Haben Girma

Ponta da Ilha Lighthouse

High up on the tower's viewing platform, I stand beside an orange, waist-high wall where the reserve light happens to be perched. The large lantern has red along its top and bottom, and a silvery, translucent center. My guide dog Mylo looks alert beside me, and behind us, down below, appear the tops of trees, deep blue waters, and the shores of another island called São Jorge.

The lighthouse had their first blind visitor, and they turned it into an opportunity to search high and low for all the tactile experiences! They showed me the reserve light, the antique light, and they invited my guide dog and I to climb the stairs as high as we were comfortable going. The long, spiraling staircase was followed by a steep, open metal staircase, which Mylo managed. We skipped the final climb up a ladder since he can't do those...yet. After so many landlords declined to rent to us over fears we'll trip on their stairs, having a stairs-centered space instantly welcome us feels like the best beacon of hope!