May 5-15, 2015: São Vicente, Santo Antão & Sal
Sunrise at Vale de Paul, Santo Antao
May 5 Tuesday: São Filipe, Fogo – Praia, Santiago –Rest Day
As I could not get a seat on the flight from Praia to Mindelo, São Vicente till May 6 the earliest, I had to spend a night at Praia. VI picked me up at 8:30am and dropped me off at the airport for CVE300. I was back in Praia before noon.
I have no reason to spend another day in Praia. Hence I spent the whole day in the hotel and only went out for a late lunch and an evening drink. But the involuntary one-day stay in Praia is costly: CVE800 for a taxi to Praia, US$50 for a room and CVE1,000 for a taxi to the airport at 4:30am the following morning. Above all, it wastes my time.
May 6 Wednesday: Praia, Santiago – Mindelo, São Vicente
My plane left at 6am and I arrived at Aparthotel Avenida in Mindelo before 8am. I had a nice room with simple furniture and sea view for CVE2,750. Good value!
São Vicente has a population of 50,000. Its capital, Mindelo, the culture centre and the prettiest city of Cabo Verde is lined with palm trees and colourful colonial buildings, appearing more like a Mediterranean seaside town. Rue da Libertad d’ Africa is the colonial heart. Most people speak French as 40% of the tourists come from France. The best way to enjoy Mindelo is to stroll aimlessly watching the locals who look strikingly beautiful and happy. Of course, I have also seen people with drinking problems lying on the street or begging for money.
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I went to the La Pergola in the courtyard of Alliance Francişe for breakfast. Then I strolled along the Rue da Libertad d’ Africa at the end of which is the Paládo de Presidente, a pink colonial confection now serving as the island’s governing council. The promenade is also charming. After a quick look at the fish market, I decided to take an aluguer to Calhau which is said to have some fine beaches.
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I am not a beach cucumber and have little interest in beaches. But I want to look at the landscape. When I got off the aluguer, I found no attractive beach in sight. But several volcanic cones scattering around the area.
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I had not put on my walking boots as I expected to find sand and beaches. But I could not resist walking up to the craters which are not too steep. In a way, I enjoy this unexpected hike: the landscape, vegetation at the top and views of the surrounding coastline are not bad at all! I wish the Lonely Planet had provided more accurate information so that I could have come prepared with proper gears.
To find an aluguer back to Mindelo is not easy. I reached the main road at 1:15pm but had to wait till 2pm. The driver Luciano is friendly though he only speaks French. We managed to communicate in French and I asked him to take me around on May 11 to Mt Verde (750m) and other places of interest before dropping me off at the airport. The price for 4 hours’ drive is CVE4,000.
May 7 Thursday: – São Vicente – Santo Antão
There are two daily ferries (8am and 3pm) to Santo Antão, the second largest island in Cabo Verde with a population of 44,000. It is a vertical island ruptured with canyons, gorges and valleys. The northeastern part of the island receives regular waterfall hence forest of pine trees dominate the hill tops with plenty of tropical plants in the valleys.
 Boat at Santo Antao pier; St Vicente (back) |
 Santo Antao |
The ferry takes an hour to cross the channel. I originally planned to stay at Valé de Paúl in the seaside town called ‘Paúl’. Then a young driver with a board for Sandro, Valé de Paúl suggested me go to stay at Sandro, a guest house at the upper part of Valé de Paúl. He speaks English and is helpful. I appreciate his advice as the guest house is excellent and reasonable. The ride to Valé de Paúl first along the southern coast of the island and then up the valley is scenic and breath-taking at certain sections. The 40-minute scenic ride only cost CVE400.
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 Vale de Paul |
 My simple room in Sandro Guesthouse |
Sandro is a nice guest house with fabulous views of the valley. There are several rooms with a dozen of beds. The receptionist suggested me take a 4-5 hours walk in the valley and walk to the crater the following day. I started my valley walk after 12:30pm and passed many picturesque villages including Chã Paobre, Chã Mato, Pico António and Boca Figueiral.
 Sandro is the red building on the upper slope |
 Fertile valley with terraced fields |
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I met a young lady pounding coffee beans and brought a bag for CVE500. I don’t drink but she is a nice lady who is hard working. I can give the coffee to a friend. Then I met a couple who happily showed me their ten 2-week-old piglets.
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I brought a beer after reaching Pico António from a lady who charged me CVE150. This is ridiculous as she had to carry the beer all the way on her back from the valley. So I paid her CVE50 more: she looked happy and appreciative. Then I met three French friends whom I first saw at Sandro. We walked together and I was delighted to have companions.
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In the evening, I had chicken and rice for dinner at Sandro, red wine and two shots of grogue made from sugar cane. Passagem, a village at the middle section of the valley produces the best grogue in the country.
May 8 Friday: Santo Antão
Valé de Paúl is green, charming and very peaceful. I had a good sleep without noise. To avoid the heat, I set off around 7:30am for the classic hike up the Valé de Paúl to reach the Cova crater (1170m) which has fascinating patchworks of farms.
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The path leading to the crater is about 500m above Sandro. I saw men and women busy in the sugar cane fields: the men were cutting the canes while the women were carrying them on their head to a depot below. It is amazing to find sugar cane growing on the cliffs! The stone path is fairly well-maintained till the last 100 metres. There are about 40 bends from the start to the end. I stopped almost at each bend to look back at the valley and take a photo or two.
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I arrived at the crater two hours later. The first sight at the crater is incredible and unearthly. The crater is under cultivation though the floor looks brown without crops now. I saw farmers working in the field with cows grazing in the background. Several villagers young and old were going to get water with buckets on their heads. Some were walking alongside their donkeys.
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The valley is covered with pine trees and several prominent and colourful trees stand out. This place is reachable by aluguers: there is a good road linking it to Ribeira Grande. The views at the lookout point is breathtaking with full views of São Vicente and Porto Novo.
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I got on an aluguer and had a most scenic ride to Ribeira Grande for CVE300. The road is well-built. But it is a frightening experience to look down the vertical cliffs.
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Ribeira Grande, the administrative centre of the island, is not attractive. I waited for an aluguer for Porto do Sol which is a famous spot for surfing and wave watching. But the main reason is to walk to Fontainhas which location is said to be ‘the most magnificently sited village in Cape Verde’ which ‘clings like a spider to a little ridge high above its fertile valley and a small cove’.
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It’s midday and very hot. The road is well-paved. There was no aluguer. Hence I waled till I had a full view of the village. I guessed I might take another 20 minutes to reach the village which I do not find so extraordinary. Hence I turned back. Then a 4WD arrived giving me a lift to Porto do Sol. The driver speaks French as he has lived in Marseilles. He has a farm near Fontainhas with three workmen. He dropped me off next to the old part of the town next to the harbour. I found a nice bar restaurant next and was surprised to see the French couple with whom I shared a taxi in Monsterio, Fogo. What a small world!
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I watched the awesome waves and how the tiny fishing boats battled their way to the small cove to off-load their catch of the day. Some locals go to the harbour to buy fish directly from the fishermen. The way back to Sandro is quite an experience. As it’s siesta time, I had to wait for half an hour for an aluguer to Ribeira Grande and another one to Paúl.
Before taking the third aluguer to Valé de Paúl, I spent half an hour strolling in Paúl, an idyllic small village with a pretty strip of pastel houses along the ocean. Had I taken a private aluguer, I might pay CVE1,500-2,000 for the whole journey and take around an hour. But I enjoy travelling like the locals so that I can have a feel about their daily life.
I was back in Sandro before 4pm and had dinner at 5pm. My total bill for two nights’ stay, two dinners and half a dozen of drinks came to CVE7,640. It is value for money and certainly one of the places I would highly recommend for those who love to walk and have a local feel.
May 9 Saturday: Santo Antão
All aluguers depart for Porto Novo around 7am to take passengers for the 10am ferry to Mindelo and pick up arriving passengers at 9am. I took a ride with the same driver. He was unlucky: I was the only passenger. I gave him CVE1,000CVE instead of 400 since he is a nice and honest guy. During the high season from November too January, he often takes group for a day for about CVE8,000. It is worthwhile to have a private car to go around the island for a day or two if one is short of time.
Aluguers and taxis from all over the island arrive before 9am: there must be 40-50 vehicles. I first planned to spend a night at Ribeira da Crux at the northern end of the island. Then I discovered and took the one going to Alto Mira direct.
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It was about 9:30am when the aluguer left the pier. Martin the driver spent the next two hours driving round town to pick up passengers and goods. It is a good way to understand the way of life and every corner of Porto Novo!
I was sitting at the last row with three other men: I thought I might faint as it was stuffy. But once the aluguer was moving with cool breeze coming in, I was fine.
Finally I arrived at my destination in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. Alto Mira consists of three settlements spreading in the valley.
Martin dropped me off at a guesthouse where I paid CVE2,100 for a room with breakfast and dinner. The daughter of the owner speaks English as she is an English teacher in Ribeira das Patas. Their place must be popular with French tourists: a group of 12 just left after staying for 2 nights. They trekked from the village to Ribeira da Cruz.
It was too hot and late to take a 5-6 hours hike on my own. Hence, I paid Martin CVE2,000 to take me there at 4pm. When we set off, two other passengers I met in the morning jumped in for a free ride. I do not mind: I have had lift on several occasions from kind people I met on the road. I hope a lift can make my friends happy too.
The journey took less than 20 minutes. Then I walked for half an hour to take a better look at a gorge which ends up at the sea about two kilometres down the road.
Martin took me to another village where he stopped at a local store to chat with his friends. I followed a path and reach a stone hut where gorgue is produced for local consumption. Here they use horses to press the sugar cane.
Martin insisted in buying me a beer. I was back to Alto Mira at 6:30pm. May 10-13 is the time these villages honour their saint Fatima. A group of emigrants from the Netherlands is playing music in different villages during the festival. My friends suggested me spend another day with them to watch the procession, enjoy the music and dance. I politely declined as I had a tight schedule. I watched a football match at the village stadium for a while before having dinner. The chicken prepared in local style is juicy and delicious.
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Music though played in another village down in the valley, was so loud that I could not sleep. The bright street lamp outside also bothered me. Hence a sleepless night!
May 10 Sunday: Porto Novo, Santo Antão – Mindelo, São Vicente – Rest Day
On Sunday, the ferry arriving at Porto Novo in the morning does not return to Mindelo till 5pm. Martin picked me up at 6am and dropped me off at Porto Novo before 7am. I hoped to find an aluguer to go to Tarrafal on the western side of the island and pay for a private aluguer to take me back for the 5pm ferry.
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I had no luck as none of the arriving passengers was going to Tarrafal. Hence, I spent the whole day at the terrace bar of a residencial opposite the pier. Luckily my blog keeps me occupied whenever I have free time. As a good customer, I had a coffee, a chocolate and a beer spending about €5 on drinks. The waitress must feel sorry for me and was glad to see me off.
I was hungry and had a set dinner at Club Nautico next to the hotel. I only paid CVE650 for a 2-course meal with vegetable soup and pan-fried fish. Great value for money! I love to go to a bar with live music. But the performance here begins around 10pm. It is too late for me.
May 11: São Vicente – Sal
My flight to Sal would be leaving at 7pm. I had a leisure morning and after a wholesome and delicious lunch at my flavourite restaurant – Casa Café Mindelo, I set off on a private tour in Luciano’s aluguer. I visited five places.
- Salamansa is a small village which is not picturesque or interesting.
- Baia das Gatas is more interesting and photogenic. As a boat was coming in, we went to the cove to watch the fishermen unload the catch of the day. A Swedish man and his young and beautiful Verdean wife were buying a 1.3-kg lobster and a 7-kg yellow-fin tuna: they paid CVE1,500 for the lobster and CVE2,000 for the tune. What a bargain! The natural beach well-protected from the treacherous waves is beautiful with clear water and fine sand. The view of the Praia do Norte (North Beach) and Calhau is fantastic.
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- Mt Verde (750m) affords panoramic views of the northern and eastern side of the island as well as the southern side of Santo Antão.
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- São Pedro bay and village is next to the airport
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Luciano dropped me off at the airport at 5pm. I checked in and the flight to Sal took less than an hour. At 8pm, I landed at the airport which was first built by the Italian. I shared a taxi with two backpackers to Santa Maria (CVE400 each).
After checking in Les Alizés on the main street, Ifound a restaurant Angelas one block away. I had a cooked (boiled) grouper and a pint of draft for CVE800. It turns out a flavourite spot for the locals too.
May 12 Tuesday: Sal – Island Tour
My original plan was to spend two days in Sal. I ended up spending three nights in a pension in Santa Maria as I could not fly to Las Palmas till May 15.
Sal, a small island with a population of 31,000, is totally different from the five islands I have visited. It is flat looking more like a desert or semi desert. Monte Grande at 496m is the highest point on the island. Thanks to the sandy beaches, Sal has become a popular destination for sun-seekers on package tour from Belgium, the UK, Italy and Germany. Sal is definitely not for me: I would not spend time in a resort lying in the sun. I booked a half-day island tour for €29 (The owner only took €24 when I paid him after the tour). There are six stops on this standard tour.
- Espargos, the unimpressive capital
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- Terra Boa for sighting mirage
- Buracona (blue eye)- another mirage. Unfortunately, there was no blue eye on a cloudy day
- Palmeira, a small and traditional fishing village and port of the island
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- Praia Predra Lume where sharks coming in for feeding on the weeds
- Salinas where one can float in the small salt lake (similar to Dead Sea)
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I returned to Angelas for lunch: a grilled grouper and a beer. The day was gone.
May 13 Wednesday: Sal – Diving
I dived with my family in Mabul, Phillipines last December. Hence I can dive without taking refreshing course this time. The price for two dives is €90. We had four divers with an instructor. I got a mask with prescription from the dive shop but the bend broke. Hence I had to use one without prescription. Water sipped in as well.
The first dive did not work out well as I had to adjust to a new master without prescription. The water was murky. I could hardly see. The instructor took us to three caves, one of which is big enough to get into without problem. There are many red colour fish inside the this cave and lots of trumpet fish in the other two. Then a loggerhead turtle suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
The second dive looking at a wreck of 50m long and12m below sea water was much better in terms of visibility and things to see. There are big schools of goatfish, large puffer and surgeon fish. A big loggerhead turtle is sleeping peacefully in a small cavern. I wonder whether it ever bothers to come out for food!
I had a menu of day in another restaurant which turned out to be a disappointment. I had a siesta and the rest of the day was spent on my website.
May 14 Thursday: Sal – Rest Day
Another leisure day. In the morning, I spent three hours walking along the eastern side of Santa Maria and watched half a dozen men harvesting sea salt from the salt pan. In the late afternoon, I walked two hours along the beach.
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I notice several large resort projects are under construction probably providing another thousand beds. Is there sufficient demand for conventional package holidays? The demand is already low outside the high season (November to January). Instead of providing more beds to cater just for the short peak season, would it be better to find ways to raise occupancy throughout the year? I am afraid monster resorts would turn the island into a soulless ghetto!
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I treated myself with a lobster lunch (CVE2,000) at Angelas. The whole lobster grilled in butter and garlic sauce is yummy! As I still had some local currency, I went to a newly opened sushi bar and had bonito and tuna sashumi and a glass of wine for CVE1,300. I like the bonito which has a nice texture and flavour.
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May 15 Friday: Sal, Cabo Verde – Las Palmas, Canary Islands (GMT)
After breakfast, I left for the airport. Instead of spending €12 on a taxi, I took an aluguer for CVE100. I found the driver polite and the vehicle new and comfortable. I gave him CVE200: he was happy.
The airport provides excellent free Wi-Fi. I therefore called my brother and friends for a chat. The plane left on time around noon with a stop-over in Praia. I finally left Cabo Verde at 1:20pm and arrived at the Gran Canaria Airport at 6pm (local time)
Remarks
Cabo Verde was not on my radar screen till I booked two back-to-back trips from Bluff, New Zealand to Praia, Cabo Verde. I knew nothing about this African country except it was a former Portuguese colony where Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus stopped in 1497 and 1498 respectively. Most of my Hong Kong friends have never heard and dreamed of visiting. Anyway, I have a nice time with many pleasant surprises and spent18 days exploring six out of the nine islands in the archipelago.
Cabo Verde is part of Africa but without the African chaos: it is peaceful and functioning without religious and racial conflicts which have ruined many African countries. The cities and villages (though poor) are tidy, cleaner and organised than most of the places I have visited in Africa. Public transportation works and is affordable. The Mediterranean ambiance in Mindelo has taken me by surprise. My elementary level French has proved to be useful.
I appreciate the topography and landscape of each island. Santo Antão is my flavourite: it is spectacular and a hiker’s paradise. Brava is small but charming. The day trip to Mt Fogo has cost me a fortune but the money is well spent. I can see vividly how nature works and feel the grief and despair of the inhabitants who have lost everything. I am impressed by the optimism and resilience of Zuka, my young guide who has lost his house.
I had no idea about the Cabo Verdean diaspora and the large number of Cabo Verdeans in Boston, USA before this visit. Poverty, famines and desperation have driven many to migrate. The emigres are now helping their family through remittance and sponsoring the young to study and work overseas. The frequent direct flight to Boston, the home for tens of thousands of Cabo Verdeans, is an indication of such link. I believe the diaspora has attributed to the openness and outward-looking attitude of the country and the people today. My brief e