The Ou in Mindelo
Recovered and recuperated and what not, so I’m here to write y’all a little something just before yous go off on your Easter weekend (and since I’m in a Catholic country, no doubt this weekend will bring some interesting points to my travelling).
I’m on Sao Vicente Island (I’m never quite sure if I must capitalise the ‘I’ in ‘island’ or not) in the city of Mindelo which is probably the best city in Cape Verde. Since I think I’ve now been to all the spots you could theoretically a call a “city” (i.e. Praia, Espargos, Mindelo, Sal Rei), I feel qualified to make that statement. The rest are glorified towns/villages though some people (like me) might find the villages are better anyway.
So why is it a nice city? Well, it’s got some cobblestoned roads, nice views, it’s right next to the ocean, there’s well looked after old buildings, beautiful cosmopolitan people, plenty of cafes, live music and pleasant weather.
But there’s a down side too. Not a big one but because there’s no real backpacker trail here, I sorta have to forge my own way. And it’s slightly harder in a bigger city with more options. I have to find the best internet cafe, the best places to stay, the places to eat and shop. All this takes some time and also I have to establish a network of people I can hang out with or, at the very least, find some things I can do to keep me busy.
Anyway, so far it looks like I’ll be catching a short ferry to the next island to do some sightseeing and also hanging about on the beach here (though the beach was better on other islands). I’ll have to wait and see what Easter is like and whether it messes with or improves my logistics here.
Oh, and I posted some more photos…
Ghalied
April 5th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Hey Ghalied – It looks like you’re having a great time and keeping out of trouble (for the most part) :)nrnrYou’ve got some great pics – let me know when you make it over to the States..