That’s a wrap on Cape Verde

 What a beautiful country. I’m posting this before I even take off and I miss it already. 

So long, Santo Antão

Man, am I going to miss this friendly, gorgeous island. It’s been a blissful couple of weeks.

Delgadinho viewpoint

 The kind souls who took me on the incredibly scenic Corda Road to Cova Crater (unfortunately draped in heavy fog on this day) showed me a video from this particular viewpoint taken during the rainy season, when these stunning mountains are blanketed in green like Ireland and waterfalls drop thousands of feet like something out of my wildest dreams. Definitely planning now to time a return visit in hopes of seeing such a sight with my own eyes before I depart this amazing planet…

Fontainhas

 Straight out of National Geographic. Seriously. 

Porta do Sol

 Will the wonders of Santo Antão island never cease?

Valle de Paul

 Wow wow wow….

Ribeira Grande and Paul

 The towns of Santo Antão are just about as lovely as the mountain scenery.

Um, yes? Can we help you?

 

It’s sugar cane harvest time

 

Garça

 I’m staying my first five days in Santo Antão in this mountain village. What would it be like to be born, live, and die here in this setting? I have been trying to imagine.

Seventh, heaven

 I heard lots about the island of Santo Antão, mostly around how it’s the most beautiful of all the Cape Verdean islands. So I trusted the gossip and am spending two weeks here. The drive from the ferry port to the first guesthouse I’m staying at sure reinforced that decision….

Mandingas

 I missed Mindelo’s famous Carnival celebrations, but got to witness the final Mandinka cultural parade, the Carnival “funeral” that lasted for hours (far longer than I did) and definitely impressed. 

Mindelo

 Having a minor love affair with the main city on the island of São Vicente. They say it’s the cultural capital of Cape Verde. I say it’s beautiful.

Back in Cape Verde!

 It feels so good to be back in Cape Verde, refreshed visa in hand! I spent my first 24 hours back in Cidade Velha (Santiago Island), the original settlement and capitol of Cape Verde. These streets, and the ruins of its old cathedral, were the epicenter of the trans-Atlantic trade of enslaved people, scant hundreds of years ago. I think it’s a real testament to the beautiful spirit of Cape Verdeans that the town is a sunny, colorful, cheerful, and friendly place, not still obviously drenched in the suffering, destruction, and murder that defined its painful past.

São Miguel west side

 Oh, this island! Oh, the Azores!!

São Miguel east side

 

Pico: a thrilling fly-by

 

More Flores

 

Flores

 This island. Wow.