Boa Vista Touareg day 4

An interesting and adventurous day out and about.  We had arranged to go on a tour of the east coast of the island with a local tour company.  Our driver (Adi) and guide (Cheny) collected us in a 4x4 twin cab Toyota at around 09.00.  The route took us along the coast heading east and then north, stopping at various interesting places along the way, and returning down through the middle of the island.

First stop was not far from Touareg at a spot popular with local fishermen, which also provided a beautiful view back (west) along the beach with the resort in the background.

A little further on we stopped at a vast area where the ground is littered with the remains of coral, now dry and bleached white like stones.  This area is several metres (maybe 20-30) above the current sea level, which indicates that it was pushed upwards out of the sea a long time ago, probably around the time the islands were formed.

The local people are very proud of their islands being a popular nesting ground for turtles.  The prime nesting season begins in late July, but even now there is evidence that a few turtles have already visited the beaches to lay their eggs.  We stopped at a stretch of beach where we could see fresh turtle tracks in the sand.  In the photo you can see the tracks from the top right corner and ending just below the centre.  The roughly circular patch at the bottom left of the picture is the nest where the eggs have been laid and covered up to incubate.  Needless to say we were not allowed to drive onto the beach, and had to be careful about where we walked.

Next stop was at a large salt pan, no longer being mined, but still with several acres of salt lying on the ground.  Some of the salt had a slightly pink colour.  Shane explained that the salt is very good for the skin, and can also be used to treat some internal ailments if consumed, although we are not convinced about the authenticity of those stories.

The 10 islands that make up Cape Verde were formed by volcanic activity many years ago.  On one of the other islands the volcano is still active and last erupted as recently as 2014.  We stopped at an area where you can see clear evidence of the volcanic larva that flowed into the sea, which is the black rock in the photos.  These rocks are extremely heavy compared to the surrounding native rocks.

A little further on we stopped at a Baobab tree.  Nobody is sure about its origins but it seems to be healthy enough, although nowhere near as big as some of the African varieties.  Apparently it is one of 2 or 3 on Boa Vista.

Approaching noon, and our next stop was for a swim at another beautiful beach which sloped very gently into the turquoise sea, making it safe to swim in.  Apart from the idyllic setting, I cannot ever remember getting into sea water that was as warm as this.  At first we were the only people on the beach but a few others arrived after a short time, apparently also for their mid-tour swim.  The swim was very refreshing, given the midday temperature of 31°C.

Last stop before lunch was the lighthouse on the east coast.  The terrain was fairly dry, sandy and stony for most of the tour, and as we approached the lighthouse it also became more hilly.  The vehicle could only take us so far up the hillside and the final ascent was made on foot - an unwelcome reminder of our lack of fitness.

We drove through 3 little villages with prettily decorated buildings, stopping in the second one for lunch at a modest snack cafe, whose exterior belied the quality of the meal prepared for us by the owner.  The food was all local produce, prepared using traditional recipes, and a delight for the tastebuds.

The next leg of the journey took us along the Cabo Verdean version of "Route 66", named just that, and paved with black stones from the volcano larva.  Although still a fairly rough surface it was a lot more comfortable than most of the earlier dirt tracks had been.

Many miles later we stopped for a rest at an almond tree, which is apparently more than 100 years old.  There actually appear to be 2 trees, but the one is probably an offshoot from the original.  There were many nuts scattered on the ground, and we were able to crack open the shells to eat the nuts from inside.  They were not very big, but it was a novel experience.

That was the last stop on our tour before Adi and Cheny dropped us back at Riu Touareg, weary but happy after an extremely interesting and enjoyable day.  After a shower and change, followed by supper in the main restaurant, it was early to bed.

I would end with "Enjoy the photos!" but by now you have seen them all.  More tomorrow.