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29/11 Lisbon - Sal
Departing Lisbon at 22:00 in a TAP Air Portugal,
me, Patrícia and João, we arrived to Sal Island at 2:00 and
stayed at the Hotel Atlântico (3200 ECV - double room) in
Espargos. We went out for a drink in Espargos until 4:30.
30/11 Sal
- São
Vicente
We woke up early to have breakfast in Espargos.
Afterwards we dealt with a taxi driver called Nelson a fare
for a tour around the island. Actually the road network in
Sal is cross-shaped of 2 roads. First we drove the west-east
road towards Pedra Lume and then we drove north-south across
the arid landscape to Santa Maria. There we enjoyed the clear
turquoise-blue tropical water and the white sand. At 14:30
Nelson picked us up in the beach and took us to the airport
where we took a TACV (Cape Verde Airlines) flight to São Vicente.
In a propeller ATR we arrived to that island where Rui Guedes
from AIP was waiting for us and drove us to the Hotel Foya
Branca, near S.Pedro beach. This hotel has several "villas"
with great panoramic ocean view. The night fell and we went
on to Mindelo, the largest city in the island and the country's
second largest. There we joined the rest of the entrepreneurial
mission of AIP in Hotel Porto Grande. In this same hotel there
was a celebration party for the Industrial Fair that was happening
in Mindelo. Sonia, our friend, was part of the mission. There
was a band playing "mornas" during dinner which
was around the hotel's swimming-pool. Afterwards the guests
went out to Mindelo's night to dance the African rhythms in
Sirius Discotheque. Then we looked for other places but Monday
wasn't definitely the best day and by 5:00 we went back to
Foya Branca.
1/12 São
Vicente
Before 11:00 we woke up and went down to
the beach in front of the Hotel and later to the swimming-pool.
There Dr.Jaime and Sónia showed up and with them, Rui, Carlota,
Patrícia, João and I drove up to Mount Verde from where the
view over Mindelo and Gatas Bay is astonishing. We drove down
to Gatas Bay. From there we returned to Mindelo and drove
to Calhau on the far extreme of the island. There we tried
to have lunch in "Chez Loutcha" but it was closed.
We went back to Mindelo and fooled our stomachs with some
Azorean cheese. We went to the Hotel Foya Branca to get dressed
for the great reception in Hotel Porto Grande for the prime-minister,
Carlos Veiga. Again we listened to beautiful "mornas"
live. Afterwards we went to Discotheque Pimm's and then to
Histep, the "working" disco. At 5:30 we were pushing
our Suzuki Vitara without fuel towards the Hotel. At 6:00
we were sleeping "anxious" to wake up half an hour
later to catch the boat to Santo Antão.
2/12 São
Vicente - Santo
Antão
At 7:30 Jaime and Rui left us in the port
from where we took the cruise boat to Santo Antão Island which
takes an hour. The boat departed at 8:00 overlooking Mount
Cara. In Santo Antão the boat docks in Porto Novo. This island
is the most green and definitely one of the largest in area.
One hour and a half later we reached Ribeira Grande the most
important town in the island. In the neighboring village of
Ponta do Sol we stayed in Residencial Nova Aurora near the
lovely Town Hall building. In a while we were having lobster
for lunch nearby. Later, Benvindo a town hall driver drove
us across the majestic valleys of Ribeira Grande. In the end
of the road we returned and went to Fontainhas also. In the
evening we arrived at 19:00 to the residential and slept 13
hours straight... well at least some of us... I went out by
myself at 23:00 to buy some food as we hadn't eaten since
lunch but could only find a tiny grocery store on the local
football team installations. There I met António Cândido Delgado,
José Delgado and Vitorino Nascimento Évora, big Benfica and
Sporting fans as well as history fans and mostly "travadinha"
fans. Travadinha is some kind of mixture of Honey Ponche and
Grog (the local raw brandy). After several rounds and a long
conversation I convinced them that I really had to go because
my snoring friends would get worried that I left 2 hours earlier.
So, my new friends came with me right to the door of the residential.
3/12 Santo
Antão - São
Vicente
We woke up early as we thought the return
boat trip was early in the morning but it seemed that after
all one of the drivers only wanted his money for the ride.
The boat was at 17:00 which gave us time to go for another
4 Wheel Drive with Fulgêncio, the other Town Hall driver,
to Paúl and its endless valleys. Coming back to Paúl we drove
to Cruzinha da Garça. At 15:00 we took a snack in Ribeira
Grande and later we headed towards Porto Novo to take the
boat at 17:00 to Mindelo. This time the ocean was wilder and
the boat bounced much more but the beautiful sunset made us
forget about it. We talked with a Nigerian guy and a couple
of Portuguese live in Mindelo. In the city, João and Sónia
stayed at the Hotel Porto Grande and Patricia and I in "Pensão
Sodade" (2250 ECV - double room), where we all had a
fancy lobster banquet for dinner. Afterwards we went to Chico
Serra Bar to listen to live "mornas" but it wasn't
animated so we went to Ofélia Bar where we enjoyed the "mornas"
and the crying violin. Several Ponches later the bar closed
and our taxi driver for the night, Tuya, took us to Discotheque
"Je t'aime" and then to another. At 3:30 we were
in bed.
4/12 São
Vicente - Santiago
I had breakfast on the terrace of Pensão
Sodade with the most awesome view over Mindelo. I then took
a walk through the streets before we all left to the airport.
By noon the small TACV airplane left São Vicente towards Praia
on the Island of Santiago where we arrived at 13:00. Rui and
Jaime were waiting and we all went to the far extreme of the
island to Tarrafal, 80 km north of Praia. We stayed at the
Hotel Baía Verde right in the middle of the palm trees of
Tarrafal Beach. The rest of the day we enjoyed the lovely
beach and even played volleyball by sunset with some local
boys. We had dinner, "cachupa" (the national dish)
in the esplanade Baía Verde nearby. At night there was a big
party in the esplanade with a band playing "Funaná"
live. So we danced all night long until it was time to go
to the next door discotheque and keep on dancing. Around 4:00
the girls went to bed and the rest of us went to swim in the
unforgettable warm sea under a full Moon that was lighting
the whole Tarrafal Bay.
5/12 Santiago
We woke up early to eat breakfast and the
hotel's papaya. Then we went to the beach where we tried a
coconut and enjoyed the wonderful tropical sun. In the end
of the afternoon the volleyball boys showed up and we played
several games with lines and net and everything. The medal
would be a Cleps (local draught beer). Later we had dinner
in the esplanade and due to the lack of animation we went
to bed earlier than usual.
6/12 Santiago
- Sal
- Lisbon
We woke up early once again for breakfast and used
sometime at the beach. Around 14:00 we hired a van to take
us to Praia for about 3000 ECV. We arrived to Praia and found
the rest of the gang who had gone there the day before. Then
we went out for a walk in the capital, first in Plateau, the
highest part of town. Later we met our friends again occasionally
and drove to Cidade Velha (Old Town), the ancient capital
some 15 km from Praia. Here one can find history, namely an
impressive Portuguese fortress, a 15th century church, the
ruins of an ancient cathedral and a column around which people
traded slaves. After dawn we went to the airport to take the
TACV flight to Sal island at 21:25. In Sal we hired a taxi
and went down to Santa Maria to grab something to eat. We
still watched a band playing live in "Nha Terra"
Bar and drank the last Ponche in Calema Bar. At 2:30 the TAP
Air Portugal airplane took off and arrived to Lisbon at 7:00
where the unusual cold temperature was shocking.
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Chronology
