Bolero - Mindelo

Mindelo

The pontoons were buzzing with people swapping stories about their passages. Everyone we have spoken to has enjoyed their passage which bodes well for the next leg. We had a very quiet day on Saturday, tidying Bolero and sorting the laundry for Elizabeth who will collect it on Sunday morning. We ate at the floating bar, so we had still not set foot on Cape Verde soil!
On Sunday morning, Gwyn, Ian and Maz set off to find a bakery and came across a cafe which was full of local people and had the most amazing bread. Croissants for breakfast and a lovely loaf for lunch sorted! We met other rally participants for a bus tour around the island of Sao Vicente with our excellent guide Edir. The harsh arid landscape contrasted with the deep blue sky. The people really work hard to grow anything on their land. We visited the beach where turtles come to lay their eggs and were treated to a sample of the local grogue, and molasses which took away the harshness of the rum. We then climbed to the high point of the island on the bone shaking cobbled road being passed by a man leading his 3 cows along the coast road. The views from Monte Verde across to the other islands was fabulous. We had tea made by a local man who makes his own blended herbal tea. Mindelo was clearly visible as we made our way down. We were treated to a CaboVerde welcome with dancers and music, drinks and canapés.
Monday was a day of boat jobs, Ian climbed the mast to bring the tri light down to tighten up the connections. Fingers crossed we will have a working light on our crossing. Ian also extended the cable for the solar panel so we will be able to move it around the deck so it has full sun.
It was an early start on Tuesday, we met other crews and Edir to walk to the ferry terminal for the 7am ferry that would take us to Santo Antao. The drive from Port Norde was along a road that was literally hewn out of the volcanic rock. Nothing grew in the rocks. We passed colourfully painted houses perched on the rock face on our way to the grogue distillery, where were able to sample mango, passion fruit, coffee grogue. We were invited to have coffee and local snacks before we started our uphill walk in the magnificent Ribiero Grande, an enormous verdant valley with towering mountains and sugar cane plantations. The mini buses met us at the top and took us to local hotel, Black Mamba for a lunch of cachupa, the National dish. We then visited the ruins of a synagogue which is by a bay where the sea seems to boil as the waves travel over and between the volcanic rocks.
We then made our way up to the high point in the mountains of the north along the cobbled road linking the East and West that took 35 years to build. We went into the cloud forest, known locally as the laurel forest. The moisture from the clouds waters the crops, those needing more water are grown at altitude and those needing less, lower down.
We returned to Mindelo in time for a quick wash and brush up before the prize giving at a local hotel.
Team Bolero were winners in the first leg of ARC+2022 on corrected time, and third monohull overall on corrected time.
On Wednesday Gwyn and Maz did a recce of the local shops and markets to see what was available to supplement the supplies on the boat. Some fruit and vegetables were bought from the open air markets and brought back on board to be stowed. We bottled onions and garlic to make meal preparation under way easier. Dinner in the cockpit, our first evening meal on board since arriving in Mindelo!
Thursday dawned, and the wind that has blown every day came laden with Sahara dust. We could barely see the island of Sao Vicente through the haze. We are lucky that all our sightseeing days were clear. We went to our cafe/bakery and joined the locals for breakfast.
The batten was put backinto the mainsail…again…. But stitched in situ this time. Fingers crossed! The water tanks were filled and the diesel tanks topped up with the Jerry can. Nick and Ian went to the Skippers briefing in the late afternoon.
A final dinner out in a lovely local restaurant armed our last evening in Mindelo, a town of smiling people who work so hard to make a living in these dry inhospitable islands.

We have enjoyed our time in this archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. The colonial buildings, the markets, the trees growing in the roads, 3 feet from the kerb, the delicious fish, the ladies carrying their baskets on their heads. The mixture of times gone by with weatherbeaten cars and bicycles and flash new SUVs!

Fair winds
Nick, Maz, Ian and Gwyn