ESPARGOS
Capital of the island of Sal
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The person who came up with the name "Cape Verde Island" was clearly not fully conscious, since the landscapes we saw were very far from the "riot of bright greenery" ;-)
The classic Cape Verdean look is shown in the following photo.
In order to get acquainted with the real life of the local inhabitants, we decided to go to the capital of the island. So we rush along the main highway in the back of an open pickup truck and on the horizon we see the outlines of the city of Espargos, which is the capital of the island of Sal.
We turn in a circular motion with three-meter cacti and enter the city. Nice, low buildings, palm alleys - everything looks pretty presentable.
Some of the central quarters are so clean and well-groomed that they evoke associations with towns in southern Europe. The streets were reminiscent of Portuguese or Spanish.
A little further from the center, the decoration and cleanliness become less noticeable, and to be honest, the streets are beginning to resemble African, but without the classic African dust.
We overcome a few more blocks of Espargos and along a cobbled street we get to the city market. It was the middle of the day, so most of the market was already empty, but lone retailers were expecting at least some potential buyer.
Leaving the market behind, we entered an area of the city whose tourist potential has not yet been exploited. These are local slums. We know of several cities in the world that have made such slums a place of great tourist activity, but Cape Verde is still a long way off. We drove past this hellish place simply because it was the shortest way to the main attraction of the city - "Mirage". Even a momentary acquaintance with these quarters of the city allows us to bitterly assert that the standard of living here is inhuman ...
It is very scary to realize that in the 21st century, the lives of many people are at such a nightmare level. Driving past the slums of Espargos is not a test for impressionable people.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that the city authorities are building a block of three-storey houses next to the favelas. We very much hope that this is being created to resettle slum dwellers. In the meantime, they continue to lead their life at the medieval level.
A kaleidoscope of my emotions and impressions while driving through the slums is conveyed in this photo.
There are no attractions in Espargos (from the word ALL). But, in order to somehow entertain tourists and provide some jobs for local residents, the island's government came up with a social project. It is called "Mirage", and all tourists visiting the capital must be taken there.
This fate did not pass us, and we happily drive there in our pickup truck, moving away from the slums.
And here we are. In the middle of a dusty and rocky desert, at the very edge of the city, stands a round cinder block shed with the romantic name "Mirage". He is guarded by a man in a blue shirt, assisted by 2-3 dogs. And since 2018 is the year of the "Yellow Dog", we considered the presence of yellow dogs nearby as a good sign and prepared to see the miracle promised by the guide: a real mirage in the desert.
We had never seen a mirage before, so we were in anticipation of a new experience. And some other tourists, for some reason, posed in strange and incomprehensible poses. Why did they do this, we didn't ask them, we just took pictures ;-)
The workers of this tourist center either sipped arrogantly beer on a reel from an electric cable, or exchanged news and cigarettes at the entrance to the cinder block shed.
For a long time we gathered in spirit, but in the end we decided and entered this center of local trade. There we were greeted by Voodoo dolls, tasting local drinks from suspicious bottles (we politely declined) and many different souvenirs. I really liked the ship in its native colors ;-)
And now about the main thing: have we seen the MIRAGE?
The guide showed us the direction to see the mirage of a lake in the middle of the desert. We frantically began to photograph this mirage lake. And now, in front of you is one of the photos where you can see this effect. If you have ever driven on hot asphalt in the heat, you have probably seen a similar mirage. Maybe I'm too biased, but see for yourself.
Watching "Mirage", we completed our visit to the capital of the Sal island - the city of Espargos. Further, all travelers go to the "Burakona" lagoon, which we will talk about further. The poor nature of the island, on the one hand, causes despondency, and on the other hand, it possesses some kind of magic of its own, forcing one to look at photographs again and again. See for yourself.
