Mindelo, Republic of Cabo Verde

Our caravan of 4x4’s stops at the pass and we get out to survey this moonscape. Battered by furious wind, parched earth swirls around. No rain in seven years. Yet somehow birds find enough water and food to survive. Creeping down the primitive road we come upon a dried riverbed covered in poisonous gourds and follow it to the sea. No swimming here, though. Beautiful beach scape takes its cue from the hostility of the surrounds.
Strong currents and Blue Sharks make this point undesirable for anything but admiration from the shore.

We return to civilization and pull onto a rocky road. Cabo Verde shares in the history of the slave trade. This road was painstakingly hammered into existence by labor paid only a dollar per month. Its bumpy texture serve as a reminder of the scars left from a previous era. Volcanos fill the horizon, casting shadows and silhouettes against the bowl of sky. We refresh in a fishing village, sipping local grog and beer. Our return encounters dunes descended from sands of the Sahara and sculpted by nature’s hand. Alas, passing mineral rich beaches beckoning for us to remain, it’s time to board our ship, which is bound for the new world.Read more