Although we are having a great (=lazy) time in our lovely apartment in Mindelo, we wanted to see other places in Cabo Verde. So last week we spent a few days in the country’s capital, Praia. The island of Santiago, where Praia is locate, is much further and required a short plane ride. On landing we immediately noticed how much larger Praia appeared than Mindelo: business and residential skyscrapers and lots of sprawl. Because it’s the capital (pop. ca 150k, just under a third of the whole country), it boasts many government buildings, including the presidential residence. But it wasn’t just buildings. We found people everywhere, moving quickly through the busy streets. The concentration of people was one of many ways in which Praia felt more like mainland Africa than Mindelo does. Also, our small-town beach life has already had an influence on us!
Naturally, our first stop was the food market. And what a sight: it was packed! We saw vendors large and small, with beautiful fruits, vegetables, meats, fish and non-edibles such as baskets and fabrics. It was not a large space but there was a lot there. In the middle of the market were tables for sitting down to consume a variety of cooked foods. Among our first impressions of Mindelo was that vegetables were hard to find: that’s not true in Praia – there was lots of beautiful stuff on display!
Being the culture vultures that we are, we had to go to a museum, and we chose the Ethnographical Museum. It’s on a pedestrian way lined with shops and restaurants. We loved its temporary exhibit on traditional toys; it’s always fascinating to see what people play with.
Most of the permanent collection is household tools and goods from the early days of Cabo Verde’s history. For us the most beautiful were the traditional panos, fabrics woven in beautiful patterns from cotton grown in Cabo Verde. The designs are usually blue and white, and at their peak popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries, they made it as far as Portugal and Brazil as exports.
You will be relieved to know that this trip was not all hard work. We found a favourite café early on (Café Sofia) and had several meals outside enjoying the good coffee and simple dishes that they served. There was also a small eatery in the square across from the hotel, and we had some nice sandwiches and a caipirinha or two here as well.
We spent the better part of one day going to the old city, Cidade Velha, about 6 miles (10 km) from Praia’s city-centre. This is the oldest European colonial settlement in the tropics, dating back to 1462, and it was until 1770 the capital of Cabo Verde. Columbus, da Gama, and Magellan all stopped here at various times, as did more threatening figures who were after the city’s wealth. Francis Drake damage parts of the city when he arrived in 1585, and some time later in 1712 the Frenchman Jacques Cassard plundered the magnificent cathedral (completed just seven years before). We also poked around the impressive remains of the cathedral.
Cidade Velha is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so there are a number of wonderful things to see. We especially wanted to see the houses on the rua Banana, the oldest colonial street in Africa. The houses are small but attractive and the street itself is lovely.
Overlooking the whole city are the remains of a magnificent fort, constructed in 1712 after Cassard’s attack. A fair amount of the fort itself is still standing, and they’ve left the cannons at their stations. Perhaps for today’s tourist the most impressive thing about the fort are the stunning views of Praia and its surroundings. Seeing those was worth the effortful trek on a hot day to get there!
We also took a quick trip out to the Donna Maria Pia lighthouse. Or rather, we headed most of the way there, but then we saw a lovely beachside restaurant with views of the lighthouse. So we decided to spend the rest of the day there instead.
All in all, it was a lovely trip and gave us a perspective on how different the two places are. We can’t wait to explore our third island!
