Tag 107: Praia, Santiago - Cape Verde, the Islands of Bliss

Praia on the island of Santiago is the capital of the Cape Verde Islands with a population of 140,000. The Cape Verde Islands consist of 15 islands, nine of which are inhabited, located 460 kilometers off the west coast of Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean. As the largest city, Praia is also the political and economic center of the country. Praia is located on Santiago, the largest and most diverse island of the archipelago, covering 991 square kilometers. It belongs to the so-called Ilhas de Sotavento, the southern Cape Verde Islands. The highest mountain is Pico de Antonio (1,394 meters). Santiago is strongly influenced by African culture, as this island was once a hub of the global slave trade. Therefore, many residents have African ancestors.

Cape Verde ranks number 1 on the World Happiness Index. The motto of the islands is "No Stress". This may be the secret recipe.

From the dock to the center of Praia, it is four kilometers, so we take the shuttle bus for 10€. When we arrive in Praia, we are immediately surrounded by guides and taxi drivers offering their services. We decide to go with Vadimilson, or Vad for short, who can accommodate 7 people in his minivan. He charges 20€ per person for a several-hour tour in the southern part of the island. The journey takes us through Praia to Fort São Filipe, a fortress looming over the Old Town (Cidade Velha), the historically first settlement. It offers a great view of the small town and the Ribeiro Grande Valley.

At the market square, we are greeted by merchants with slogans like "good price for Germany" or "no cost to look". The merchants have done their homework. Some cannot resist these charming offers. After finishing our shopping, we walk a few meters to the beach and go to one of the two restaurants. Here, we have a good view of the fishing boats lying on the beach about 100 meters away. Looking at the guests, we notice that the AIDA bike group is already here. The aroma of freshly grilled fish slowly wafts over to us. We decide to eat here and order our food. Then we take a walk along Banana Street, passing by old houses. We try rum, have the bed and breakfast offers shown to us, admire the relaxed nature of the people, and stroll to the church. In the square, there are three groups of kindergarten children who seem much more disciplined to us than children in Germany. Back at the restaurant, we enjoy fish and shrimp and invite Vad to join us. Each person pays 17€, including drinks.

I ask when we should continue; his answer: "It's your day". Which means "no stress". We already know that. We skip the visit to the Botanical Garden of Santiago and go directly to the beach of Sao Francisco, which lies in front of us as a clean and well-maintained bay with light sand. In the summer, turtles lay their eggs here, the nests are fenced off, and many people come; today, the entire beach is empty. Back in Praia, Vad shows us the embassies (USA, Russia, China, etc.), ministries, the presidential palace, and a large hospital until we stop at "Praça Alexander Albuquerque," a popular and always flower-decorated meeting point. We say goodbye to Vad, take a stroll around the square again, and then take the shuttle bus.