Day 5: illha São Vicente - illha Santo Antão (01/15/2020)

Return to Mindelo

Let's take a walk around MindeloAs the day before we decided to go aimlessly, everything is relatively close to visit it on foot. As highlights to visit we could say the following:

• People's Palace - Museum Center Cesaria Evora (NMCE)
• Mindelo municipal market, sao vicente
• Igrja N. Sra da Luz Mindelo (It is a Church with no greater attraction than observing the type of colonial building)
• Stroll through the port of Mindelo where we can see the Diogo Alfoso statue.

The charm of Mindelo is strolling around and seeing its people and its daily routine, its local market and fresh products.

Of course and most outstanding to see is the sale of fish in the fish market. Without a doubt it is something that I fully recommend. We were able to observe how the small boats unloaded the catch of the day that they sold right there. Something curious is that the sale was made from the same boat before lowering the item to the dock.

Attempted theft in Mindelo

Just as we were leaving the fish sales area, right on the street that we can see in the photo above that a colleague of the group is cleaned fish, a man approached him pretending to be clueless, we quickly saw the movement: stumble and put your hand in your bag and take your phone or wallet. I quickly yelled at him and he left as quickly as possible so as not to have a problem.

I can say that Cape Verde in its entirety is the safest to travel, to walk among its people, since they are very friendly and close to tourists. But that does not mean that there is someone with bad intentions, so simply be careful in areas where there is a large influx of people and in the most touristy areas.

After this little scare we headed towards the ferry.

Comment that the only means of transportation to get to Santo Antão is by sea, a few years ago in Santo Antão there was a small airfield called Agostinho Neto, which was closed for security reasons. Locating in Ponta do Sol

Porto Novo

Landing the ferry, first contact with the island

We left Mindelo by ferry and arrived in Porto Novo, here I am separated from the group. To do the scuba dive I stay overnight here.

When you get off the ferry in Porto Novo you find a lot of people boarding you if you want a taxi. Everyone volunteers, in the case of our group, we had the pre-contracted transfer, but it seemed not to be in place, our transport was late.

If you do not have any transfer service, you will not have any problem finding travel, since all the islanders know the arrival times of the ferries and they are offering their services there. In addition, the companies are directly opposite to be able to contract these services.

As our transport was late, everyone asked us our name, once they heard it they approached as if they were our previously hired transfer. So to make sure we contacted our local contact on the islands: Gaby.

Gaby explained to us that her driver was about to arrive, and that the same driver would show us the Whatsap conversation to verify that he was really the one we expected. Of the many who approached us saying that he was our hired driver when asked about the conversation, they realized that we had "found out" and left.

It caught my attention that the drivers are at the top of the stairs, where they have a red line painted on the ground of the first step, thus being prohibited from getting off to approach tourists. Two policemen were at the scene, checking that it was carried out. Although they all know each other there and the policeman called attention to the person who did not comply with this obligation by name.

I waited for my travel companions to be picked up. We said goodbye and once they left I walked through the streets of Porto Novo in search of the hotel.

Information to dive in illha Santo Antão

In Porto Novo you will find Santo Antao Blue Eden, the diving club you contact. It is attached to the resort of the town: Santantao Art Resort. So it is very well located and easy to access. Arlindo, the dive guide who receives me at the center, provides me with all the information. They have a club with good facilities next to the resort pool (in which you can take a dip when you return from the dive) and with equipment to rent as well as a zodiac in the port to make the exits. They transport you from the club to the port as all dive clubs do. Very attentive and with a very good vibe. Thanks Arlindo! https://www.blue-eden.com/

Keep in mind that we can also find the club Santa Antao Scuba Diving , is a settlement in the southwestern part of the island of Santo Antão. In Tarrafal on Mount Trigo.

With them, an inconvenience arose that made it completely impossible to dive: To leave the town of Tarrafal you have to climb a mountain. For safety after a dive it is completely discouraged. It should be noted that the dive center informs you of this fact when you call, offering mandatory accommodation for your safety for the same day after the dive. Something that I could not do since after diving I had to reconnect with the rest of the group. I will write it down for when I return to Cape Verde.

Walking around Porto Novo

I walk around the cobbled streets of Porto Novo and take photos. Without a doubt it is a very modest town, but very beautiful, with some very inspiring little spots.

Walking I arrive at the hotel to leave the backpack: A small local hotel, very modest, but that undoubtedly fulfilled what I was looking for:

https://por-do-sol-hotel.business.site/

Consider the option of sleeping in the same Resort as the Blue Eden Diving center: Santantao Art Resort, but the price difference is more than noticeable!

I go to the diving center, when I arrive it is time to eat and I have to wait to complete the documentation, so I decide to eat at the same resort.

Menu food more than correct, nothing out of the ordinary.

After many days and places that did not accept me to pay with a credit card, in this restaurant they did accept it. But not without hitting me at first. After bringing the dataphone he explained to me that being a tourist he would not accept the card, I insisted on trying it. Finally and in the first attempt, just swiping the card the first time, I had no problem with the payment.

In this sense, I also comment that at the resort the next day I had to ask for a currency exchange. I ran into quite a few problems (I only needed to change a couple of small bills). When they opened the cashier at the bar I could see that it was practically empty. A trend that is repeated throughout the trip. Cape Verdeans seem to touch little money.

Specify everything related to diving (Explained above) and before I left Arlindo recommended a restaurant near the resort: Sabores ratatoui: https://sabores-ratatui.negocio.site/

Take advantage of the afternoon to visit all of Porto Novo and at night I went to dinner according to Arlindo's recommendation.

Upon arrival I found Arlindo there again with the owner of the restaurant, we chatted for a long time while he had dinner. Note that the owner of the restaurant is a person of the closest, fun and joke that you can find in the area, without a doubt apart from enjoying a fabulous dinner, I was able to laugh and share a good time with them.