Having never been to any other Cape Verde island but Sal (for professional purposes), in 2001 following the reading of "Notes Atlantiques" by the French ethnologists Jean-Yves Loud and Viviane Lièvre, which further raised my curiosity, I decided it was time for me to finally "discover" Cape Verde and "travel" beyond the dozens of books I had already read about the islands and the Cape Verdean culture.
My first stop was the windward volcanic island of São Nicolau, first inhabited in the sixteeth century, where West Africa's first seminary was established setting up the high educational standards which characterised (I believe) the overall high school education in Cape Verde over a significant period of time.
Although I had heard of the frequent droughts, and the arid lunar like landscape what impressed me most, amazingly enough, was the intense green colour of the varying folliage on the hills and valleys ... (it had been an exceptional year ... it had rained enough to cover the whole island of "specks" of green).
I stayed at a hillside Pension just a few minutes away from the town Square, whose roof top dining patio provided its guests with one of the nicest views over the city. The day after my arrival and by suggestion of a German guest also staying at Pensão Jardim, we climbed to the highest point of the island - Monte Gordo (1,312 m high). A fairly hard climb for me, I must confess, but whose effort was payed off with the awarding of some of the most amazing views. It is said that the biggest dragon trees are to be seen on the way up, though I only manages to photograph middle sized ones.
Small chapel in Cabeçalinho, whose church bell is a wheel-rim (Left). Bending tree (Right), considered a symbol of Cape Verde ( It is said Cape Verdeans may "bend", but don't break irrespective of the hardships they have to face).
Dragon tree (an officially endangered species) on the way up to Monte Gordo
My last two days were spent on trips to Tarrafal, a small village located by the sea with a fishing harbour, a well known tuna fish factory and beaches of black sand rich in in titanium and iodine.
I was impressed with the island and when it was time for me to leave and fly back via Sal (once you didn't have direct flights between the windward islands) on my way to Boavista island ... I felt a certain anguish ... (almost similar to the Cape Verdean anguish of having to leave though wanting to stay) ...
All photos taken by myself except the top photo in which I had reached Monto Gordo taken by Dr. Achim Lewandowski.
BENDING TREE
ReplyDeleteI think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by people like me,
But only God can make a tree.
By Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)
BELL GARCÍA