Azores: A Driving Adventure Across the Atlantic Island (The Streets Come Alive at Night)

The Streets Come Alive at Night

As our Azorean adventure continued, my sister and I delighted in the natural wonders that the island brought, but we longed to venture into the island's culture--conversing one-on-one with locals. Each evening, we delighted in the culinary offerings that the Azores imparted.

One evening, we strolled along the narrow winding streets of Sao Miguel and wound up at a local bar. Gin is my drink of choice, so I was pleased to hear that Azoreans favor it as well. So, my sister and I ordered a gin and tonic and as 11:30pm rolled around, we wondered where all of the night life was. Or, for that matter, we wondered if the Azores had any nightlife at all. As midnight approached, we were one sip away from closing our tabs and making our walk home. But then, it seemed that the bewitching hour had struck. All of a sudden we were surrounded by a flock of people. The bar was packed and it overflowed into the streets. What made it even more intriguing and interesting was that 80% of the people were male heterosexuals. For two single ladies at the time, we felt as if we had hit the jackpot. The streets of Ponta Delgada had definitely come alive. Music continued into the night and we soon found ourselves conversing with locals. We felt right at home. I took another sip of my floral Azores gin and thought:

I am renewed in mind, body, and spirit.