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The Amazon Trip – Cape Verde – Mindelo – Photos

Posted on April 5, 2020 by Opher

Brave Helios was peeping through the gold and pink shrouds on the horizon as we slipped through the gaping maw into Vulcan’s belly – the giant crater of a bay in which Mindelo was nestled.

The peaks and ridges surrounded us, creating a safe harbour from which to explore. We were up with the sun to photograph the event prior to taking breakfast in the warmth on deck.

Cape Verde, not so much verdant as rusty brown and dusty – no rain for three years! A set of islands off the coast of Senegal – but not of Africa – raised from the sea bed itself in an explosive inferno of molten rock and lava as magma erupted into air, creating islands of solidified rock and compressed ash, islands used by the Portuguese and British as staging posts for slavery and refuelling, as sanctuary in a natural haven.

The day was sunny and pleasant, but hazy as we set off to investigate the vibrant, colourful markets, the murals, sculptures, architecture, art and people.

The fish market provided an incredible array of tropical piscine’s including the most amazing brightly tinted fish I have ever seen – video carnival – all blue, yellow, green and red. Women walking around with baskets on their heads, men sitting outside gutting their catch, gaily painted boats lined up on the beach, cats lurking, dogs sleeping, women hawking fish and vegetables in baskets on the street with babies sitting in the crates, men with dreadlocks, colourful clothing, gaily painted houses, busy traffic, fruit and vegetables, and African carvings.

We climbed to the top of the copy of the Lisbon Belem Tower for a great view over the town, walked through the fish markets to the African Market with its blue tiles of scenes of Cape Verde from the past, and then to the indoor vegetable market with fabulous wooden roof and murals.

We looked at the art, watched the people, visited the palace and the church, and enjoyed an array of painted buildings.

We walked along a beach of white sand, stopped at the café, drank a coffee, a beer, an orange juice, failed to get wi-fi, and then went back to the ship to eat, sit in the sun to watch the islands disappear as we sailed off – and then read about the weather in Britain.

The Voyage Part 22 – Cape Verde – Santiago – A volcanic jewel

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Opher

By the time we reached Cape Verde we were becoming quite blasé about sneaking up on places in the early hours of the morning. It was still great seeing the place appear on the horizon and then gradually loom closer. Santiago was different to Sao Vicente. I could make that out already. There was the same volcanic rock with its red hue but there was a softer feel to it and as Praia came more into view I could see that it was bigger and appeared more affluent than Mindelo had been.

We disembarked and walked through the city centre. It had the same bright colours we had become accustomed to but it looked better maintained than Mindelo. I got severely shouted at and was threatened for daring to try to take a photograph of the American Embassy building. Bit touchy these Americans! There was a pretty town square surrounded by colonial style buildings, including the municipal palace all decked out in orange and white.

We walked past the governor’s extensive yellow and white mansion complete with armed guard and on to a vantage point where we could take in the view over the city and beach overlooked by a commanding statue of its founder Diogo Gomes complete with sword and parchment. What was that? A proclamation? A relevant biblical text exhorting the slaves to work harder? A title deed to the island claiming it on behalf of the King of Portugal? Who knows?

We dragged ourselves away from the view and round the corner to an impressive, though extremely shabby colonial garrison building. Obviously the military were not wasting money on paint. Though, from the look of the armed guards, they appeared to have the money to procure weapons. Either that or they were preparing to repel an invasion. From the look of the old cannons outside the garrison they were likely to be defeated. The church further along, however, was immaculate. I suppose it’s a question of priorities?

We passed the museum dedicated, with a bright mural, to Amilcar Cabral, the leader of the Independence movement. He was being lauded with statues and murals. It brought things into perspective. To some you might be seen as a freedom fighter; to others a terrorist.

The fruit and veg market was thriving and I always find it exciting seeing people walking around balancing baskets of goods on their head. How do they manage that? If I tried it would end up in the dirt before I managed two tentative steps.

We headed out across the interior with its reddish black volcanic rock and vivid green shrubs.

At the other side we stopped at Fort Real de Sãão Filipe. It overlooked the old colonial capital of Ciudade Vehla. The fort had been built to prevent the marauding of pirates such as Francis Drake. Once again we were confronted with the irony of one person’s hero being another person’s genocidal, raping maniac. Alongside the fort was an impressive gorge which we were told was Cape Verdes equivalent of the Grand Canyon.

We were met by a group of young boys playing tin-can drums for dollars. Inside we were met by young girls performing dances. It was unsettling. They were playing roles for tourists for dollars. They should have been in school. The young girls dance routines were disturbing in the current paedophilia climate.

There was a great view over the coastline with cannons trained to take out the pirate ships.

We headed down from the fortress to the old town of Ciudade Vehla and the infamous banana street where we tried some grog that not only took the skin off my throat but would also have been an effective paint remover. The local denizens were ultra-friendly and welcoming of tourists. We bought some less abrasive banana liqueur and worked our way up to the church and then back down to the beach with its café for a welcome beer and a chance to sit and appreciate the view while a group of women serenaded us with the local music. It sounded quite punchy.

The bay was impressive with its black sand, large rounded black pebbles of volcanic rock and skeletons of trees. We had a walk around the small market in the town square, had a look at the gaily painted houses and headed back for the ship.

I enjoyed Santiago. It had beauty and prosperity. There wasn’t the rugged spectacle of Sao Vicente but a softer and friendlier atmosphere. I enjoyed my brief visit.

The Voyage Part 3 – the words – Mindelo Cape Verde

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Opher

As we moved through the sea from Gran Canaria towards Cape Verde the sea became calm and the weather warmed. We were off the coast of Africa breathing African air. Its where us humans originated.

I stood at the bow of the ship and breathed it in.

It was early in the morning. I got out of my bunk and headed for the deck. I wanted to catch sight of the sun rising and get my first glimpse of Cape Verde.

As the sun rose lan came into sight. We slowly churned through a gentle ocean towards it.

The sun rose behind the volcanic island, directly behind Sao Vincente. It lit up the volcanic rock and soil into a rich orangey red. An rock island of dark hue stood out starkly in the water in front of those ridges. You could see the volcanic nature clearly.

There was a natural harbour full of sheltering ships bobbing on the waves and caught in the low orange light as silhouettes as we slid into the bay.

My camera clicked. There were too many sights to take in.

We walked round the town and sat on the beach watching fishermen sorting nets and dragging tatty boats into the waves. We went round the fish market where women carried tubs of fish on their heads and trays of red, yellow and orange fish gleamed in trays. Fish with blue luminescent spots, mottle orange eels and brown and silver fish. Big fish and little fish. All types that I’d never seen before.

We took a taxi to the top of the volcano and looked back over a dusty landscape that had its own stark beauty or reddish soil and rock, and peered down to the blue waters of the bay and the ships. Parts looked like the surface of the moon but there were some shrubs and lower down there were goats and egrets.

We walked around the market and talked to the locals. We looked at the buildings with their decaying Portuguese grandeur and peered at the blue tile-work depicting the scenes of the beautiful town it used to be. What had once been pristine with splendour was now settled into a shabby chic.

We walked round the fruit market in its splendid building. There were tiles depicting women that looked like they were Picassos and scenes of the women carrying baskets of produce on their heads.

Back on the ship it was time to head out across the Atlantic for four days in the doldrums. There were sunsets, flying fish, whales, turtles and seabirds to look forward to.

I sat at the bow with a beer and watched the volcanic cliffs slide into the past as the sun shone the orange light of sunset upon them.

What was ahead had to be outstanding to match what had been.

I thought it might be.