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Sao Tome Sightseeing

Stepping off the plane in Sao Tome by feeling the wind and air, I knew I was near the sea. The immigration process was a breeze. They must be used to foreign tourists here. Coming from Angola, Portuguese, the official language of the small nation, sounded familiar.

Right outside of the airport, the shuttle to Omali Lodge was waiting for me. Interestingly, the transfer vehicle was an electric cart. Island life…

That evening, I met up with Thor from Once Upon a Saga. Last time we met was in Libreville and as he happened to be in Sao Tome as I passed through, it was fortunate coincidence. Thor came with two friends, Chris and Alex, both expats working in the country. Chris has an interesting profession of salvaging and selling metal from wrecks, while Alex is a professional diver. We sat for local beers, before heading to dinner at a roadside hole-in-the-wall with some great grilled octopus.

Over the next two days, I was among friends and would explore the island of Sao Tome.

Sao Tome

The sleepy capital city was far from the chaotic capitals that I’ve recently been visiting. With long stretches of palm tree lined beaches and a center with colonial architecture, this town certainly has charm. Motorbikes taxis transport people around short distances though it is perfectly safe to walk.

In the center is the Se Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Graca next to the pink Presidential Palace.

Forte De Sao Sebastiao is located at the tip of the island. The National Museum is also a part of the fort. Unfortunately it was closed all weekend, meaning I would not be able to visit.

That evening, I met up with Thor for a drink at a cafe, then to Pico Mocambo, a popular rum bar. There we met his friend Franka and chatted with the owner who told us about the rum business. Frank took us to B24, a local seafood restaurant where I had a delicious marlin steak.

The next day, Chris took us on a tour to some of his favorite secret locations on the island.

We started at Monte Cafe a coffee producing village where Gaddafi built a large hospital, now abandoned. The locals are still producing coffee and cocoa here.

Then we drove up to an abandoned Russian radar installation in a military zone inland. The original labels and fire extinguisher were still intact.

Then we went up a mountain on a rough dirt road. Luckily Chris had a pick up truck with four-wheel drive. There were antennas at the top but it was unfortunately too cloudy to enjoy the view.

The Botanical Garden was on the same road. Here we stopped for an interesting tour with a local botanist who showed us the endemic plants and some bird species of the island. There were many medicinal plants with most of them somehow related to virility. At the end of the tour, there was a gift shop with a large cocktail of medicinal herbs and natural ingredients for sale.

We stopped at a waterfall near the side of the road. Local kids came up trying to sell wild berries they picked from the forest.

Next we visited another “old colonial place” with another large abandoned hospital. This was currently inhabited by locals, but the dilapidated structure was really impressive. The original Portuguese roof tiles were still in place.

Finally our last stop was an idyllic beach on the south eastern coast of the island. Besides for a few kids from the local village, the beach was completed deserted.

We went for a swim and explored the lava rocks of the far end of the bay. Finally some time to relax in paradise!

Unfortunately I was flying out the same day, so we drove north and passed through town where I quickly picked up my tourist shirt before getting back to the hotel. It was sad to leave Thor and my new friends, but I’m sure I’ll run into them somewhere around the world!

I checked out and took a quick selfie on the beach outside of the hotel, before heading to the airport.

The Taag flight to Praia was on time and before I knew it, I was stepping off the staircase and into country 160!

Cape Verde Visa on Arrival

The immigration for Cape Verde was a breeze. The visa on arrival line was actually shorter than all the other immigration lines. An officer scanned my passport, asked a couple of questions and then requested 25 Euro for the fee. He printed out the visa on the spot and stuck it into the passport, stamped it, and welcomed me into Cape Verde!

From the airport I headed to Pestana Tropico Hotel in Praia, my base for the next couple of days.

Cape Verde Sightseeing

Cape Verde is one of the most developed countries and stable democracies in Africa. This previous Portuguese colony focuses on the service and tourism industry, very apparent by the large cruise ship docked in the bay which is the first I’ve seen in Western Africa.

Made up of ten volcanic islands, Santiago is the most populous and also where the capital is located. Most tourists use the island as a jumping point to get to the more unique natural environments offered by the other islands.

This trip, I was only exploring Santiago island.

Praia

The capital city doesn’t have many sights and a half day tour is enough to see most important ones.

I started by walking over to Farol de D. Maria Pia, a Portuguese lighthouse jutting out on the point of the bay. There is a 200 escudo entry fee collected by the caretaker who also shows you up to the top of the lighthouse for some great panoramic views of the city and surroundings.

On the walk over I passed the small Prainha Beach which was fairly clean, but next to a construction site lessening the appeal.

The center of the old town is up on a hill and aptly named “Plateau”. The central square is called Praca Alexandre Albuquerque and is surrounded by important buildings such as the church, Igreja Nossa Senhora da Graca, and the City Hall.

Walking down the main roads are several tourist shops run by Chinese, so fortunately I found my tourist shirt and it only cost 500 escudos. Thank you China!

There is also a pedestrian street, Rue 5 De Julho, flanked by restaurants and shops. The Ethnography Museum is also on this street. This small museum displays some cultural items used in Cape Verde, but unfortunately they are not very old so the building may be the most impressive part of the visit. Entry is 100 escudos, so worth a quick look.

Down the hill is the Mercado de Sucupira, a large market selling all kinds of goods. Buses to other areas around the island, like Cidade Velha, also leave from the streets surrounding the market.

Down the road is the Government Palace, though not a very interesting building from the outside.

Cidade Velha

This UNESCO World Heritage site is about thirty minutes south from Praia. This fishing town also caters to tourism.

At the top of the mountain is Fortaleza Real de San Felipe. This fort has been renovated and is quite well managed. Tickets can be purchased in an underground room where you can also watch an introduction video of the area. There’s not much left of the fort except a water cistern, the walls, and cannons. The views over the town and the valley behind are worth the trip up.

It’s possible to walk up, but the route is not marked at all. I ended up walking by pig farms and through village homes until a farmer directed me in the right direction. On the way down is the Se Catedral, the oldest colonial church in Africa.

Near the beach a famous landmark is Pelourinho, a marble monument in the center of the square where slaves were traded. Today, there are small stalls selling souvenirs around the square.

Walking down the oldest colonial road Rue Banana and you’ll find Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosario. Unfortunately the church was closed when I got there. A man was playing the drums while kids sang and danced around him, which was a bit sad as he was aggressively asking for money.

Continuing up the water way is Convento de Sao Francisco. This convent for monks has also been renovated and sits among the lush tropical rainforest.

Along the beach are three restaurants that have a pleasant view of the bay and offer fresh seafood. I enjoyed a tuna steak and beer before heading back to Praia.

Two days in Cape Verde and I felt as if I only skimmed the surface of this diverse country. I hope to visit the other islands on my next trip!

Flight to Nigeria

My flight with Royal Air Maroc had a long layover in Morocco. Luckily I don’t need a visa, so I could leave the airport. As my layover was almost 24 hours, the airline organized an airport hotel room for me, which was great as I was able to get some work done.

I tried to get my luggage which was checked through all the way to Lagos mainly because I needed some clothes (it was cold!) and I didn’t want my bag sitting in an airport for some unsavory character to be prodding through. Getting a bag that is already checked through is quite an ordeal. I was unable to get it at the luggage service desk and had to go to the manager of the check in area to have my boarding cancelled. Then go back down and wait for them to deliver the bag to a specific belt. This took three hours… Finally, I could go back up to the check-in counter and check in again after I retrieved my bag. First and hopefully last time I have to go through this process.

That same evening at midnight, I caught my flight to Lagos and would arrive early morning in Nigeria!