Despite not being in a rush, I happened to be the first person through to landside, so with everyone following me I had to concentrate on going the right way so I didn’t get muddled up and look an idiot. My initial intention was to walk the 25 minutes to the hotel, but then I realised from Google Maps that this looked rather more challenging than I had anticipated.
There were nice views of the Atlantic from the airport and I realised that although it was technically possible to walk to the hotel, it would involve some ridiculously complex navigation alongside roads not designed for pedestrians. Some people had walked it, and it is possible, but I decided to see if there was a bus.
It soon transpired that there were no buses, or at least, no sensibly priced ones and just more expensive shuttles. However, I looked at Uber and realised that the taxi fare to the hotel was £3.40 which is what I would have happily paid for the bus. I went down the stairs to brace myself for the whole stress of taxis.
Now, I don’t like taking taxis, they are too decadent for me and have a level of stress that’s too high for me. I like trains, buses, planes and things I don’t have to interact with in this individual way. However, I’m very polite and have a 5 star rating on Uber, unlike my friend Richard who has plummeted to very low levels. I tell Richard that he needs to think from the driver’s perspective, but he’s very demanding.
After some slight faffing whilst the taxi worked out how to park, and me being annoyed as I realised I was charging a waiting fee of 6p when I was in the right place, the friendly driver turned up. The drive took about eight minutes and I apologised for the short journey, but the driver said he preferred them as he could easily return to the airport.
I had by this point calmed down about the 6p surcharge and was safely at the Hotel Solar Bom Jesus, a cheap and clean accommodation option that seemed well reviewed on-line. More on that in another post, as I rather liked the hotel. Incidentally, I found the taxi hunting process so stressful that I didn’t get any photos.
Anyway, my revelation was that for my time on Madeira I was going to have to take taxis everywhere, not something that usually happens on my travels. Actually, it’s so notable, that’s why I’ve given it a post all to itself….