Out of our comfort zone

Mindelo in the Cape Verde Islands dawned bright and clear when we woke at 6:30am in order to get ready for a full-day exploration of the town and the island. We instantly had memories of the Azores when we saw jagged volcanic peaks, blasted by explosions and sticking up like teeth stabbing at the sky. Much more barren than the Azores, this island sits next to its partner which is a green and pleasant land, probably owing to higher and wider mountain ranges affecting the weather systems.

We breakfasted and made our way down to the bus - we had been warned it might be primitive, but it wasn’t too bad. At least the seats were padded but the general effect was sub-school bus style. However, our guide was bright and informative and he instantly apologised for the fact that most of the town was shut - Democracy Day on 13 January. This was to cause him significant problems later on, but he was a resourceful lad!

We began with a walk around various town squares, market areas and churches - all empty and closed. Where he would have spent time walking us around and explaining what was to be seen, he had to improvise and tell us the detail without anything in front of us. One stop was a very modern and bright arts centre with some highly vivid pictures and a great outside design, clad in oil drum lids painted in bright hues - really striking. 

We hopped in and out of the bus as we moved about the town, ending up at a guitar atelier: this was something of a highlight, not least for Gabrielle because the guy who owned it was a bit of a dish! All that and talented too - how did I manage to hold on to her?

We were given a brief description of how stringed instruments were made and then he and his colleagues took us back downstairs to sing a couple of songs. It was quite delightful. By now it was around 11am and the guide was heading for the restaurant where we were to have lunch. Up the endless staircases took us to an airy room with views across the harbour. However, they weren’t ready for us and so we wended our way out again. 

Our guide was quick thinking and piled us back into the bus and took us to a couple of viewpoints - one of which appeared to be the hangout of local drugs barons in their very beaten up Mercedes. Can’t be that successful, observed Gabrielle. Maybe they can only get tea bags, I opined.

Finally, it came time to return to the restaurant where we had two courses and a glass of reasonably acceptable wine. It was a bit of a bunfight, frankly, since it was a buffet and our fellow travellers seemed not to have eaten since we left Southampton. Fed and watered, we headed back to the bus, totally unaware of what lay in front of us!

There’s a fairly high mountain on the island - around 744 metres (I know, not that high, Amy!) and the guide said that we were driving to the top. This thing is a great, ugly, unassailable crag, bristling with antennae and looking very inhospitable. Sure enough our driver turned the nose of our sub-school bus in its general direction, dropped into second gear and revved the engine … and up we went. Hairpin bends, vertiginous drops, lack of passing places, but buses and other vehicles still managing to pass - it was Gabrielle’s worst nightmare. Not quite worst, if there had been dogs on the bus, that would have been worse.

The bus ground and wound its way and yes, it did get to the top to a round of applause from the grateful passengers. The occupants were fairly shaken not stirred and stumbled out to be greeted by stunning views and a glass of potent rum with either aniseed or molasses flavouring and then a most acceptable cup of coffee. 

Considering there was little or nothing up there, it was quite a feat. Then, back into the bus to head back down the way we had come, everyone gripping on like grim death. When we finally hit the main road with its tarmac surface it was like travelling in a limousine!

And so, back to the ship where we boarded and sat down with a cuppa to reflect on a most interesting and exciting day, made more so by the guide who rose to every challenge.