To Madeira, the Cape Verde & Canary Isles - Praia, Cape Verde Isles Page

Thursday 27th December 2012.

I got up at 0620, a bit too early, for the sail in. The Sun rises very quickly down here. Some people could see flying fish but I could not. There was a school of dolphins visible, though, apparently breakfasting on the flying fish. We picked up the pilot at 0710 & I went in for breakfast. We were among the first off the boat. There was a sort of ramshackle market near the port & a lot of importuning taxis but we walked the two kilometres into the city, along a cobbled road with a badly maintained cobbled pavement & a concrete sea wall, which had eroded to show the reinforcing. However, after we had crossed the bridge over the river, now a trickle but obviously liable to flash floods, & were halfway up the ascent road to the city proper (or old town) on the Plateau, things improved. We had passed several women with loads on their heads, mostly of fruit & veg & while some greeted us in Portuguese, most looked at us suspiciously. Maybe, their brothers were taxi drivers!

Women by the Port

How stuff gets carried

The river. The Plateau is on the left.

The Old Town was mostly in quite good shape but the ship's map was misleading.

Basalt crystal columns

A School

A Primary School

However, after walking along the cliff-top road to the end, passing the Palace of Justice & a scruffy barracks, we found the view over the rest of the city & a ship party, who's guide described the political system outside the Presidential Palace, a fairly modest building.

Palace of Justice

Towards the 'New(er) Town'

Presidential Palace

This street lead to the main square & we cooled off in the Cathedral, as it was now about 23°C but hot in the Sun.

Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral

Local in primitive superstition

We went along another street parallel to the Front & found a small market in a square.

Main Square

Local ladies

Local kid bouncing on a baloon

Small market

Pots on sale

Another local kid

It was only when we came back along a pedestrianised parallel street that we found the main market. Health & Safety would have shut it down instantly but as usual with such places, it was fascinating, with piles of meat people sorted through with their fingers. (Below: Scenes in the Main Market).

Small market

Pots on sale

We walked round further by the hospital & then, took a taxi back to the ship, having spent 2 1/2 hours on our feet. We read before scrounging an early tea, as I was giving the Schubert talk at 4. Small but highly appreciative audience, who asked when I was giving another. I quickly changed from my slops into my Caribbean shirt for the sail-away party on the rather restricted quarter deck. Lamb shank for dinner. We made sure we got front row seats for the show, some of which we had seen on other cruises but none the worse for that, then to hear the MIT band, who played River Deep, Mountain High again for me.