Then I follow the copplestone
road on the coastal plain up north. It is a real barren area, dominated by
gravel, some yellow grass and green
acacias. I meet more donkeys and cows, than cars.
I do several stops at beaches. One have piles of the huge conch, eaten by the locals. The next is Praia Grande, which is found behind an acacia forest. It is a nice sandy beach. I see the forest and the entire beach, but fail to find anything interesting, except the awesome views.
Despite
the barren appearance, I meet two herdsmen with close to a hundred cows.
Then The GPS leads me down a real rough gravel road.
I stop at a ravine, where I find a few new plants, one being an thorny Asparagaceae. Here are a few scatted cows, left unattended. The road ends at an old gravel dig, and I have a kilometre to walk to my first sight. It is over rocks and gravel from volcanic origin, and what is either coral reef or pot-ash, forming white layers.
I reach some coves, where the
huge waves have cut them selves into the rocks.
After having Apparently, I can't connect the roads here, and I walk back, then drive back to find the road for Ribeira Prata. I head through the little Praia Branca, and now, the views turns from great to amassing.
The real rough mountains covered
in a thin and dotted layer of green Some gravel volcanoes are almost barren, while the ravines have quite some greenery. I stop time and time again, and don't bother NOT blocking the copplestone road, as I have to to myself.
I have seen some cushions of
greyish plants way out, and here, I get close. It is the endemic
Cynanchum I see a fishing eagle with pray, and manages to get a blurry photo of it. I ought to stick to plants and rocks, I know.
On a north-facing mountain wall,
I spot a few Aeonium gorgoneum - or something
looking that way. Then I enters the huge ravine, Ribeira Prata is
found in. The real barren I was actually ready for a cup of coffee, but here are not even a tiny convenience shop. I drive right through, and find a place to park. Then I walk back, and have a second look at the sweet potatoes, papaya, cane, bananas and alike, found in-between the scatted houses.
Everywhere I turn, there are
fantastic motives. The huge canyon, The road ends, and while passing a working donkey, I enters a trail, serpentineing its way into the gorge. I walk quite some, but realise I won't have the patience to go all the way - and back. And the landscape stop changing anyway.
I head back and try the other
trail, leading to Fragata On the other side of Praia Branca, the trail is kind of copplestone, but the weed have taken over. The trail is lined with two low stone walls, and eventually, it fades out, while the walls continues. The trail is half the wide, as my car is long, and I have to reverse for around one kilometre.
The day is still young, and I
head down towards Carbeirinho by
a tail that actually
reaches it.
At first, As expected, the sun is still from the wrong side, but it was for the drive I went here. Back again, I spot some of the green cousins, I have seen way up. As expected, it is Euphorbia tuckeyana, doing real good here. Some bushes have both un-ripen fruits and flowers.
I
find what must be an old
blowhole or lava tunnel, leading
I'm back in Tarrafal a bit earlier than expected, and after a fast cuppa, I enters the town once more. A bit of shopping and then back to the harbour. A few fisherman are cleaning and selling their catch of rather big fish.
I get a cup of coffee under a
huge Bougainvillea, and a local-borne Then I do a huge loop, covering most of the town from the beaches to the foothills. It seems like most people I meet, know me by now. I find some Baobab trees, see some wall art and houses from mansions to broken down sheets.
I have seen so much beautiful nature today, and I got way too many photos to prove it. Even the HIGHLIGHTS counts 90 photos.
Day 4. The wind picked up in the evening,
and kept me awake during the night. Despite that, I intend I follow the road towards the airport - the only main road on the island actually, and the only one to be sealed with asphalt, it seems. Despite I drown here the day before yesterday, I have to stop time and time again for photos. At 400 meters height, this side is real barren. Despite that, ancient terraces can be seen on the south facing mountain sides.
One
stop is in the shadow of a mountain, and it almost look
Next stop is at 700 meters height, but still no
dragontrees, as I'm on the wrong side of the island. The mountain side is
dominated by American Agava sisal, which
seems
the really thrive here The Golden Orb Spiders have huge nets, and despite the wind, I try to capture them with my camera. Here are quite some lizards or skinks, but I only hear them, in the dry leaves. One of the most numerous plants the entire day, are the Madagascar Lantana.
I do
fumble
a bit around to find the entrance to Mt Gordo National Park, as
I failed to find it on the
The first part it through several small farms. They grow mainly beans, and fare from effective. A few coffee bushes, papaya, some cane, a bit of tobacco and dry corn plants. A few young dragontrees are found in their fields, but I aim for some truly wild and big ones. It is the right side and altitude.
As the trail gets higher, the forest closes in.
Mainly gumtrees, some pines and fighting for the light; a few dragontrees.
Like the other days, grasshoppers are numerous, and I find a single cocoon
of a praying manta.
The trees vanish at 1000 metres, and now, I can feel the wind. I brought my jacket, but don't need after all, as the sun is warm. In some parts, the trail have rough steps, in other real loose lava gravel. The views down to the valley are great, despite the mist. I can actually see all the way home, and a real long stretch of the western beach. The western part is made up by some barren canyons, while the east look like forest.
I enjoy my warm tea and some biscuits, while I sit is shelter of the wind, and admire the dry gorges. Pre-made souvenirs are unknown to Sao Nicolau, and I find a little lava-stone to fill in. And an additional stone for the lava aquarium. A few more photos, and I head back the way I came. Half way down, I meet the first human: The great German guy who sat next to in the plane.
I do some real long hikes on the narrow
footpaths in-between remote farms, and succeed
Then
I head for the eastern coast, just because I think I have the time. I fail
to access the beach, but it is rocky anyway, and I will be back one of these
days. I find a little village on a dead-end road on the map, and head there.
Estancia de Bras, is found way out of a one lane copplestone road,
aligned with walls of lava. It crosses several deep canyons, and offers some
great views. It have access to a narrow beach, and dinghies are found, way down there. It is a large village, Sao Nicolau standards, but most houses are real small and some quite neglected. I do a stroll around most, but only meet a few inhabitants.
The amount of photos considered, I figure I
better head homewards. Pass the car rental office to pay for the car. He
didn't ask for it at the airport, nor my driving license or anything else. I
offer to return it the evening before, alloying A bit of shopping, and then a coffee with a view to the harbour. None joins me, but the view are great to the colourful dinghies. Home to start the work on the many photos and the diary. Then cooking, and while I eat, the moon appears so fast over the ridge. Less than three minutes from the first glimpse, till it is clear of the ridge. I spend significantly more time on the diary and slideshows. The highlights. Time for Diary 3. |