A new group

6 januari 2015

A report by Eva:
“We started our sailing trip in Sal. After gathering all guests we had a nice welcome on board by the captain and the crew, coffee and cookies were offered and everybody was happy to be on such a great ship. An introduction about a few rules were followed by a very tasty dinner from Jessica, chief of the galley.
Next moring after breakfast and a little lesson about sailing we started our trip to the second island: Santiago. We had enough wind for a nice day of sailing, only the view was not that good, the sky was dusty and cloudy. A sandstorm brought a lot of sand from the Sahara to the archipel. Usually it rains on Cape Verde in August, September and October, but we were on that day the lucky bastards who got a few drops of rain in January.
The first dinner at sea was a little challenge for some of us (always one hand for the ship!), but we finished without damage to dishes and people. After dinner the wind died out and we started the engine for the rest of the way during the night. A pleasure to the people on nightwatch, they were not needed and could have a good time of sleep. The ship dropped anchor in the bay of Tarrafal about 6.30 a.m.
Almost everybody of the guests did the trip around the north half of the island. It started in Tarrafal and then we followed a road to the easterly coast and had an amazing view over the coastline. A short visit in a village called Rabelarte, where we had the chance to get a look to the culture of the inhabitants and their way of living. Our guide told us something about their history.
The next stop was the old and huge Kapok-tree in Boa Entrada, the age is eastimated about 800 years. After a very good lunch in Assomada we went to a big market for vegetables and fruits where you can buy almost everything.
Serra Malagueta is a natural park and protected area on this island, where a lot of endemic plants are to find and some interesting spiders (crazy black-yellow spiders) and birds are to find. We took a nice walk there and through the dusty air we could even see the big vulcano of the island of Fogo.
Last stop of our sightseeing trip was a concentration camp, a dark chapter of the Cape Verdian history, but nevertheless part of history.
Back on the ‘Oosterschelde’ another great dinner and best dessert ever. Hurray for Jessica again. All people who participated in the trip were pretty tired after that day and so it was a quiet evening. Over night we did anchorwatches and tomorrow after lunch we will be leaving and sailing for São Vicente.”