Lions and tigers and bears in Cape Verde? Oh no.

When I first stayed in Cape Verde, outside of a hotel setting, I was curious as to what animals inhabited the islands and really was expecting to be realed off a list of different scary creature... Helton simply laughed and said, 'umm dogs?'

There are literally dogs and cats on every block, fighting and squabbling over food they find in bins. There are no lions, tigers or bears. The closest thing you'll find to a tiger is a drunk Middle Aged Cape Verdean stumbling to the bar. 

I have seen the occasional monkey on a dog lead and have been fortunate enough to encounter a HUGE turtle 🐢 

Animals on the islands 🌴 

Reptiles: Five different species of Sea Turtles can be found in Cape Verde, and the islands are believed to be the second largest breeding site for Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the North Atlantic. Out of 15 different lizards in Cape Verde, 12 are endemic. The Giant Gecko (Tarentola gigas) can, for example, only be found on the Raso and Branco islets close to Sao Vicente. The same was true for the now extinct Giant Skink (Macroscincus coctei). 

Mammals: The Cape Verde waters is a key breeding and mating habitat for Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), and various species of dolphins are abundant. The only other native mammals are five small bat species. A species of monkey has been introduced.

Fish and corals: Large pelagic fish, including sharks and tuna, are abundant, and coral communities can be found in almost all Cape Verde islands. According to the magazine Science, it is one of the top ten hotspots for corals in the world. Knowledge about most of the coral communities is limited, however. 

Plants: Some 92 species of plants are endemic to these islands, of which at least one is endangered – an understory tree known as Marmulan (Sideroxylon mermulana). The endangered Dragon’s Blood Tree (Dracaena draco) can also be found in the Archipelago. It is estimated that more than 50% of the Capeverdean flora has been introduced.

Beautiful Cape Verdean people

Cabo Verde dance 

Traditional Music in Cape Verde, like it's people, is a fusion of European, African and Latin influences. The most famous styles are the Morna and the Funana. Grammy Award-winning singer, Cesaria Evora, nicknamed "the Barefoot Diva", is without doubt the most famous exponent of the Mourna and, indeed, Cape Verde's most famous musician.
Typical Instruments used in Cape Verde music include the Violin, the Ukulele-like Cavaquinho and the Accordion. The Iron Bar and Sea Shells are often used as percussion.

Women sit on the streets and sell mostly clothes and fruit, they sit in the heat, flapping away the flys and bugs and sell all day. You are also usually woken up by the local lady walking around each block shouting something along the lines of 'BIG JUICY FRESH SALMON' and people will come out and buy the fish for that evenings dinner. 

The women spend all day cooking and cleaning. I have never gone into a Cape Verdeans home and found even a speck of dirt. They are incredibly clean and tidy. They take huge pride in their homes and respect everything. The women take the traditional 'female' role but also most of the women have to go out to work. The Cape Verdean women definately put us English women to shame. 

Island life 🌴

🌴 Island life 🌴

My experience 

I think the main difference you would notice from larger/more developed countries is the relatively slow, relaxed pace of daily life. Some say this trait manifests itself in cultures the more amenable climates are, and indeed in Cape Verde you mostly get year-round sunshine, with temperatures seldom dropping below 20° even in the colder months. Additionally, while the population grows at a healthy rate, it's fairly small (about 500 000 people spread around 9 inhabited islands), and the general lack of natural resources means that there isn't a huge economy to create busy cities. Put simply, people are not in a hurry.

Memories...

When Helton wasn't working, our days would involve waking up late, showering, eating and then saying... what shall we do today?

Our favourite thing to do EVER was load up a taxi full of bags of snacks and drinks, a torch, towels and fishing equipment. We would take the taxi to our favourite fishing spot in the middle of nowhere, walk across the sharpest rocks (I say walk... Helton would run and I would take each step extremely cautiously) and then set up the most epic hide out. I would lay the towels out on the rocks, put music on the speaker and Helton would set up his fishing 🎣 equipment just like his dad taught him on their weekly father son fishing outings when he was younger. 

Once we had set up, I would sit back and watch the sun set on my husband whilst he anxiously awaited fish to bite. 

These were the most special days for us. Just us, alone in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, watching the sun set into the sea, surrounded by gods finest creations. 

Sometimes, after he was worn out from catching fish, he would come and sit beside me and we would talk about the future, the trials ahead of us and our dreams. 

Oh what I would give to be there now.

Sweet memories.

Heltons Birth Island

 Sao nicolau and lessons learned

My husband and I traveled by boat to visit the island he was born in and where his mothers side of the family are born. It is very mountainous and green, the air is fresher than you can imagine and life is simple. 

The boat journey was around 17 hours long on a boat about the size of a standard English bus. Not ideal. We were terrified but boy did we prepare. We bought anti sickness tablets from the pharmacy and had a backpack full of snacks and sprite. Unfortunately we didn't realise that everyone was going to get on the floor and set up beds, and by the time we had realised, all the good places were gone and I ended up wedged between the edge of the boat and a mans feet on top of mine, but at least I had Timas to snuggle up with. The boat was rocky and the waves were choppy at times but we made it.

Sao Nicolau is less developed than Sal because Sal has a lot of tourism. 

We stayed with an incredible friend of my husband's. He is a doctor by trade and literally a saint. Every where we would go with him people would stop him in the street and they would have special talks. He was totally adored and we feel so lucky to be a friend of his. The doctor and his girlfriend and their friend Bia, took us to see the best sights of the island. 

One of my most memorable experiences on the island was when we went up to a high point of the island to visit Helton's grandfather. The village where he lives is in a really remote part of the island and high up in the mountain. Heltons grandfather and grandmother raised their 11 children in a 3 bedroom home with no bathroom or electricity. His grandfather worked all day and all night to provide for them. Everyone seems to be related, families are really big and the community is almost tribe like. There is 1 shop and a church and houses that cover the hills. The paths are made of small stones and really hard for people to walk on but the natives can run from house to house with ease. It was incredible to see how the have adapted to their surroundings and it taught me that you can push your body to deal with anything if you have to. The people are so kind and humble, they are the diamonds of this earth.

When we got to Helton's grandads home we were welcomed by a very very excited grandad who was overjoyed that we were staying in his home. Now that all of his children are grown up and his wife has moved to live in the city, he lives alone. Helton cooked spaghetti and we all ate together. The rain was pouring outside and at that time we didn't realise how much rain was coming. After we ate Helton told his grandad stories of his family back in Sal. It was so lovely to hear his grandad laugh. In the morning we awoke to the sound of rain and when we went outside we were shocked at what we found. The one road into the village had been blocked off by rocks that had fallen from the mountain from the rainfall and the bus route was blocked. We decided to make the most of the rain and we swam in the natural pools. It felt like being at a detox retreat. The air was so fresh and all around us was banana trees and fresh fruit and vegetables growing. When our time was up we had to walk about 2 miles up hill to reach the bus as it wasn't able to drive close to the village because of the fallen mountain rocks and the heavy rain fall. 

My time in Sao Nicolau was refreshing and eye opening. I learnt that life is more fulfilling without technology and riches. Family is the most important thing in the world and it is more important to nourish family than update social media. 

Cape Verde has so much to offer and myself and my husband dream of visiting all of the islands. You should visit 😉

The pearl of the Atlantic

The pearl of the Atlantic,
My heart.

Things I have learnt about Cape Verdean culture

Cape Verde is a country located on the west coast of Africa, made up by a collection of 10 islands:
Sal
Boa Vista
Santiago
Sao Vincent 
Maio
Santo Antao
Fogo
Sao nicolau
Brava 
Santa luzia 

I have lived on the island of Sal and traveled to my husband's birth place Sao Nicolau and Sao Vincent. I have done extensive research about each individual island and have learnt that each one has a personality of its own. The only way I can explain the difference between each island is they are more like sisters than duplicates. Each island has its own twang to the Criole language and its own individual weather. Although similar, you will find a difference on every island.

Whilst living in Sal, I learnt a lot of things (mostly the hard way). Cape Verdeans have absolutely no concept of time, but they have more compassion and more understanding than most people I have ever encountered. They are incredibly social, and will spend most of their free time sitting out of the front of their homes talking to neighbors. Cape Verdeans will give you the last bread roll in their kitchen and will go to the ends of the earth to ensure you feel compfortable and at home with them. The women work incredibly hard in their homes to keep them clean and beautiful. The men work long gruling days in the hot sun to provide for their families. The children are taught to be independent from a very young age, you find children as young at 7 or 8 cooking eggs in the kitchen.
The Cape Verdeans are extremely fashion conscious and will never leave the house in anything less than clean, trendy clothes.

In the south of the island of Sal you will find it has been taken over by hotels and tourism. Whilst in the north part of the island it is still really traditional and it is rather rare to see anyone who isn't Cape Verdean. Funnily enough, the Chinese seem to have realised that there are lots of business opportunities in Cape Verde and have set up corner stores on almost every block. In these stores you can buy anything from food, to stationary to shoes.

Parties and celebrations are huge in Cape Verde, way to big for English girls. They will stay awake all night to party and will not show any signs of stopping until 6 or 7am. Drinking alcohol is popular among the old and the young. Traditional drinks are made in homes and bars, the most popular are grouge and pontche. These beverages are very strong and in my opinion can be rather dangerous. I have noticed that drinking is rather common among the men. 

Cape Verdeans can DANCE. Oh my goodness, Cape Verdeans can seriously move. They are born dancing. I have never felt more white in my life, than when I am at a Cape Verdean  party being forced to dance and embarrassing myself with my two left feet. Cape Verdeans are really positive and social people and they love to be surrounded by families and friends.

Family is the most important part of a Cape Verdeans upbringing and life. People have children like there is no tomorrow and care for their little ones beautifully. I find it the most beautiful thing to see Cape Verdean boys carrying their children and their siblings around town. You won't find push chairs around, so the babies are usually carried by the parents. 

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post. My aim is to educate and entertain. My next few posts will be based on experiences I have had, almost like story time posts.

Have a good day, no stress 💜