So Long from Madeira!
July 28, 2024
One final hello from MAD 3A!!
We started our day with a lovely breakfast in our Funchal hostel before getting picked up for our last activity – rock climbing! We all karaoked on the bus to porch light, our trip theme song.
Warner and porter were the first to climb and they crushed it! May and lily were soon to follow. We were so proud of everyone for all getting through the first couple walls! For some entertainment, we took funny videos all day long for a rock climbing vlog that will premiere ASAP. Once everyone was done climbing, we took a swim in the ocean right under our climbing spot! Warner, Henry, Gains, Porter, and Reed all played king of the rock while Ellie found a cliff jumping spot. We saw a bunch of crabs and Katie and Kate gave us a performance to some of the mamma mia sound track while sitting on rocks by the water. It was all that we could’ve asked for in our last activity.
The rest of the day we spent at our hostel drinking iced coffee and trying matcha. We all got handmade t shirts for souvenirs and Lily, Reed, Warner, and Porter all twinned for our banquet dinner! For dinner, we had local seafood right by the boat docks in Funchal. There was an incredible view of the city while we all reminisced on funny moments in our eventful trip. We even got to watch the Olympics opening ceremony playing on TVs in the back!
For our final moonup of the summer, we got really sentimental and gave a nug jug to each person. We laughed, cried, and gave thanks for the wonderful memories and friendships that were made. We all ended in a cinnamon roll hug and some tears were shed.
Thank you so much to you incredible parents for your outstanding kids. They were a joy to have in the most beautiful place on earth and we cannot wait to see all they do in this life. We shared so many laughs and it was nothing short of a pleasure to witness their growth on our trip. They rocked it!
Peace out from Madeira,
Lizzy + Will
Epic Madeira Adventure: From Coastal Pools to Pico Ruivo Summit
July 27, 2024
Day 1: Porto Moniz
We kicked off our adventure with a sunlit good morning in Porto Moniz. Embracing the leisurely start to our day, we indulged in a delightful brunch of smoothies, toasted sandwiches and coffee before heading to the famous natural pools. The pools were an absolute blast, with everyone taking turns jumping off the diving board straight into the refreshing ocean waters. After soaking up the sun and splashing around, Henry showed off some impressive tricks on the diving board. We the treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream while enjoying the Sun, a perfect way to cool down and savor the moment.
Next, our taxi arrived to take us to our first campsite. Once we got to camp excitement buzzed in the air as we learned the ropes of selecting and setting up our campsite. Once camp was setup it was time for dinner. Dinner was a highlight, with everyone thrilled to cook their own meal for the first time in the trip. Reed and Lily took the lead on cook-crew, preparing some mouthwatering chicken quesadillas that everyone raved about. As the day drew to a close, we witnessed the most surreal sunset above the clouds, it felt like we were in a movie. After watching the sunset we all turned around to head back to camp and noticed a brilliant full moon. We then did a very special moon up under the bright full moon. With such a magical ending to our day, we tucked in for the night, eager for our first day of trekking.
Day 2: First Trekking Day
We started our day with a yummy strawberry Greek yogurt and granola breakfast, fueling up for the adventure ahead. Retracing some steps from our previous canyoneering trip, we found it cool to revisit familiar paths. Passing by beautiful waterfalls and stunning forest. After a few hours of hiking, we found a shady spot under some pine trees to enjoy a relaxing lunch. Our journey then led us to our second campsite, where we spent the afternoon playing cards, reading books, and sharing stories. Dinner was a team effort, with Henry and Katie preparing a delicious bolognese. It was a big hit. Ellie led the dessert team after dinner and surprised us with a lovely dessert of Nutella crepes made with tortillas and cinnamon sugar. We wrapped up the day with a fun-filled moonup, led by LODs Katie and Henry, reminiscing our first full day of trekking and laughing about our B+ superpowers!
Day 3: Exploring New Grounds
Our third day of trekking was full of new discoveries. We traversed 8 miles to our third campsite. The views really opened up revealing how grand the island of Madeira really is. We saw places we had stayed and destinations yet to come. The hike was filled with exciting moments as we ventured through tunnels, spotted many waterfalls, encountered some friendly chickens, and even took a break at a gift shop. The day was marked by goofiness and laughter, making it one of the most memorable. Once we got to camp everyone set up tents and listened to some good music while talking and laughing. The cool crew Warner, Gaines, and Porter helped prepare some delicious BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner, which quickly became a fan favorite. We surprised everyone with a delicious chocolate cake for dessert. The night ended under the stars with another wonderful moon-up where we talked about our personal journeys through life and prepared together for the tough summit day tomorrow.
Day 4: Summiting Pico Ruivo
The next day, we woke up extra early to face the challenging Pico Ruivo summit, the tallest mountain in Madeira! Everyone’s spirits were high as we started our journey and everyone encouraged each other to stay positive. The ascent was tough, featuring some steep stairs and long traverses but also stunning views of the whole island. This was one of the first times the group got to see the dramatic rocky cliffs and geology of the central island valleys. The group pulled together with determination and positive spirits. May and Kate kept everyone entertained and motivated with their infectious laughter, upbeat attitudes and trail games. Reaching the summit was an incredible achievement for everyone. We celebrated our successful summit with a refreshing shower at our surprise hostel and enjoyed a wonderful lasagna dinner with a variety of delectable desserts. The day concluded with a serene moonup above the clouds, watching the sun set over Madeira’s stunning landscape. A perfect way to end an amazing day
Until next time,
Lizzy and Will
Kickin' It Off With Surfing in Madeira!
July 23, 2024
Hola from Madeira 3A!!!
Today, we flew into Funchal from Lisbon. There, we met two of our members Susanna and May! The whole group was in high spirits despite the long travel day and we were pumped for some lunch. We stopped at a local restaurant in Porto da Cruz, our first stay! We got to introduce Brisa (a Portugese soda) and pregos(a native steak sandwich) to the kids and they loved both! After, we had some needed rest time before heading to our swimming hole with a Mountain View! Henry brought a football so we had some fun throwing it to people jumping in. Katie was closest to catching it while she jumped! After swimming, we cleaned up for our pizza experience meal. We were treated by a local hostel owner to fresh brick oven pizzas while we chilled on the couch and played uno. We played mannyyy name games and kate was close to get everyone’s name on her first go. To end the night we had our first moonup on the hill that overlooked the water with the sunset and Mountain View in the back. We got excited for our trip and to keep getting out of our comfort zones!
The next day, we woke up to begin our first full day of our trip. For breakfast, we got a gorgeous mountains to sea view with yogurt, toast, cereal, meats, coffee, and eggs. After munching on some breakfast, we hit the beach for our first day of surfing! Kate stood up for the first time ever, Susanna shredded with our guide Miguel, and Warner also impressed us with how many waves he caught! After surfing we stopped for lunch and surprised the kids with an ice cream stop! Ben and Jerry’s was the number one pick. After, we hung out at our apartment spot and Porter, Gaines, Henry, and Reed played go fish. We explored our little island town and entered a newly opened natural pool for some swim time. Then, we walked to a new beach where Gaines, Porter, and Katie, built a rock tower. The rest of the day was spent at our original swimming hole. We played lots of little games and threw the ball to each other. At dinner we discovered a classic fan favorite: Bolo do caco! We ended the night with moonup by our surf spot led by LODs Reed and Kate! We had so much fun and this group already laughs a lot together!
We woke up for surf day day 2 in high spirits because our weather was PERFECT! On our walk to surfing, we got to experience a bit of a motorcycle race, which was sick. We tried out a new beach and the kids tried some new tricks. Reed almost did a 360 with his board! Kate caught maybe 50 waves in a row with the help of our guide Antonio and we vlogged all day long! We got to hear “this is the best day of my life” a couple times while looking at our view and taking in what we were doing. After we finished up surfing, we got to get some merch from our surfing outfitters then hit the ocean again! This time, we swam off our beach and got the rare chance to explore in the ocean because the water was extremely calm. May and Ellie climbed up on a rock that we all adopted as our own to sit on. We laughed at people getting taken out by waves and took lots of pictures. We sang by the beach all day long till it was time for our cooking class! Lily and Katie helped with bread, while Susanna and May prepared a salad. We also had steak, fries, and fried corn! While we ate we watched the European cup final. Once that ended, we got ready for moonup led by LOD’s gains and Susanna. We ended the night with a spontaneous jump into the water and then headed to bed.
The next day, it was time for our next activity: canyoneering! We fueled up with breakfast then packed up our stuff to head to our new spot. The views were insane on our drive! Once we got there, we got on our wetsuits then hiked into the canyon. We rappelled all day long and were extremely proud of our group for encouraging one another to conquer fears and to all get the chance to act like a little kid again. We splashed each other and even got into a bit of a war pulling people in! Ellie was the first to be pulled that started it all. After our day of fun, we headed back to our hotel. We had some chill time journaling and reading. The girls made bracelets and Kate made one for one of our outfitters, Ivonne. We ate our dinner and then got ready for moonup! It was a very intentional conversation led by LODs Warner and katie. Our group got a whole lot closer and we ended the night on a light note with movie night.
We woke up to sunshine and a buffet breakfast! After eating, we taxied above the clouds for our second day of canyoneering. Our group fueled up with Oreos and went on a small hike down to jump off a waterfall! Henry was the first to go. Kate even jumped and conquered her fear of heights! In our breaks with swimming creeks, the boys all pulled each-other in by attaching their carabiners to each-other — it was quite the time. May, Katie, and Lily all joined in jumping and we all went under the waterfall! Warner climbed up and was the first to see what they call “bat man’s cave”. Afterwards, we were rewarded with Kit Kats! On our drive back the girls had a party bus jamming out to pitbull songs which was tons of fun. Once we got back to the hotel, we all awed over our insane view and how blessed we’ve been with the weather. We learned a new pool game called crud that was hilarious and sorta intense. Warner won 3 rounds #streak but was beaten by queen May on our last round. To end the day we ate dinner and had a moonup led by our LOD’s Porter and Lily! We recalled our first memories and got to hear everyone’s happiest time period of their life. We laughed by closing out with a 20 questions game that ended up being the nug jug.
The next day we hopped on an early morning ferry to the island of Porto Santo. After arriving we headed straight to the beach to eat our lunch and chill out. Many of the girls enjoyed the warm sun and sand while the boys dug a big hole in the sand. We then headed to the beautiful rocky coast to do some sea kayaking. We paddled into beautiful caves and checked out some beautiful cliffs. We even ended up stopping at a rocky beach where everyone swam out to a rock to jump off it. After our sea kayaking adventure we headed back to our hotel and got ready for a delicious pizza dinner. The next day we woke up and got ready to hike. We started the day off after breakfast with a 2 hour hike to our coastal activity. We then walked along the water and snorkeled in the pristine pools. We even found an octopus. The next day we head back to the main island of Madeira and get ready for our trekking section. We have been having so much fun with your kiddos and look forward to getting even closer with them during trekking.
Till next time,
Lizzy and Will
May: Hi family! I’m having so much fun! I loved the canyoneering/cliff jumping! Miss yall so much! P.S. hi friends! 😆
Ellie: Hiiii mom and dad! We are having soooo much fun so far and it’s so pretty!!! We are about to start trekking and we just finished all of our water activities. Can’t wait to see yall!
Katie: Hi family!!! I’m having sooo much fun and the activities are so cool. Madeira is the most beautiful place ever, can’t wait to see yall!!!
Henry: Hi mom and dad. Having a lot of fun in Madeira. Love you, bye.
Warner: Greetings mother and father. I am having the most splendid time in the island of Madeira. Everything is full of the upmost beauty. I love you and miss you both very much. Sincerely, Warner shaper.
Porter: Hey Momma, Dad, and EG. Hope y’all are doing well, I miss you guys and American food so much. Excited to talk to y’all soon, love you all.
Gaines: Hey mom, I’m having a great time in Madeira. This was definitely the trip to go on and we’re about to go hiking. Love you, bye.
Reed: Hi mom and dad! Currently having a really special time in Madeira. We’ve done lots of cool stuff can’t wait to tell you everything about it. Much love see you soon. (Go jets go isles)
Lily: Family!! I’m having the most amazing in Madeira! We have gone on so many amazing adventures and I can’t wait to tell you all about them. I hope Evelyn had fun in New York! Love you all soooo much bye 👋
Kate: Hi Mommy Daddy Anna and dogs! I am having such a spectacular time in Madeira it is the coolest place I have ever been and I am trying so many new things. The steak prego is my favorite food. I learned how to surf and I faced my fears cliff jumping down waterfalls when canyoneering. We have been to four places in Madeira so far and just got back from Porto santo a smaller island yesterday. Trekking starts tomorrow! I miss you all so much and hope you are all doing well. I love you so much!
Safe Arrival + On to More Adventures!
July 12, 2024
Hello Madeira Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely in Lisbon and is off to Madeira! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure as they dance around the island.
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
