The Search for Atlantis — Day 2

A Gateway in Between Worlds

I can feel the energy of a multicultural hub when walking the streets of Horta in Faial, Azores, while the historic landmarks remind me of its past.

Photo by the author | Horta, Faial 2022

Dear reader, if you have read the opening piece from my new series, The Search for Atlantis, you know I worked on the assumption that Ernest Hemingway had written a journal keeping track of his transatlantic voyage on board the cruise ship in 1954.

I plan to create a real-world follow-up to the writer’s fictional footsteps against a 21st-century backdrop.

Hence, I’m putting a meta-complex storytelling technique against a conventional travel writing narrative and using it as my inspiration for this personal adventure.

Historical background

With an area of approximately 173 km2, Faial has a long history dating back to the 15th century when it was discovered by Portuguese explorer Diogo de Silves (1427) and was initially named Insula de Ventura and Ilha de S. Luís.

It was populated about 30 years later, either by mainland Portuguese or by Flemish. This picturesque city has become an important hub for tourism in the…