West Africa or Brazil?: Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde

 

Mindelo,São Vicente,  Cape Verde: once a very important port 

My previous post covered Cidade Velha, the oldest Portuguese colonial port in the Cape Verde archipelago. That was on Santiago island. Our next stop was  Mindelo on Sao Vicente island. This deep water port, also the largest port in the islands, has an even more interesting history. Of the nine islands this was the last to be inhabited. In the 19th century, with the advent of sizable steam ships and increase in transatlantic traffic, Mindelo became the port for refuelling. The triangle trade brought British ships loaded with coal. Now it is the second largest city in the country after Praia, the capital. 

Landmarks

Closest to the port is the unmistakable Torre de  Bellum, a replica of the original: a 5 storey tower built in the 16th century to defend Lisbon, now a lighthouse and museum. The one that stands before us has only three stories and houses a museum that features the seafaring colonisers who conquered sea and land. Walking from the port towards the city along a palm lined highway we come across the eagle monument (commemorating the first Lisbon to Rio  air crossing in 1922 ) which then brings us to the esplanade with the Marina in clear view. 

As we saunter through the streets we are struck by the vibrant hues of the  colonial buildings contributing to a celebratory atmosphere.

History explains it all 

It is undoubtedly a beautiful city with colonial architecture, colourful buildings and a Brazilian vibe.The city's annual Carnival, the biggest in the country, turns the city 'Brazilian'  for a week. It shouldn't be a surprise as Brazil and Cape Verde were both part of the Portuguese Empire for 300 years. Cape Verde was a starting point for the Atlantic slave trade to Brazil. Brazil also administered Cape Verde in the early 19th century while the Portuguese court was transferred to Brazil. 

This port city is geographically in west Africa but has an unmistakable European feel making it the cultural capital of the islands. The infrastructure is attributed to the British.

 A conversation gives us a lead

We simply want to explore the surroundings by taking public transport before we go into the markets. A friendly looking man is leaning against a railing apparently waiting for something or someone. We strike up a conversation. And that is how we learn about a village at the foot of extinct volcanoes and another on the opposite side of town closer to the airport. It is not easy to remember the names since it's the first time we are hearing of them and in the adventurous spirit we do not even bother to write them down somewhere.  We approach a Toyota Hiace (a van with 3 rows of seats) and talk to the driver who says he is going towards the volcanoes( fortunately he spoke some English). We board and wait for other passengers. It is not a long wait since the seats fill up quickly ( refer to collectivos mentioned in my post on Praia). A formidable landscape

Our aluguer ( our shared taxi/van) moves off, passing by a very neat looking Jewish Cemetery which is said to be highly interesting because of the stories inscribed on some of the tombs. For some it is a pilgrimage to the famous Cape Verdean Singer, Cesária Évora, who is entombed here.

The terrain that we pass through is clearly volcanic and arid with vegetable patches near wells operated by wind power.

Where are the surfers and beach goers?

15 km later we reach Caulho Village, a fishing village, for that is where we are headed, pay the driver through the window and excitedly look around. The place seems to be deserted. We begin to worry if we'll ever get transport back to town. Nevertheless we walk around and reach the volcanic rock beach( known for its surf). We are definitely in the vicinity of extinct volcanoes. There are holiday chalets on the other side of the bay as well. Yet there is no sign of life. When we decide to seek shade we spot a cat in the verandah of an empty beach side house! I found out later that the bay opposite is called Baia De Gatas, Cats Bay! It is a resort but this is not the season.The colours of the houses and roofs complement the faint hues of volcanic sand and rocks.

After school

When we return to town, we pick up school children who are too shy to talk to us but excited to know we are teachers. We get back to the ship for a quick lunch and still have plenty of time to explore since we will not be sailing till much later in the evening.  We return to the Torre De Belem and the markets which are vibrant with colour and life! At the seafood market the fishmonger is dramatic in her hawking. The  heaped fruits and vegetables in the produce market are incredible for someone who has just seen the invariable land. The open market is filled with kiosks selling items from apparel to craft and souvenirs. Here we see the lively spark that we missed elsewhere.

A neat town

Then another aluguer ride takes us to Pedro village about 10 km away

in the southwestern part of the island. It is such a beautifully laid out residential area with compact colourful houses, well paved clean roads abd gardens. The huge park has a few well placed trees and small patches of greenery  with a recreational area for children and space, including gazebos, for the community to gather. It's like an oasis in the shadows of volcanic hills. Again, except for a few children at play, and a couple of grocery shops where the aluguers stop for passengers, all is quiet. We wait for transport back. Luckily we find shade in which to wait.. 

Face to face with seafood

Our next  alguer does not go directly to Mindelo. Since we have plenty of time to spare we are not perturbed. Our driver stops at the beach where the  fishermen's fresh catch has arrived. There's a lot of haggling and hand shaking. Boxes of seafood are being loaded onto our roof. A huge lobster and the gaping mouth of a huge fish stare me in the face. A few feet away a man holding a huge lobster in each hand is swinging his way on the sandy beach towards a lonely but huge 

A jaunt to the airport

From the beach that we had explored earlier we see an aircraft land and taxi towards a building. This of course is the airport aptly named after the famous singer: Cesária Évora Airport, the island's international airport. When our ride resumes we find that the road is only about 100 meters away from the airport. A very walkable distance indeed. We need not have worried about public transport at all, for surely there'll be some means of transport  to and from the airport. 

An evening stroll

Back at Mindelo there's still more time to explore and so we walk the esplanade. We take a peek into the church. The waterfront restaurants  are well lit and have a beautiful ambience but we do not see very many customers.  It's then time to get back to the ship for dinner and a well earned rest.

Praia, Cape Verde: unshackled from the past

A fishy welcome

Our cruise liner docks at Praia in Santiago, one of the islands of the Cape Verde archipelago. That it is the capital is evident from the sky line visible from the pier. The walk from the pier towards the city is lined with fishing boats and fishermen with huge catches in large basins waiting to hook a buyer. The terrain seems arid but is punctuated by patches of green including a sizable patch of sugarcane, an indication of the soil conditions –volcanic with limited arable land and the tropical weather.

Observation

As we walk towards a hub of activity we find that it is a sprawling covered market. The folk do definitely have Afrocentric features. Then there are groups of young men and women standing under the shady trees. Now, they seem to have some caucasian features. At that time it didn't seem unusual. Just another city with a mix of peoples.

Public transport anxiety

Vans are parked along the streets with some drivers calling out for passengers.Some cruisers had been talking about going further inland to Cidade Velha.  Why not follow suit? No taxis for us. Preferring to ride with the locals we check with one of the vans and get lucky. We board the collectivo, as the van is called. We are comforted by the fact that a Mexican couple, fellow cruisers, is also in the van. After about 10 mins we move, but stop within a few mins. Fortunately, we are under a tree safe from the scorching heat. Young well dressed people are milling about. Is there a college nearby? Should we panic? How long will the trip take? Will we have time to explore and will we be able to get similar transport back? We have seating space that should ideally fill up before we leave the city. Collectivo. What an appropriate name! We have since heard that you may find yourself waiting for an hour or more  for the van to fill up. I don't think we waited that long.

A vista

And then we are off passing through different neighbourhoods, cemeteries, blue churches with red roofs, and all the marks of a port city and a commercial centre. In no time at all we are on a wide laned smoothly paved highway whose curves climb around hills. Patches of green stick out of steep, rugged, rocky slopes. We are actually driving above the coast line that dramatically presents a birds eye view of the settlement below us. 

Somewhat comforted

After driving 14 km in 20 mins we park under a tree surrounded by a raised platform with benches on it. Passengers are waiting on the benches with all their wares for the journey back to Praia. Perhaps there is no need to worry about the return journey in a few hours.The driver earns a dollar from each of us for his services. 

Peeling off the layers

As we drove into the ‘town’ we passed by ruins. It seems too far away to walk there and negotiating the steep climb to it doesn't seem like a good idea on a hot day.

We are in a small unassuming hamlet with a museum-cum-craft store. Beside it is a grocery store. If there is a grocery store there must be a residential area.

Provocative findings

Sure enough we see a few streets ahead of us. The exploration begins in earnest. It is only a few hundred metres to the furthest edge of the area. We are in the old town. In fact, it is the oldest in Cape Verde. The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary built in the Gothic style is closed for renovations. Built in 1495, It has been marked as a UNESCO World Heritage.  It's the oldest colonial church in the world. Walking back towards the town square the modest, clean, cobbled streets packed side to side with limestone houses roofed with thatched, windows adorned with beautifully patterned curtains, exude an irresistible charm. Almost every dwelling is built on raised ground shored up with rocks. Banana trees abound in the little vegetable gardens. Mango, papaya and coconut trees are aplenty. There are goats too. Aptly, the street is called Rue des Bananas, the oldest street in the African region.

It's so rustic that we even meet a young girl doing her clothes-washing in an oval aluminium tub filled with sudsy water. A light skinned tourist felt so sorry for her that she handed her a five dollar note so she could save money to buy the household a washing machine. What are we promoting by this gesture?

Horror of horrors: anguish and justice

As we go about we notice the fort (passed by earlier)built on the escarpment looking down on the hamlet. We go back to the square to wait for a collectivo. And that is when we notice a white marble pillar set in the middle of a three tiered octagonal base. It has a thick iron loop attached to it. 

Built in 1950, this is the mast where slaves were tied for exhibition and sale. It is the Pillory monument. Standing there hanging on to the loop we can smile now and perceive the absurdity of it all. This is also the place where criminals and slaves were whipped. 

Puzzles partly solved: a legacy

The port lies in the central Atlantic Ocean 500 km from the westernmost point on the African Continent. Portuguese navigators found these islands. The first Portuguese settlers only arrived in the mid 15th century.  It explains the huge Catholic churches. One of the Cathedrals has only the walls and windows to remind the residents of their once harsh rulers. They chose the area because a river flowed from the escarpment above into the bay. 

But the island's climate and terrain were not conducive to agriculture. The turning point came because of the strategic location in the triangle trade. Slaves captured in Africa were sailed in unspeakable conditions to the island and sold off to plantations in the New World in return for their raw materials. Hence the port flourished as a centre for manufactured goods. This attracted pirates that necessitated Fort Philipe, built on the escarpment.

The opening of the Suez Canal marked the beginning of the fall of the port.

Cabo Verde only attained independence in 1975. It is said to have the best democracy among the African nations.

The country does grow food but most of it, especially cereals, are imported.

The language spoken is creole, a mix of European and indigenous languages.

The overwhelming majority of the population of Cabo Verde is of mixed European and African descent and is often referred to as mestiço.

The social and economic centre

We do have a long wait before a collectivo turns up. A few female students in school uniform join us along the way. They are excited to meet us but are shy. We are back in Praia with time to spare. The market is brimming with fruits and vegetables. Another section is equally colourful with mounds and mounds of clothes. Outside, the basket shop is bustling with buyers. Under the trees are basins filled with?! suckling pigs and baby goats for sale. The bigger goats are tethered to the trees.

This visit to Cabo Verde was a revelation of terrible truths and hope in a place we had never expected to visit.