Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands

 ENJOYING A WINE BY THE LAGOON, CATFISH BAY

 IN THE FISH MARKET.  SPOT THE KITTEN.

LOCALS LEAVING THE MARKET

The fourteen volcanic islands that make up Cape Verde were first settled in 1462 by the Portuguese, who also brought African slaves to work on the plantations.  This intermingling of races produced a unique look to the people of Cape Verde - lighter skin and slightly more European features.  

The architecture, in Mindelo anyway, is distinctly colonial Portuguese.  There are no high-rises and many of the houses are nestled on rocky outcrops that rise above the town.  There is nothing green about the island of Sao Vicente.  Jagged mountains dominate the skyline, accentuating the barrenness of the surrounding countryside.

We arrived on a mild, sunny day.  The heady scent of oleanders permeated the air and I think we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.  We were ready for a change of pace from the relentless clamour, chaos and suffocating heat of mainland Africa.

Another bus tour today. Hard plastic seats and no air-con but everyone was in a good mood.  The African American woman sitting behind me, a former principal with a booming voice, kept saying over and over as the day progressed, “This is a good day, mmmm-hmm.  This is a GOOD day.”  Any second I expected her to start swaying in the seat, fanning herself as a gospel choir burst into song.

We made lots of stops in the town - visiting handicraft centres, art galleries, markets, music stores, statues, cathedrals (this is a Catholic nation) and NO MUSEUMS.  Yay!  I liked the art exhibition we saw of local life, colourfully depicted in a flat, naive style.  And the fish market had just received a huge catch of tuna which had the locals in a flap of activity.  No one seemed to notice the scrawny scrap of a kitten, almost buried in the slit belly of a tuna, frantically chewing away. 

We drove over some mountains to Catfish Bay - a cobblestone road all the way, which made for a bone-jangling trip.  Here on the beach, at the edge of the lagoon, we were entertained with music and dancers whilst eating fish cakes and drinking Cape Verde wine (quite nice actually).

Our tour finished in the morning so Rob and I spent the afternoon walking around town.  The buildings are square boxes painted in pastel colours, with iron railings and pretty shutters.  Shops closed between 1pm and 3pm which forced us to have a long, leisurely lunch.  Wok fried seafood with deliciously fresh vegetables and rice, washed down with the local beer, Strela.

My only souvenir was a cd of music by Cape Verde’s most famous export, the singer Cesaria Evora, “the barefoot diva”, who died last year.  She sang “morna” music, similar in style to the Portuguese “fado”.  Mournful, passionate songs that deserve your full attention.