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  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 8

    Headed back home

    January 17, 2023 in Cape Verde ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Our mid winter week to Cape Verde is at an end! Breakfast as usual, half an hour in the pool (no more swim records by Viggo) and some last packing. The bus collected us and other Gothenburg tourist at RUI and neighbouring hotels and took us the 30 minutes to the airport. Apparently a Luxembourg plane had almost the same departure and the small airport were pretty full. After security (I was the lucky one for the intimate pat down this flight) we ordered something to eat and waited. Me and Viggo had a pink Fanta Morango, it reminded me of the candy Ferrari cars.

    The flight left just fifteen minutes late and we are on our way. The wind is in our favour and the flight will take just 6 and a half hour. Until next trip!

    Last words: it's snowing in Gothenburg!    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 7

    Shark Experience

    January 16, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    Today was a bit cloudy but less windy. After breakfast we were met by a mini bus that took us across the island to the bay of the lemon sharks. The excursion was led by the organisation of Explore Cape Verde, an organisation consisted by biologist and marine biologist. Our guide was German biologist Eileen. She explained natural phenomenon when we travelled across the island. For example the green bush I talked about in earlier foot print. Eileen explained that it was a human planted Acacia, brought to the island because they were draught persistent. Unfortunately it turned out to be true and they thrived so well in the cape Verdian nature that it pushed back indigenous plants. Every now and then the locals burn the acacias and their roots to limit the spreading on the island.

    The shark bay is a shallow bay with water to the knees where baby lemon sharks and where older sharks use as a playground. Eileen showed us corals, cleaning shrimps, star fish and zebra fish. The ground was rocky and everyone had to have covered shoes that we were able rent at the beech. Our company headed straight out in the shallow water and after fifty meters or so Eileen had us lined up and not long after we saw out first shark. These are 50 cm to 1 meter baby sharks. They stay these shallow water until they have grown bigger. Outside the bay we saw bigger lemon sharks that wouldn't mind eat one of these babies if they strayed into deeper water. Lemon sharks aren't dangerous to humans. There are a couple of known attacks but it has never been initiated by the sharks, it's always on human initiative.

    The sharks were curious and had some sort of holes on their sides that helped them detect electric waves. Eileen splashed the water to trigger their curiosity and the sharks swam up to our feet to explore. Viggo was initially a bit afraid but he soon discovered that the sharks were quite friendly. I took some videos with my under water camera and I think the images are quite sharp but I need to wait to upload them until I get home as we need to transfer them to a program we only have on the iPad.

    And that's about it! We can highly recommend to see the lemon sharks at Cape Verde. The afternoon was spent at the pool. Viggo made a new record and swam 260 swim. He is really proud of the progress!

    After doing some packing we ended the evening at the grill restaurant where we ate some really well cooked fish. Only thing we think the cape Verdian cuisine misses are the sauces. Ketchup and HP doesn't count. And no matter what you say, mayonnaise isn't sauce!    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 6

    Pool, beach and fine dining

    January 15, 2023 in Cape Verde ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Everyone was a bit sunburned yesterday, Bengt had burned his shoulders, Freja her neck and me, strangely enough, my knees. We decided to hang out by the pool in the morning and go to the beach later in the afternoon, when the sun was less dangerous.

    Viggo hasn't used his floating devices at all this week and it is really paying off! He is setting record after record in the amount of swim strokes he can take. The first or second day he counted to 20 but now he was proudly announced he swam 70! He also started to dive and swim under water. Nowhere near that but a couple of swim strokes.

    In the afternoon we played at the beach. Me and Viggo made a sand castle and Bengt enjoyed a really boring Stephen King novel about a road being built.

    At the picture of Viggo covering himself sand you can see two of the lifeguards in the background. There are a couple of lifeguards patroling the beach at all time. It's also marked with flags if you are allowed to swim. After I told the kids that every hundred wave is a really big one they been hesitant to swim in the ocean but I feel everyone should respect it. After I was flipped over the other day I pay more attention. However this is the most beautiful beach I have ever been to..and I can't stop admiring the color of the water. It is splendid! It truly is!

    In the evening me and Bengt visited the high quality restaurant Kulinarium. Food was delicious. Only thing I regretted was that I went for fruit platter and lemon sorbet as dessert. I get the fruit platter after every meal, I should have gone a little more adventurous I think. If you get the opportunity to stay at one of the Riu hotels at Cape Verde, make a reservation at each and everyone of the restaurants. I mean, you can get by with the buffet food but the a la carte restaurang is well worth a try and I found the food there a little more seasoned and better tasting.

    Lastly, they have the same stars here as this time a year at home. Check out Orion's belt!    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 5

    Beach, pool and relax

    January 14, 2023 in Cape Verde ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We were tired yesterday and after breakfast we decided to go to the beach and relax under the palm trees. There were a lot of mosquitos, however, and it wasn't as relaxing as we had planned. I don't know why the other neighbouring tourist weren't bothered by the blood suckers, are they just targeting us?

    Out in the open air, the wind and sun helped chase the mosquitos away but you can't help but feel you need to hide from the sun as it is at it's highest. We swam and played in the water and I really admire the turquois color. I added some pictures from our day at the beach, from the pool area and from the colorful drinks.

    What to bring to Cape Verde:
    - Sunscreen, loads of it.. I burned my knees somehow. Also being after sun
    - Mosquito repellant..I wouldn't bring scented candles or citronella sticks, people don't seem to use it, but bring spray and stick. Im also taking antihistamines but I have always been sensitive to bites.
    -if you bring hats, make sure it fit snuggly, it is really windy. Really windy.
    -Bring something to put over your shoulders, like a kimono or something. It's wearable to and from baths and it protects your shoulder when the sun is hot.
    - a deck of cards, it's nice to sit and play while sipping on a drink when the sun is high.

    That's perhaps not rocket science advise but what I come to think of now. Take care back home!    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 4

    Water park and White party

    January 13, 2023 in Cape Verde ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    So yesterday was an uneventful day. We decided to check out the water park in the morning. The RUI hotel chain had 3 resorts side by side- the one closest to the beach is Cabo Verde, an adult oriented resort. Our resort, Funana, is the mirror image of Cabo except it's more family oriented i guess. Or at least they allow families (they also have poolside bingo and late night youth parties so I'm not exactly sure who they are trying to target.) The third resort is Santa Maria and they are the one that has the splash park that is one side kiddie friendly and one side wild water slides and rapids for older children (+12 years old) and adults. As a RIU guest you are free to use facilities at any of the other resorts except perhaps children aren't allowed to Cabo Verde perhaps, we haven't tried. So anyway, yesterday morning I went the 5 minute walk to the splash park. Viggo liked the kiddie area with 30 cm water and perhaps 10 different slides, none very fast. If I had kids in the age of 5 or below this would definitely be my choice of hotel! But as swimming wasn't possible in the 30 cm pool area and not allowed in the more adventurous high speed water slide park we grew tired after n hour or so. I tried the rapid and it was fast as frick, going down the slide almost felt like a back massage. I have a video but Penguins only lets me upload one video per day and I really want to show the video I took later that night when we went to White party!

    After a couple of hours at our own pool and late dinner we changed into white clothes and went to the party area that was totally transformed with UV lights and all kind of white accessories. Drinks were free, there were dancers all dressed in white and one corner had free body paint. There were live music, dancers and it was really entertaining. Loads of kids at this time the early evening. I assume the party really started later in the night but we didn't stay to see it, by that time we were fast asleep..:)    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 3

    Secrets of Sal

    January 12, 2023 in Cape Verde ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Yesterday we were picked up by the hotel lobby at 1 pm by a jeep that took us, an English/Latvian couple and a few more tourists in two other cars on a round-trip around the island. The island Sal is just around 20 km wide and has 4 towns. The trip took us around some of the most scenic places of the island. 5 days of rain per year makes the nature very desert like, the color scheme was all kind of terracotta, brown and orange with splashes of low growing bushes where they been able to survive. The landscape is very flat with a few higher mountains where nothing grows. The coastline however is amazing, we visited Murdeira beach and Buracona lagoon with the black vulcanic landscape and azure sea. We also made a stop at the Salina's salt lakes where we were able to go for a swim. I would highly recommend it- the feeling of almost floating on top of the water due to the density of the water. It felt so strange, it was almost difficult to stand up because the feet didn't naturally go down to the bottom... ( Also be aware that every small cut or scrape get a burning sensation from the salt. Not just the cuts, the entire neither region felt sore from the salt after a couple of minutes- take my advice and pay for the shower after you are done bathing. It costs only 1 dollar and is totally worth it!)

    The area around the saline lakes are very wild wild western- like. The sand, the dusty road, the barren lands and the abandoned wooden structure from past times salt transportation via ropeway- it all came together. If tumbleweed would roll past, i bet no one would bat an eye.

    After the trip to the salt lakes and a short stay in the desert of Terra Boa where we got to se the Mirage, we drove to Plameira where we were given several shots of the local hard liquor. It was a fun ending of a fun day!

    For dinner we had booked one of the resorts restaurants, this particular one was specialized in Asian foods (interesting choice considering we haven't come across any Asians at all during our visit so far). The food was quite good, it contained more spices than the regular dinner buffet and we particularly enjoyed the misoshiro soup, the chicken curry and the grilled, marinated fish. If you are gonna stay at the hotel, please make a reservation to the restaurants because they book up fast! A lovely ending of a fantastic day!    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 2

    The Ambivalence about all-inclusive

    January 11, 2023 in Cape Verde ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    When researching hotel options I came across the option to go for a cheaper room in central Santa Maria. No foods included, no cleaning, more of an apartment really. What steared me away from that option was the fact the prizing was almost the same as at one of the all-inclusive hotels with pools, bars, restaurang and house keeping. There were no money to be saved. And when we are here, I kinda get why. The town is not developed at all, there aren't a whole lot of restaurants, we are on an island that has to import foods and water so the family owned restaurant competes with the big hotel chain that can import foods in bulk. There are no budget alternatives! With that being said, this is the first time we go all-inclusive and I feel oddly weird about it. There are staff everywhere. House keeping, gardeners, pool keeping, bar-and restaurant staff. Outside the restaurants there are designated staff to just give out anti bacterial gel for hands. Food is free, drinks are free and easily accessible. And everything is in such abundance it makes me feel guilty. Guilty for being previliged. For ordering a coffee and deciding to throw it out when realizing I ordered instant coffee and get a coffee brewed in the bar instead. Guilty for being a little bit excited over the cheese table where they have cut and serve 10ish different cheeses. besides the cheese- i have never seen so much food before! I feel embarrassed! And guilty for considering staying at the hotel area where everything is easily accessable instead of headed out and exploring the island and meeting the real people and culture. I feel embarrassed.

    So with mixed feelings, this is how the day went. After breakfast we hung around the pool a couple of hours. After lunch we decided to check out the beach. It was a short walk and it was beautifully situated with white sand, palm trees and turquoise water. It was orange flagged and it was ok to bathe with precaution. The beach was absolutely lovely, not many people at all. The waves were high and quite strong and at one point we were outmatched by an especially strong wave and Viggo went under a couple of seconds before I managed to get him on his feet. In that same wave I lost my sun glasses and I thought they were forever lost. By sheer luck a Dutch tourist managed to fish them up as they floated past him and he managed to retrieve them and get them back to me. After that we decided to return to the resort and rest a bit.

    We went to an tour guide meeting and booked an island tour for tomorrow and a lemon shark expedition later this week. The buffet food is in abundance and very varied but we also pre booked the Asian a la carte restaurant and the exclusive Kulinarium restaurant later for this week. We took the short walk back to the beach to watch the sunset and that was the end of a lovely day!    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 1

    Arrival at Funana, first night

    January 10, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    The fuelling was over in no time and soon we were up in the air again. The ride was uneventful and with no view whatsoever other than the blue sky and sea. Then, out of nowhere, the islands of Cape Verde rose. The plane made a turn round the island of Sal before landing and we had a nice view of the small town of Santa Maria as well as the resorts lining up the coast line before the landing. The island, in contrast to the name, isn't very green at all. It looks rather un developed with these polished hotels and their planted gardens and sapphire blue pools.

    The boarder control was uneventful and we were packed on to a bus that shipped all us us 30 passengers onto the resorts that we previously flewn passed. Our hotel is called Funana after the local Cape Verdian dance. We have a one room apartment where we let the kids have the two beds and me and Bengt took the pull out sofa. No complaints at all. I will add some pictures later when the room is cleaned and tidied. :)

    The TUI flight was somewhat scares with food and drinks (one meal plus fika and no drinks other than tea and coffee) so we headed straight to the snack bar after we checked in. Among other services the hotel provides lighter meals between 1 pm to 5 which turned out to be hamburgers, salads, fruits, sandwiches and more. We ate and took of to explore the resort. From the looks of it the staff put us in the family corner, close to the play ground mad pool area and a bit further from the party areas and the bars..we are happy with that.

    After trying out the pool quality and visiting the dinner buffet we all ended up in bed, absolutely exhausted. We fell asleep soon after.    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde
    Day 1

    Take off and stop at Gran Canaria

    January 10, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    Getting up and leaving home went extraordinarily well considering the early hour. I'm not sure if Freja slept at all, she was up and fully clothed at 2:45 when me and Bengt stumbled out of bed. On the way to the airport we got noticed that our flight was delayed 1 hour 20 minutes. Apparently the pilot headset was broken and they were sent a set from a morning flight from Stockholm that needed to arrive before we could take off.

    The extra hours at the airport were a bit dull, we didn't have much energy at 4 am and the stores were closed anyways. Both kids were selected to the randomized drug search but after a quick swab they were free to go.

    I'm writing this from Gran Canaria airport where we have stopped to refuel the plane and change staff. The remaining time is 2 hours 10 minutes.    Read more

  • TravelerCape Verde

    Are we ready?

    January 9, 2023 in Sweden ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    Bags are packed, kids (and adults) are excited and a final note with every last-minute thing is on the table. Clock is set to ring at 3 am and we'll head straight to the airport. TUI won't let us check in so that's something to look forward to tonight. But parking is pre payed and hopefully we'll arrive with plenty of time to get trough security before 6.25 when the plain will take off to Africa!Read more

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