Friday, December 29, 2006

El Faro






Chili and I have been hiking up to El Faro light house a couple of times a week lately. Overall, it's a great hike, all 505 feet of it. It starts out as a rough trail then halfway up it is concrete stairs. The downside is right at the head of the trail is a waste water treatment plant, but within 5 minutes of the onset of the hike, you are on the other side of the hill from it. You get some great views throughout the entire hike! El Faro is the second naturally highest lighthouse in the world and the highest WORKING lighthouse (Gibraltor is the highest, but it's now a bed and breakfast) It was completed in 1879. The lamp had been handcrafted in Paris, France, and it was a big oil lamp with mirrors to enhance the light. Supposedly, since the light was static, in the distance it was often mistaken as a star. By 1905 this lamp was converted to a revolving lamp which is still in use today.