Cape Verde Map

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latest picture: December 26, 2013

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101  The Church "Igreja Nossa Senhora

da Conceição" dominates the view of São

Filipe, the capital of the island of Fogo

with its almost 10'000 residents

102  One of the small squares with benches

under shady trees in the upper part of the

historic center (Vila Riba). It reflects the

peaceful atmosphere of the capital

103  The colorful houses that line the

cobblestone streets procure the feeling

of an “ideal world”. São Filipe was

built by the Portuguese around 1500

as the second town of Cape Verde

104  The bust of Lieutenant-Colonel

Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa

Pinto, Portuguese Governor-General from

1894 to 1897, surrounded by blooming

flowers on “Praça do Presídio“

105  In the mornings the “Rua do

Mercado” of São Filipe is busy. Vendors

are selling fruits and fish along the sidewalk

106  A mural from the Italian artist Ozmo

at the northern end of „Rua do Mercado“

on the occasion of the „Festival Sete Sóis

Sete Luas“ on November 11th, 2013

(another picture is in Ribeira Grande

on Santo Antão - picture # 532)

107  The offer of vegetable, fruit

and fish is abundant in São Filipe's

municipal market

108  Cassava roots and pies belong to the

main diet. Pies are also used for the national

dish "Cachupa" that most of the locals eat

already for breakfast

109  The market in São Filipe is managed

by women. They gossip and chat, crochet

or hold their sleeping child while waiting

for customers

110  São Filipe's pitch-black sand beach

of "Praia da Fonte Bila" stretches for miles.

Due to the strong sea currents it is

however unsafe for swimming .....

111  ..... it lies at the base of the 230 ft.

high cliff on which the capital of São Filipe

is built in the west of the island of Fogo

112  Thanks to São Filipe's commanding

setting on the cliffs, the sea view is

guaranteed from everywhere – in front

the towers of the church “Igreja Nossa

Senhora da Conceição"

113  The canon at the tiny „Francisco

Craveiro Lopes-Square” of São Filipe is

pointing to the smaller neighbor island of

Brava where we spent Christmas 2013

114  Monument in honor of the 1955 visit

in Fogo of the Portuguese President

Francisco Higino Craveiro Lopes [note the

typical five insignia of the Portuguese Coast

of Arms, e.g. also in Timor-Leste (East Timor

ex. Portuguese Timor – picture # 11)]

115  "In death all are the same"! This

private cemetery of São Filipe lies in

privileged, elevated seashore setting

south of the city

116  Emil is checking emails in our room

at “Casa Beiramar” in São Filipe, managed

by the Germans Monika and Mike. Our little

tree is spreading some Christmas mood .....

117  ..... there are also other ‘guests’ than

the ‘two-legged’ ones: A spider has woven

its net at the Guava tree in the garden. There

are no poisonous species here that are

dangerous for humans

118  Emil at our breakfast table at

“Casa Beiramar”. In the background

are the Swiss guests Judith and Philipp

who have also an adventurous spirit

119  A small cultivation with pawpaw

and cabbage in the middle of the dry

landscape

120  A heart warming sight: A beautiful

“Grey-headed Kingfisher” (Halcyon

leucocephala) along the road. We are

not exaggerating: We see dozens of them.

They are not shy leaving us plenty of

time to take pictures

121  "Jimson weed" (Datura

stramonium) manages to survive

in the dry landscape similar to

the Sahel zone

122  The still active volcano "Pico de

Fogo" is the most impressive mark of the

island. It is 9’281 ft. high; its cone has a

diameter of 15 miles at sea level, between

3 and 5½ miles at the altitude of the

caldera (around 5’900 ft.) and the top

crater is around 150 ft.

123  A cobblestone track leads through

volcanic scree, ashes and bizarre lava

formations through a moonscape down to

the crater floor, which north of Bangaeira

finally drops down to Mosteiros

124  On the western side we are closed-in

by a gigantic half circle rock wall of almost

3’300 ft. – called "Bordeira", while in the

east the "Pico de Fogo" rises up

125  Dark lava formations rise ghostly

from the floor of an ancient crater, called

"Chã das Caldeiras". From the grey ashes

plants spring up; nature is returning

126  The inseparable trio poses happily

for a picture in front of the perfectly

shaped cone of "Pico de Fogo" and

enjoys the eerie silence

127  Lava fields, scree and ashes cover

the crater floor of "Chã das Caldeiras"

on an altitude of around 5’900 ft.

128  In all shades of grey and adapted

to the environment: The 700 people village

of Portela with its low flat roof houses at

the base of the 3’300 ft. tall crater wall

“Borderia” .....

129  ..... Clothes flutter in the wind

behind a house. There is only

collected rainwater available

130  At the “worlds end” where the road

ends too: The village of Bangaeira with

around 800 people, nestled along the

crater wall, which is open towards the

right in direction Mosteiros (clouds

from the sea try to move in)

131  The "Chã das Caldeiras", the floor

of an ancient crater, lies at 5’900 ft. The

strong red color of the Christmas star or

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a

refreshing dot in the barren moonscape

132  It is simply amazing how nature

starts to reproduce again and again

133  Roundhouses (called “Funcos”)

on the former crater floor, built of

volcanic stones and with a cemented

peaked roof are part of the picture

in the "Chã das Caldeiras"

134  How insignificant does our Land-

Cruiser look against the dramatic backdrop

of the vertically towering crater wall

135  We leave the "Pico de Fogo" area

without climbing to the top of the volcano.

The 3’000+ ft. difference of altitude and

the 5 to 7 hours strenuous 30-40° climb

and descent are too much for Liliana

136  There have been eruptions again

and again in the past, the latest – after

an interruption of nearly 100 years –

in 1951 and 1995. In the foreground

“Pico Pequeno”

137  A mural in São Filipe with local

scenes. Due to the lack of a slaughter-

house animals still have to end their lives

the ancient terrible method (far right)

138  A Christmas tree made of

glittering colorful garlands in a

suburb of the main town

139  Fishermen and fishing boats are

resting near the Tortuga B&B, reached

by a 30-minute walk along the beach

south of São Filipe

140  We just stop for another picture:

Cobblestone, dried up meadows and

loneliness accompany us on our

50 miles tour around the island

141  One of the black lava tongues

stretches down to the sea on the

south side of the island

142  Here it comes into view again:

The "Pico de Fogo" with its eastern

slope. On the right side of the

picture the village of Tinteira

143  At a bridge we discover tiny

watercourses that flow between the dark

volcanic rocks towards the sea .....

144  ..... a rarity in the Sahel like

dried up landscape, caused by

rainfalls a few days before

145  Again and again we are amazed

about the wonders of nature [probably

a kind of cow parsnip (Heracleum)]

146  The village of Dacabalaio between

thorny acacia trees in the dry landscape

of the southeast

147  Who does not own a donkey

must transport the heavy load

him-/herself

148  Do people still live in this isolated

stony place with its beautiful name of

Bombardeiro along the rocky east coast?

149  A forest of agave is spreading along

the rocky eastern seashore of the island.

These plants are growing in abundance on

Cape Verde and can reach a huge size

150  Cushions of plants have set roots

again in the lava fields. They are shiny

dots in the dark and rather

desolate environment

151  The north and northeastern coast

of the island is wild, buffeted by waves

and wind and rather forbidding

152  Rocks battered by waves and lava

fields ad nauseam. With its yellow tarp

and local red license plate our blue

LandCruiser adds some color

153  Miraculously the destructing

lava flow stopped before the church

of Lagoa Atrás

154  The power of the waves leads to

bizarre formations at the northeastern

coast like this bridge of

“Ponto da Lagoa Atrás“

155  Above the district village Fajãzinha

at Mosteiros in the north strange rock layers

have been exposed by wind and weather .....

156  ..... close by is a whitewashed

tomb lonely on a mountain slope

157  At the cool and foggy northern

slopes of the volcano sprawl green

"aerial roots"

158  The second biggest city in Fogo –

Mosteiros with a population of around

10’000 – sits picturesquely in the sub-

tropical northeast between the steep

mountain slopes and the sea and

consists of about 7 districts: here in

the front Sambango, back Laranjo

159  On a small forecourt in Laranjo/

Mosteiros stands a Christmas

tree made of tires

160  A glimpse from the hill down

to the coast of Fajãzinha, a suburb of

the spreading coastal town of Mosteiros

161  Foggy but green – that’s how

the north and northeast of Fogo

showcases itself (at least to us)

162  With its rough and difficult terrains,

Fogo’s most suitable mean of transport

is still the donkey

163  The humid climate of the north

favors the growth of coffee,

pawpaw, mango and banana

164  "Ponta da Salina“, approximately

10 miles northeast of São Filipe. An

impressive rock bridge separates a

swimming pool from the ocean .....

165  ..... beside, in a couloir, it rages,

splashes and churns during rough sea .....

166  ..... the towering water fountains in

their immaculate white offer a fascinating

spectacle of nature, particularly when not

getting wet

167  Colorful fishing boats are waiting for

their next catch in the protected bay of

"Ponta da Salina". Behind is a small black

sand beach – the only one in the region

168  A farmer’s house where corncobs

are laid out to dry on the roof

169  12/23/2013: Arrival of the Fast-

Ferry 'Kriola' that will bring us and our

LandCruiser in a bumpy 40-minutes-ride

to the western neighbor island of Brava

170  On our return from the island of

Brava to the main island of Santiago the

FastFerry 'Kriola' makes a stop at Fogo.

The capital São Filipe is greeting in the

warm morning light .....

171  ..... the second colonial house with

its puce tiled roof and the balcony to the

left of the cathedral is the guesthouse

“Casa Beiramar” where we stayed for

ten days

172  The FastFerry 'Kriola' sails along

the 230 ft. high cliff that protects the

west side of the island against the

rough Atlantic Ocean, respectively

breaks slowly off

173  The stormy sea has already

ended dramatically for many ships

between the islands

174  One last time we admire the perfectly

shaped cone of the volcano "Pico de Fogo"

before the FastFerry 'Kriola' enters in

direction east the open sea

175  The farewell of the island of Fogo

(means island of fire) could not be more

beautiful: Dolphins accompany and charm

us with an unforgettable performance

 

The "Greater"-Middle East trip 2012/13:

Sharjah/Dubai/1st Traveler's Festival/Emirates National Auto Museum - UAE with car Nov. 2012 to Jan. 2013 - part 1

Western UAE - Liwa - United Arab Emirates  with car in January 2013 - part 2

Oman 2013 – Part 1 - February 2013: Musandam Peninsula

Oman 2013 – Part 2 - February 2013: Sohar - Muscat - Rustaq - Nizwa

Oman 2013 – Part 3 - March 2013: Sur - East Coast - Island of Masirah - Dhofar

Oman 2013 – Part 4 - March 2013: Salalah & Surroundings (Dhofar) - Nizwa

Oman 2013 – Part 5 - March 2013: Western Hajar Mountains

Al Ain, Eastcoast & Ras al Khaima - United Arab Emirates with our car in April 2013 - part 3

Iran - part 1: Ferry Port Bandar Abbas-Shiraz-Persepolis-Pasargad (between Persepolis and Yazd) – May 2013

Iran - part 2: Pasargad (excl.)-Yazd-Esfahan – May 2013

Iran - part 3: Esfahan (excl.)-Chelgerd-Hamadan-Sanandaj-Orumiyeh – May 2013

Turkey: Iran Border - Esendere - Hakkari - Van - Dogubayazit - Kars - Ardahan-Hopa - Georgia Border – May 28 to June 4, 2013

Georgia: part 1: Ajaria - Gori - Tbilisi - Kakheti - Azerbaijan Border – June 4 to 13, 2013

Azerbaijan: Georgia Border - Balakan - Seki - Lahiç - Baku - Xinaliq - Quba - Laza - Baku - Ganca - Georgia Border – June 13 to 24, 2013

Armenia part 1: Georgia Border - Akhtala - Haghpat - Dilijan - Lake Sevan - Selim - Arates - Nagorno-Karabakh – July 2 to 9, 2013

Armenia part 2: Nagorno-Karabakh - Goris - Tatev - Noravank - Khor Virap - Echmiadzin - Geghard - Gyumri - Georgia – 17 to 22, 2013

 

Articles in newspapers about us on Cape Verde:

Article: "Estão em São Nicolau: Emil e Liliana há 30 anos à volta do mundo", Online Newspaper "Jornal de São Nicolau" - March 6, 2014

Article: "Cabo Verde na Volta ao Mundo de Emil e Liliana Schmid", Daily Newspaper "ASemana" - March 9, 2014