2001 Circuit around the Cape Verde islands - Fifth stop - Santiago island

(I have been so busy writing about my recent trips that I ended up stopping half way through the sellection of the photos to illustrate my 2001 Cape Verde circuit  memories).

 São Jorge dos Orgãos Botanical Gardens specimen

Santiago, the largest island remained as the other islands, (except Fogo) unexplored or exclusively exploited for both salt and grazing for hundreds of years.

I decided to stay at an aparthotel in Achada de Santo António ... but getting there by taxi proved to be an "adventure", for which I paid twice the price I was supposed to, taking into account the distance. The taxi driver having been quite charming and convincing, managed to lure me into paying him that excessive amount.

The good weather was so tempting that the day of my arrival (late afternoon) I walked down from the aparthotel Holanda towards  Quebra Canela beach.

The following day I "explored" Plateau and everything it had to offer the newcomers, from a "Rabelados" exhibition of artistic pieces made out of clay at the French Cultural Center to the views off the plateau down to the sea.

Assomada village market

Having bought an around the island circuit, the next morning we drove to the Botanical Gardens in São Jorge dos Orgãos (where we were shown around the garden with its hundreds of endemic species). We then headed to the market of Assomada (where all sorts of colours, smells and typical market yellings were mixed into a joyful atmosphere) on our way to the beautiful bay of Tarrafal, not before having stopped at the now desactivated concentration camp at Tchon Bom, just outside the village, which was known as the "Slow death camp" or the "Death village", when it housed Portuguese anti-fascists and political prisoners back in 1936 and later (in the 1960s) independence fighters from Angola, Cape Verde and Guinea- Bissau.

The conditions in which these prisoners were detained led to an international protest in 1954, but it was not until 1974, just a few days after the "Carnation Revolution" in Lisbon that its gates were thrown open. The endless list of those who died and what caused their death (from dysentery to typhoid fever) is the only"vivid" reminder of what happened there apart from the detention buildings.

Bay of Tarrafal (Left). Concentration camp, Tchon Bon, Tarrafal (Right)





On the way back to Praia, we stopped at Pedra Badejo, a small fishing village where we had, amongst other local cuisine plates,  a very special fish soup, whose taste I still remember to this day.

The following two days were entirely spent in Cidade Velha, (the once proud town, which has had nearly 300 years of a decaying process since the French robbed it of its wealth in 1712 has been recently designated a UNESCO site).

Remains of one of the first houses built by the settlers in Cidade Velha  (Left). Thatched-roof houses along Rua da Banana in Cidade Velha (Right).




The last day  around Santiago (before flying to Fogo island) was spent at the bay of San Francisco, to which I had to walk, as there were no "aluguers" going in that direction.

I was astounded by its natural beauty ... and although I was exhausted as I reached it under the blazing sun, it was worth the effort.

I left the area by late evening  ... but  having been revigorated by the sea breeze and the sea, the walk back didn't feel that hard ...   

Bay of San Francisco