the windmills and ridges to drop down into an ancient and abandoned town, down through a ravine and along the lower valley to three villages before catching the bus back to to Reguo.

We got up this morning to catch the bus which will take us to the start of the hike.  The 30 minute drive out of town was very interesting since the area we headed is on secondary roads until we arrived a small village.  The village was very quiet and we did not see anyone around, however it was very pretty with the freshly painted walls and clean cobbled streets.

We left town to head into the country.  We climbed upward to discover great views down into the valleys where we could see other villages nestled.   Our first goal is to follow the tracks and trails around the countryside to locate and explore an abandoned village.

The village, once we found it was not totally abandoned but it was not apparent that anyone still lives there.  There were vegetable gardens planted and tools for farming laying around.  Even a couple of the ‘houses’ had sturdy looking doors.  The village was a grouping of houses made from stones and roofed in a variety of ways.

From here we continued to explore the countryside and dropped down into a ravine as our route out of the hills back to the valley.  In the ravine we found a creek flowing and also an irrigation flume carrying water off to a village at the top of the valley.

Before we finished the day we had visited 2 more villages in the valley meeting and greeting several locals.  We enjoyed looking at the patterns of agriculture crops (mostly grapevines) in and round the valley with a variety of methods of planting.   In one village we walked by a well known ceramic tile designer’s workshop and noted a sample of his work on the outside wall. 

Today was a long trek as one of the fellows had his GPS with him and we record a 17 km total hike and the temperature was about 32 degrees C.  We left the hotel around 9 and were on the hike before 10 but did not get to the end of the hike until 4 pm.  The bus was due to pick us up at 4:30 so this gave us time to head into the small villages ‘cafe’ for refreshments (beer was so good and only cost 80 cents per glass)!  We all felt that the trek from the 2^nd village to the final village was just one hour too long considering the heat, but we all did agree that it was a good day – now get us to the hotel so we can shower and cool off!