Today I went hiking—the Levada Ribeira da Janela. A trail I’ve been wanting to walk again for a long time. At the very end, you walk through a tunnel, cool, damp, dark. At the end of this tunnel is a beautiful gorge – deep, green, impressive. Normally there is a waterfall here, but today it had disappeared. No rushing water, no dripping, just the silence of the mountains.

As we walked back, a woman came towards us. She stopped briefly and asked in English:
“Is it amazing?”

I was briefly perplexed and replied:
“Yes, unfortunately the waterfall isn’t there. But it’s still amazing.”

And as I walked on, I thought about how crazy it all is. This constant striving to be higher, faster, further. Is it worth it? Is it amazing enough? Is it the perfect photo for Instagram?

Perhaps the woman was afraid to walk through the tunnel. Perhaps she was unsure whether it was worth the effort. But once you’re already on your way, why not just keep going? Just see what’s waiting at the end.

There you are, standing in the middle of the mountains, not a soul in sight. Just nature. And I ask myself: if that’s not amazing enough, what is?

When I came to Madeira, I used the word “amazing” a lot—and I still do.
Mostly for things in nature that never cease to amaze me.

A sunset. The sound of the sea. The color of the water. The green of the banana leaves in the wind. Everything is amazing—if you pause for a moment.

At the same time, I often see the opposite here in Madeira: paths that are closed off—for good reason.
For example, dangerous levadas or paths where there is a risk of rockfalls or landslides.
And yet people climb over barriers simply because they want to see “the spot” because it’s supposed to be so amazing.
Many forget that the very thing that is so impressive – the wild, untouched nature – can also be dangerous.

So there are always two sides: amazement and respect.

That’s why I make so many stories, simply about nature. Not because it’s an Insta spot, but because I think every moment is worth seeing – even without risk.

So:
Enjoy the moment.
It can be amazing—even if there’s no waterfall.