Cabo Verde    DIARY  6

 From Diary 5 and the western and central part of Santiago,  I now explore the eastern and northern of the Santiago island.
Day 12. I head for the eastern coast, to see the area and especially Moia Moia, Praia Baixo and Pedra Badejo.
I find the eastern coast by the good roads, then turn down a copplestone road, that have dirt-sections. It is through the real nice looking hills and small mountains, covered in yellow grass and green acacias.

Then the riverbeds start to be farmed. Potatoes, onions, melons, bananas, coconuts and strangely enough: Some baobab trees. Well, I see quite some smaller trees, scattered all over the island. Some meter tall, dry plants are harvested for hay, on many hillsides. I finally make it to Moia Moia, and that is a real little and dead village. It is found some distance from the sea, but no sign of fishing, nor really on farming, except a small riverbed and a few goats roaming free.

I find a dirt track, leading out to the sea, but here are no human activity at all. Well, except from a huge ship, which have come ashore to die. Some of the beach is even nice white sand.
The village next to Moia Moia have a bit more life: A small herd of sheep in the main (only) street.

The road leading further north, is slightly better, and I make it to Praia Baixo. It use to be a small fishing village, but the recent two year or so, some small hotels have been build, due to the large and perfect sandy beach. I even see five tourists in town. I have a coffee and head out on the nearby rocks. Where the beach were abandon, here is a single red goat.

Out of town, more oasis are found, then the road turns inland and gain height. Here are the usual dry grass, green acacias and numerous groups of Aloe vera, all flowering so nicely. A pity they not are native.

I cross some low mountains, and reach an area with huge oasis. Numerous coconut palms, bananas and all kind of crops. I pass the town of Calheta, but only stop breathy for now.

Then I reach the city of Pedra Badejo. Just before I enters it, a huge black sandy beach are found. And as expected, the sand is slightly magnetic. The city is fairly new, and not really interesting in any way.  I see the little market and a lot of school children, all in green T-shirts.

As I head on along the coast, I meet two herdsmen and around 20 sheep, and 15 goats in the middle of the road. I spot a Jatropha along the road, and it is found in a huge area. It is almost dormant, but some plants have new sprouts. I fail to find a flower, but I actually think it is the introduced Jatropha curcas, which I found on the beach the other day - although it was way bigger than these half to one meter high plants.

My last target for the day is Rabelado comunidade Spinho Branco, a community of religious out breakers. Most huts are made of split palm-stems, outside covered in sugarcane stems, hold by bamboo sticks, inside walls of bamboo sticks. Kitchens in the outside and quite primitive.

I am greeted by a young woman, who is an artist, and she give me a tour around the village, including her studio and the common art-shop. I might have been expected to buy one of her paintings, but I am a minimalist by heart, and she take it nicely. It was a short visit, and I turn the car around, and head back homewards.

I return to Calheta, and its little harbour, teaming with life. Numerous women are cleaning fish, but their market is real small. I do some loops around the harbour, but are not aloud to make photos of the inhabitants. A real pity, as the motives are so great.

Then it is through oasis and yellow hills, pass blue coves and green acacias. I gas the car near the airport, and do a bit of shopping, after I have parked the car outside the pay-parking zone. Just outside our door, a parking-meter is found, and a young woman just paid, but got no receive, to place in the car. I know by now, it is faster to walk the 500 meters, than drive them, both morning and evening. Day 12 HIGHLIGHTS.

Day 13. I have saved up a day, and intend to spend it with as little as possible. I invite the Portuguese young woman I share the house with; Natalie, to a tour to the old and real cosy Cidade Velha.

We do the little harbour, the Ruinas da Cathedral da Ribeira Grande de Santiago ruins and the outer of the huge Portuguese fortress. Then back to wander the outer streets and alleys along with a church in Cidade Velha.  I spot the French couple, which I have chatted with several times, but way down at the river bed.

Back home to Praia, where she offers lunch. It is real cool to have someone able to translate the menus at the restaurants, and we get some real enjoyable meals, followed by great ice-creams. I only meet two, who stops me for a chat. One I can't really remember, the other one is the older man, borne in Cabo Verde, living in the US, I have crossed path with several times.

Back pass the hotel, and I'm back in the street alone, trying to find some new experiences and motives. I figure the market can't fail, although I already got photos enough - and will spend two more days at it.

I make a big loop around the newer part of town, but it is fare from interesting, although nice. I then find the big market, and see it all again. My path crosses the local borne man and his Portuguese-borne wife, and I remember: I owe a cup of coffee. We get it at the central square, along with a long interesting chat.

I'm home a bit late, but have only a few photos (120) to work with. It actually succeeded to have an easy day for once.
Day 13 HIGHLIGHTS.

Day 14. I stuff the Portuguese Natalia and all her gear into the car, and head north. The better first half up pass Assomada, is through familiar landscape and small towns. Then the mountains gain height, and get real impressive. Here are some real great views down the deep canyons with scatted farmhouses.

At the same time, they get more fertile. First, that only means the acacias are bigger and closer together, but then large trees alien the road. I got a feeling of, they might all be invasive, but it is a nice change. We see a single lake, deep down in a narrow canyon, but I see the dam, and know I'll be disappointed, seeking out the shore of it.

Small trucks are overloaded with dry sugarcane, and a few others with two cows on the back. Besides from that, it is a bit Saturday quiet along the road.

We reach the city of Tarrafal, and drive right through, to get to Natalia's new accommodation. It is found behind a huge baobab tree, and with an awesome view over the huge canyon.

Then we drive the short distance to the harbour, and that is a real treat. Numerous colourful wooden dinghies and not least; even more colourful dressed locals. A boat is being pulled ashore, and the fish are sorted and cleaned on the spot.

Where the last dinghies are found, the perfect white sandy beach continues. Here are a few pale tourists, but the locals outnumbers them easily. We walk to the other end, which actually is yet another little and perfect cove.

We find the open market, but only ten percent is actually open. Some shops for the few tourists, some with clothing for the locals and fresh fruit and vegetables. Natalia is peckish, and offers dinner, but we fail to find anything vegetarian, remotely interesting for me.

We get to see a big part of the centre of town, and it is fare from interesting in any way. Too new, too clean and too dead by now. She pay me generously for the tour, and we split up.

I have found a single little settlement a bit further north, surly the most northern on the island. At first, it is by a good and old copplestone road, then a fairly new and real good asphalt road. It is through the largest fields I have seen in Cabo Verde, although they still have quite some scatted acacias and clearly are worked by hand.

Then I reach the humble village of Porta Lobrao. Only a few people, but a herd of sheep in the more fancy part of the village: Where the huts once got paint. I did consider stopping the car, I just don't see the purpose. I am pretty much in the other end of the island, and the GPS estimates it can take 80 minutes to get home.

But: I have a last sight in mind: The Serra Malagueta mountain range, with its 1064 meters that makes the highest point in the northern part of the island. We passed through on the way up, and it sure looked fantastic.

I park at one of the entrances to Parque Natural de Serra Malagueta, and start walking rather steep upwards right away. It is one of the more fertile areas, but despite I think I find some Limonium lobinii, endemic to this park, they are not flowering by now.

Besides from them, the area have mainly invasive plants, it seems. Furcraea foetida (which I mistook for Agave sisal), gumtrees, Lantana and many more.
I just realise, the monkeys I have seen in the wiild are not invasive after all: It is Chlorocebus sabaeus. I should have made some photos.

The trail I follows seems to continue all the way through the mountain range, and after an hour or so, I pass 1000 meters height, and get some great views to the surrounding lowlands. And as I fear - and was right about: All the photos of the great landscapes turns out to look alike in the evening.

I head back the same way, although I was real close to another entrance. I do a loop around a kind of botanical garden or nursery, but it seems to be more or less invasive and crop plants, they are growing.

I set the GPS for the Hertz Rental Cars in Praia, and just enjoy the drive back across the island. Once more, I get pulled over by the police, but they only check the papers of the car and my driving licence, and am free to head on.

Apparently, there is a football mach coming up, and most cars have their national flag on. Last, they beat Nigeria, and spirits are high. I can't be bothered, and start cooking and working, after I ditched the car at the receptionist at the hotel Hertz uses. I have driven 589 kilometres in the little car, and made no (visible) harm to it.

It is getting late, and I postpone the last work till the morning. Day 14 HIGHLIGHTS.

        Despite the last two days most likely get a bit eventless, I open Diary 7.