Day 130: Mindelo, Sao Vincente: The Cape Verde Islands

Day 130 - we're now only 3,343 miles away from home. This morning, we had an early sail-in to Mindelo, Sao Vincente - one of the Cape Verde Islands. These are a group of 10 islands in a horseshoe-style pattern, located about 350-400 miles off the shores of Senegal in West Africa. They are yet another set of islands that we had never heard of and knew absolutely nothing about. So - another opportunity for fun and adventure. After ten days of sailing northwest up the coast of West Africa, we (and the entire boat) needed a spiritual and emotional break from the sights, the slavery, and the squalor. Sao Vincente delivered. Not spectacular - but it offered some awesome scenery and clean/safe streets.

The islands have existed for between 2 and 5 million years and were formed by volcanic activity. One of the islands, Fogo, still has an active volcano, but the rest are considered dormant but not dead. They were uninhabited until the early 1400s when Portuguese and Spanish explorers discovered them. They quickly developed as a supply waystation between Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and Europe. More of the euro-powers moved in, and the economy prospered until Britain finally barred the slave trade in the early 1800s. 

By this time, the Portuguese had moved in force, and declared the islands a colony. After a few more decades of neglect, a group of expats pushed for independence. Finally, in 1975, they gained independence as a sovereign nation. As seems standard in Africa, they flirted with communism and socialism but eventually adopted Winston Churchill's philosophy. Democracy is the worst form of Government until you try everything else. 

Mindalo is the largest town on Sao Vincente, the second-largest island—but it is blessed with a deep-water harbour. Compared with the rest of West Africa, Mindalo is very clean and well-maintained. It has several squares, markets, and monuments. The volcanic nature of the surrounding terrain makes for some spectacular views. Read on below for our stories. 

We started with a quick visit to the main town square. It's the meeting place for many people in the evenings as they decide which bar or restaurant/club to visit. The whole island has a reputation for being a bit of a Brazilian-inspired party town. After that, we walked across to the main market. Although it was only just opening, it was very clean, the fruit/veg produce looked amazing, and the vendors were nowhere near as aggressive as many of the other countries. That was a pleasant change. 

We then jumped back onto the bus and took a 20-minute ride to Praia Beach. It is a barren, windswept area of the coast and has very dark, volcanic sand. The water was, as you'd expect in the tropics, warm but not up to Seychelles/Maldives temperatures. A little further along the coast, the black sand turns yellow. This is the Saharan desert sand blown across by the wind. For some reason (even though the ebay faces north/north-east) this is where the sand accumulates and forms sand dunes - leading to a yellow/black strip effect. 

Our last stop was at the top of the now long-extinct volcano - about 2500 feet up. At the start of the trip, our guide told us we would take the "Cobalt Road." Turns out he meant cobblestones! It was a long and winding road (but no Beatles) , with mostly just a single lane, but offered a fantastic, if slightly scary, view of Mindelo and the coastline. Right at the top there is a small hut, selling coke, tea, coffee and offering shots of local liquor. Free enterprise at work. Although it was extremely windy up there, the view was worth it.

All done! We drove back down the wibbly-wobbly road and took a different route back to town, and gave two of the workers a ride to their homes as well. Overall, the islands were a pleasant surprise and a much-needed change from mainland West Africa.

Next up we have two sea days, followed by the Canary Islands. WHich are named after dogs, not birds! 

Bonus Pics

1  Another view of Praia Beach , Blues enhanced.
2  Panorama view from meteorological station by harbour
3  Another view of harbour from above
4  The Eagle. After it takes off from here, next stop is Brazil.

5  Fish statue in harbour. No idea as to its story

6  Small island off the harbour. Observation tower at top - many steps.

7  Typical view from a downtown street