Collecting Moments

We used the island of Sal as our gateway to Cabo Verde. The welcome was dusty, windy and extremely dry. So was the goodbye. Of our 30 days in the country, we spent the first two and the last four on this flat desert island. During that time there was hardly a moment of silence, only the wailing and howling that accompanied our every step. And sand, lots of sand, swirling around, flying over and getting into every possible crevice. It reminded us of hamsin in Israel that paints the sun white and the sky yellow. Espargos Our EasyJet flight from Lisbon landed at Amilcar Cabral Airport at about 5:30 pm on March 25th. First of all, we had to sort out the essentials: local cash and mobile data. The former was easily obtained by paying a commission of 285 escudos at the ATM. For the latter, we bought an ALOU 5 GB plan for 30 days for 700 escudos (plus 100 for a SIM card). Given that the airport is only 3 kilometers from Espargos, walking to our accommodation seemed like a viable option...

We arrived in Mindelo on February 27th, a few days before the carnival frenzy would hit the city. Since hitchhiking in Cabo Verde was still a bit of a mystery to us, we decided to take a taxi from the Cesária Évora airport, which cost 1200 escudos. The studio, actually a garage converted into an apartment, that we rented for our entire stay was located in the quiet residential area of Madeiralzinho. The first thing the landlady told us after handing over the keys was, “Be careful, there's a lot of movement now”. “It's carnival time”, she added. Over the next few days we would find out what she meant. The city was chaotic and crowded in anticipation of the festivities. The main streets were lined with ticketed stands for spectators willing to pay between 1000 and 2000 escudos for an evening show. On the opposite side, all kinds of seating - plastic chairs, wooden stools, boxes, benches - sprouted up, reserved and negotiated through street fixers, adding a layer of unofficial co...

The forecast gave us no hope of sunshine that day—"Low clouds," it said, period. As we descended into the valley, the world around us seemed somber, damp and gloomy. The air was thick with the smell of wet soil, and even patches of green grass seemed tinted with gray. Soon, however, we began to notice splashes of vibrant color. Nature lured us with the lush green of vine leaves, the bright orange of ripe tangerines, and the delicate pink of almond blossoms. Ahead, gentle babbling of a nearby stream reached our ears. After recent heavy rains and violent storms, the water was cold and too deep to wade through in our boots, so we had to cross it barefoot. We couldn't help but envy mountain bikers gliding effortlessly across the creek while we dried our dirty, wet feet. Using a pair of spare socks for the task felt like a clever invention in the midst of our adventure. Steep, slippery trails wound through the dense forest, tall trees forming a canopy that seemed to close ...

Wherever we stay for more than a few weeks, we always find a weekend hike. It is usually an easily accessible trail of 15-20 kilometers with varied landscapes. When we lived on the edge of Serra de Estrela Park , we used to hike to an icy stream where one of us would go skinny-dipping in both winter and spring when the creeks were still full of water. Now that we've moved closer to the Arrábida Natural Park , we've begun to explore the web of trails that run between Setúbal and Palmela. The whole route is only between 9.5 and 10.5 kilometers long, but at least we can start it right from our doorstep. It has a nice climb of about 420 meters and goes over several hills. Just as all roads lead to Rome, this track actually connects two remaining parts of the Calçada Romana which once linked Equabona (Coina) to Emerita (Mérida). Depending on the weather and the season, we follow one of the four versions of the route. At different times of the year we can admire quince blossoms, c...