Sal

 Even more reasons to love Cape Verde: An island named Salt, its capitol town called Asparagus, baby lemon sharks, sand blown over from the Sahara, and traditional stew (katchupa). Thank you, more please.

Juncalinho

 Magical spot in the east of São Nicolau! (It’s magical everywhere!)

Carbeirinho

 A magical spot on the west side of São Nicolau…

São Nicolau

Cape Verdean island #4, and she’s a beaut!

Maio island life

Maio loop

 It’s island #3, the tiny, sunny, beachy haven of Maio. Quite a contrast with Fogo, and blissful to do a guided circuit of the island to get a good sense of the place. 

Fogo tour

It was a gorgeous day for making a circuit of this volcanic island. How am I so lucky?

São Filipe

 I have moved along to the Cape Verdean island of Fogo, which is basically an enormous active volcano. So of course I had to come here and am thrilled about that. The colorful, chill capitol town of São Filipe was a sweet place to stroll around for a morning. 

It was also illuminating to realize that where I’m staying on the other side of the island is the windy side. Kind of a relief to realize the entire world is not being blown away by howling gusts and there are still places where the air is calm under a shining sun! With BEAUTIFUL views of volcanic sand shores and the Atlantic…

Sucupira

 Sucupira is Praia’s traditional African market, the way-less-fluorescent precursor to a Super-Walmart—though in my opinion, better in every way. Need groceries? New shoes? A tailor? A quick lunch? Household knick-knacks? Your hair done? A place to chill for the afternoon? Sucupira is there for you!

(Disclaimer: I swear, I did ask the women in the hair stall if it was okay if I took their picture, and they said yes. I feel like I need to say that since they don’t look very happy about it.)

Santiago Island in a day

 Praia is at the south end of Santiago Island, and though I don’t expect that after this week I’ll be back here for more than a night or two in transit, I did get to take a daytrip north along Santiago’s mountainous spine to the gorgeous northern beach at Tarrafal for lunch and a swim, and then back south along the east coast. The highlight was probably learning to make Cabo Verdean couscous and fidjos (banana donut balls) for breakfast with Mama Luisa, the mother of the owner of the tour company. Sweetness and beauty!

Cape Verde!

 Well hello there! Happy 2025, and welcome to this West African adventure!

The final locale for my travel fellowship is yet another tropical island nation, this one off the coast of Senegal: Cape Verde. I’m starting it off with a week in the capitol, Praia, working on a visa issue (more on that later), getting oriented, and seeing what there is to see. So far: warm and colorful and it’s thrilling to be here.