The day of diving!

I had breakfast at the hotel first thing in the morning, just as the restaurant just opened, they made me coffee, juice and some hard-boiled eggs with some kind of pancakes. The hotel is simple but the breakfast more than enough to recharge my batteries for the day ahead.

Meet Arlingo at 07:00. He will pick me up at the hotel. While waiting I see that time is passing and he does not come, finally he appears and apologizes for the delay, as he explains to me he had to go to look for the boat and on the way back he did not start the car. He looks rushed and the delay tastes bad. So I apologize and we go to the dive center to prepare everything you need for the dive.

When leaving the center to go by car to the port, the car fails again, so quickly and without wasting any more time call a taxi to take us.

We entered the port of Porto Novo, right where the ferry left us, it is a tiny port with a jetty big enough for the ferry to dock.

We lowered all the material to the side of the boat and began to move it to upload all the material to the boat. Arlindo tries to start the engine and now it is the boat that does not seem to want to start. We all look at each other without saying a word! THIS CAN NOT BE! The boat does not start.

Arlingo's face is a poem of concern, he seems to have one of the worst days and that he is fighting non-stop against the circumstances, but the truth is that we were there, an hour and a half late to go out to sea (important factor due to wind and water conditions) and the boat does not work either.

Given the situation, he calls a trusted mechanic, but he undoubtedly tells me that he is following the “Capeverian” rhythm and does not know how long it may take to fix the incident.

We waited a while, and finally Arlingo makes the decision to dive leaving the same dock in the port, without a doubt he tells us that it is not the most beautiful thing to do, but that due to the circumstances and not staying without doing anything is the only thing he can offer. He also lets me know that he takes charge of the situation and will not charge for the dive, on the condition of returning in season to enjoy his good service and to see the famous turtles.

Porto Novo - Ponta du Sol

Rest a bit and on the way to Ponta du Sol

Once the diving is finished we return to the diving center, we leave all the material, and I relax sunbathing in the resort pool,

He had previously hired a transfer with the local contact: Gaby.

So I lie down for a while to sunbathe at the resort where the diving center is located, I have time until 12 o'clock to relax and wait for them to come and pick me up. Then a journey that will last approximately 1:00 hour awaits me along the coast road. As I mentioned earlier, after diving, you have to pay special attention to the unevenness, on the coastal road it is not very steep. In addition, when diving around the port, it was shallow so I have no problem in this regard.

Most tourists go the inland route. It takes a little longer even being shorter, but it seems that it is more beautiful, although I could not verify it

Practically the entire journey runs along a cobblestone road, in which we pass different coastal municipalities. Despite the rattling of the trip due to the state of its roads, I fell asleep a bit.

Arrive at Ribeira Grande, the last largest and closest town that we will have in the area.

Hotel Miranda e Miranda - Punta du Sol.

I arrive at my destination and the transfer leaves me in front of the Miranda e Miranda hotel, I leave your website below: https://www.hotelmirandaemiranda.cv/

“Ponta do sol is your new ideal place to spend your well-deserved vacations or even to live. It is perfect for those who want to live in an environment of peace and harmony. Also for lovers of diving, fishing, among other very interesting things to enjoy in this city. "

https://www.hotelmirandaemiranda.cv/

Note that the hotel is very new, and without a doubt it catches my attention. I can say that it is the best hotel I have been to on the trip. Parquet flooring, a huge and super comfortable bed, a sofa and a large dining table, as well as a shower with everything you need.

I leave my backpacks in the room and decide to go for a walk, discover the town where I am as soon as possible and find somewhere to eat.

Eat at a local restaurant

I immediately find a restaurant that gives me the feeling of local food, nothing to see from tourist restaurants , in which they make a lunch menu. His name is: Mini Family - Comércio e Casa de Pasto

It is a house, on the ground floor, on the left side there is a supermarket and on the right side a small Bar with two tables, outside a terrace with some small tables and a blackboard with the daily menu.

As in this place, home-cooked menu food and really cheap price, in exchange it will not cost me more than € 2 approximately with water and a beer. While I can see how a pickup truck arrives and they start placing pots and more pots on it. According to what they tell me, it is the school lunch.

A man with a fishing bucket also comes up to me and immediately asks me where I am from. He explains the catch of the day among many other things with a very pleasant and entertaining conversation. Without a doubt, Caboverians have the motto in mind "Cape Verde country of no stress" They are very open and friendly with tourists and more so if when they ask you where you are from, you mention Barcelona.

Strolling and enjoying the sunset at Punta du Sol.

I walk around and make time to meet the group again. The old town attracts my attention, with colonial architecture as I have been able to see throughout the trip. I can especially highlight the town hall and the church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento, as well as its small pier for the fishermen's boats.

We can also see a small abandoned airfield next to the urban area. It was in operation until the end of the 2000s (the Airport Agostinho Neto).

It is at this pier where I will enjoy a truly incredible sunset. Without a doubt, the sunset from this corner of the planet is one of the most spectacular that I have been able to see. Spending practically a couple of hours watching the sunset and where I leave you the following photo:

After seeing the fantastic sunset, I reunited with the group and we all went to have dinner together at one of the many restaurants in the area. That is if all the restaurant owners seem to be French.