Praia, IIha de Santiago, Cape Verde. "To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

We travel 410 miles off the coast of Senegal to an archipelago with a population of 1000,000.  The ten islands are more relaxed of which Praia is the capital of Santiago Island.  There has been trading and commerce around these islands since the 1700’s.  Those with sea faring skills migrated to all different pockets of the world. Praia is also the largest city on the island.  The economy is based on the Euro donor every place takes the dollar.  There is a Botanical Garden here with strong colonial history which is also a dark history. Praia means “ beach”. The main heart of the downtown is close to the port being just a 10 minute drive.  The entire island is just 50 miles long.  Tarrafal is at the opposite end of where we dock and has significant history.  There is also the Sucupira market where you can find all types of souvenirs and is open every day.  Places of interest include the Plateau District, the Alexander Albuquerque Square. Some smaller museums, Quebracho Canela Beach, the Cruz de Papa monument with sweeping views, Prainha Beach, Cidade Velha the old fort and the Assomada Market with hand made crafts. There is a trail to a scenic viewpoint called Serra Malagueta which is home to some endemic species that are also endangered.  

Terrafal was a concentration camp built by the Portuguese where they tortured prisoners.   The camp was built in 1943 by Salazar.  It now houses a small museum but it exudes sadness and horrors.  

Tarrafal beach is one of the most beautiful on the island with bars and restaurants.   The Botanical Gardens were created in 1986 and the sir 1300 ft above sea level. The currency here is CVE.   Euros are accepted.  Now the exchange is 1 Euro = 110 CVE

We had signed up for an Across Africa tour here many months ago.  We were to take a ferry across to Maio Island a trip of two hours one way.  When we got there we would explore Sao Jose Fortress, agricultural and fishing areas, sand dunes and the Handicraft area. We were to get picked up at 7:30 and first visit the Eco-Museum to learn about the history of the colonization rooted in exploitation of coal and salt. We would also visit Morro Village once we got across on the ferry known for its small colonial houses built with pyramid shaped tiles. We were to have lunch near Morrinho village and the white sand dunes brought from the Sahara Desert.  But….. a few days before they cancelled the tour due to the tides and the ferry crossing.  You would actually think someone would be able to tell us this sooner but they offered us a tour for the next port.  The four of us already had plans so we asked for a refund.   We decided to do our own thing here and it worked out ok :) 

Here are photos from the cruise directors talk 

Lots of lovely markets with large amounts of fruits and vegetables 

Alexander Square

The old fort area 

The map of the island and how far it was to Tarrafal

A map showing sone of the areas he spoke about so we had an idea of where we might want to go 

The old fort still well preserved 

Looks like their Supreme Court

Beautiful paintings like this of special people from the area decorate many buildings. 

Small pop up markets are everywhere 


This was taking place in the square when we got there. They were giving away free t shirts to promote the understanding of mental health especially in teens and here’s some of the dancing 

https://vimeo.com/785435300

Betsy and Chuck stroll down through the shady areas with all the trees trimmed like a huge arch

Everyone is preparing for the holidays.  

You really can’t see it but this man has a treadle sewing machine!!!!  He is making things to sell and going a wonderful job.  

We walk through the markets which are tight and narrow.  The big canisters are full of clothing.  This is how things get shipped to them.  They pull things out of the canisters and try to sell them 

My friend Kate is on this adventure with us as we squeeze through all the people and products 

More containers 

You can see the clothes in this container 

You can see the woman in the right corner with her bags.  In the background is her small garden 

The woman on the right had her hand up and I didn’t see it. She is saying no picture.  My friend Kate explained so I was more careful. 

We take a taxi to a cute beachfront bar and restaurant for a beer and some French fries!!


Kate and Betsy share theirs with us!!  

Another wonderful day with friends. 

Dakar, Senegal:

We enjoyed a few sea days after so many ports.  Betsy continued her afternoon writing class and I would hold us a spot at the craft class area.   In the mornings we often listened to the guest speakers or Jeremy the cruise director and travel guide who would prepare us for up coming ports.  Sometimes the guys played cards with a group of passengers we met. A few times they went to the casino to check it out and watch Texas Hold ‘Em being played.  The casino is still a smoking area which I personally hate but there don’t seem to be many players in the day.  The shops on board offer very little and don’t seem to hardly change any inventory.  They offer a few Lido sales but nothing like we have seen in the past.  

Here is a listing of all the Themed Events.  It seems like a lot but many were late at night and we just aren’t late night folks.  A lot have to do with different cultural foods but we never found many of them to our liking. 

Jeremy did give us good information on Dakar.  Some  things to see are art markets, museums, the pink lake which has to do with salt mining. We will port close to the downtown arriving at 9 and leaving at 6. We will have gone 1360 miles from Abidjan.  Dakar is a big city. You will still see horse carts being used to haul foods and other goods. Here you will find the tallest statue in Africa There will be a free shuttle that takes us to Independence Square. There is a museum near the square with 18,000 pieces of art. It took fifty years to build and they are trying to get back art that was taken from them from other countries like France. They opened in 2018 right before the pandemic. They also have a grand mosque here that you are permitted to enter. The Dakar Cathedral was built on an ancient cemetery site.  Seems as though that would have been controversial.   You will also be able to drive by the presidential palace. There is a market established in 1860 where you can find souvenirs, historic foods that they love.   It recently burned and has taken three years to rebuild .  They say “ to know a city is to know its markets life”.  The Museum of African Arts is very important to Dakar. 

Another handicraft market that Jeremy talks about is Soumbedioune.  He says you need to go deeper into the market to see it all.  A market called HLM is for material.  Some folks want to go their to buy material to make their own things. Also here there is a UNESCO site, the Island of Goree which was the largest slave trading site.   To get there you must take a ferry.  Lake Retba has a high concentration of salt. Micro algae thrives there and causes the lake to pink. The salt crop is harvested here year round with over 3000 laborers. They harvest over 60,000 tons of salt. It is hard back breaking work.   

The Bandai Wildlife Reserve is 40 miles from the city. Ike de ngor island is a small relaxing island but to get there you wade out to the boats for your going and coming. There are shuttles for this port which take about 10 minutes each way with the last one leaving at 5.  It is a hot and humid day at 84 degrees.  One of our dollars equal 624 XOF.  

If you want a taxi here you choose the yellow and black ones. The population of Dakar is very dense. 90% of the people are Muslim and 5 % Christian.  One man who came back from town said three fellows jumped him and pulled a knife on him.  He was able to struggle and run. 

 Senegal has many mineable minerals amd oil fields. In Dakar there are 4,000,000 people .  Gold has been found here too and exploited. Most people live on agriculture, cattle, rice, peanuts.  French is the official language but many speak what is called Wolof.

All these photos are from the cruise presenter so they aren’t great quality.  We had no tour here because Dakar had been removed.  Then when they cancelled Banjul due to the tides being too low they added Dakar back in. 

They also weren’t sure this museum would be open when we were there.  

Not open to the public





Pink lake where they mine salt 

This is the lake which can also look red.  All the white is salt 

Island you can take one of these boats to 

The port is very commercial 

We did our own thing and walked around a bit.  

It seemed lots of building was going on with cranes in many places. 

Their flag colors on a government building 

Everything had a motorcycle here. 

The main center of town was getting decorated for the holidays 

Streets were narrow and not much looked interesting.  

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Today we were scheduled for another Tours With Africa.  It was for a city tour that was to include lunch.  The ship changed our time in port from 8-5 to 7-3.   This always causes issues because tours have to be able to shift to and sometimes there is not enough time to see what the tour advertises.  Our tour had included the National Zoo but Megan the operator in New Jersey had visited the site and said it was dirty and the animals were not treated well so she took it off the list. We were also to have lunch but once again they took lunch off because of the time constrains.  So we were left with a market of artisans and passing by a Grande Mosque which we could not enter.  There was a cathedral too but that wasn’t high on our list.  So the four of us backed out of the tour even though we had paid. The ship had a shuttle that would take you to the Pullman Hotel downtown.  It was a large AC bus and would have been a bit of a walk had we hoofed it so we said let’s go there.  Turns out it was a five star heavily guarded hotel with free wifi.   There was a lovely entrance decorated for the holidays.  A nice bar where Chuck bought us hot chocolate, lattes and a few sweet treats.   He spoiled us a lot.  We got our wifi fix and then Dan looked for a pharmacy for me.  I have an albuterol inhaler for coughing and my allergies.  I had brought my old one but it was almost empty.  The ship had one but would not sell it to me without seeing the Dr for $150.   So we found one about four blocks away.  We made our way through construction and shady areas where we didn’t feel so safe but finally we found the pharmacy.  It was very clean, modern, had AC and looked like a Dr’s office.  A man in a white coat asked if he could help.  I asked if they had inhalers and he said yes.  I showed him mine.  He said he would check my ingredients with one in the back but he knew he didn’t have that brand.  A beautiful black lady in a long light purple gown spoke to me.  She whispered don’t let him cheat you on the price.  It will be on the bottom so check the bottom got be sure. She looked like royalty with beautiful jewelry, perfect hair, and so well groomed.  She asked where we were from and I told her.  She told me she had been there; very hot!!  Anyway the man brought one out and totally explained it had the same ingredients and showed me.  He told me how to administer it and how often and the results of using it too often.  It was $5!!! So I bought two!   What a great day for me :).  When I left I touched her shoulder and said thank you she said in your country you would do the same for me ❤️ and I would.  

Then we decided to hail a cab and make our way to the CAVA market, the one everyone talked about.  Chuck hailed a guy and we jumped in.  Problem was he didn’t talk english and had poor eye sight!!!!  So Dan had to guide him with hand signals using his own phone map to get us there.  It was a large artisan market with the artisans working as you amble about.  

On the shuttle we passed so many folks doing their laundry and others they do for money in the river.  They beat them on rocks and then lay them on the grass flat to dry 

Bags of clothes to be washed



You can see clothing on the banks drying

At the Pullman Hotel where the shuttle dropped us off we enjoy a snack from Chuck 

The outside deck of the hotel overlooking the city 

Overlooking the city and in the background the tall mosque

The mosque again from the hotel

Inside the hotel, the beautifully decorated bar

They must have evening entertainment 

Ready for the holidays


Here is our non English partially blind driver!!!  Ha ha 

Public transportation loaded with workers taking their crops to markets and no AC 

I bet a flat tire will happen soon 

One of the artisans.  He crafts and creates the items then paints and decorates 

Look at the beautiful crafted table set

Another local artisan 

And look at this grandma maybe with her grand daughter at a little palapa where you can get a drink or snack .  What a beauty she is. 


Her mama lets me hold her and I gave her $10.  Betsy held her too and gave her mama money.  She never was afraid but never smiled or cried.  Another couple came in and I said if you ask to hold her you need to give her mama money so they did.  That precious little baby was well fed and taken care of.  They say her hair is done in the Zulu fashion or maybe it was easier for her mama.  I hope her future is brighter than so many of the others that don’t have such caring family. 

We took a taxi back to the Pullman Hotel to catch the shuttle after buying a few treasures at the shop like a wooden bowl and some magnets for our girl stewards. This is part of the Mosque you can not enter 



Our port is very commercial and not cruise friendly. 

This is their shanty town like we have seen so often. 


Our pilot boat coming to guide us out of the dock