VIVEIRO ZOO
Oasis of Sal Island
Also, watch our film about our adventures in Cape Verde
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The person who came up with the name "Cape Verde Islands" was clearly not fully conscious, because the landscapes we saw were very far from "riot of bright greenery" ;-)
The classic Cape Verdean view is shown in the following photograph.
In order to get acquainted with the real life of the local inhabitants, we decided to go to the capital of the island. Here we are rushing along the main road 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 at the roundabout with three-meter cacti and enter the city. Nice, low buildings, palm alleys - everything looks quite presentable.
Some of the central quarters are so clean and well-kept that they evoke associations with the towns of southern Europe. The streets resembled Portuguese or Spanish.
A little further from the center, the decor and cleanliness become less noticeable, and to be honest, the streets begin to resemble African ones, but without the classic African dust.
We walk a few more blocks of Espargos and along a cobbled street we find ourselves in the city market. It was mid-afternoon, so most of the market was already empty, but lonely vendors were waiting hopefully for any potential buyers.
Leaving the market behind, we entered a part of the city whose tourist potential has not yet been used. These are the local slums. We know of several cities in the world that have made such slums a place of great tourist activity, but in Cape Verde this is still far from being the case. We passed by this hellish place simply because it was the shortest route to the main attraction of the city - "Mirage". Even a momentary acquaintance with these city quarters allows us to bitterly state 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 nightmarish level. A drive past the slums of the city of Espargos is not an experience for the sensitive.
To be fair, it should be noted that the city government is building a block of three-story houses next to the "favelas". We really hope that this is being created to resettle the slum dwellers. But for now, they continue to lead their lives at a medieval level.
This photograph conveys a kaleidoscope of my emotions and impressions while driving through the slums.
There are no attractions in Espargos (AT ALL). But, in order to somehow entertain tourists and employ local residents, the island government came up with a social project. It is called "Mirage", and all tourists visiting the capital are necessarily taken there.
We did not escape this fate and we happily drive there in our pickup truck, moving further away from the slums.
And here we are. In the middle of a dusty and rocky desert, on the very edge of the city, there is a round cinder block barn with the romantic name "Mirage". It is guarded by a man in a blue shirt, who is assisted by 2-3 dogs. And since 2018 is the year of the "Yellow Dog", we considered the presence of yellow dogs nearby a good sign and were preparing to see the miracle promised by the guide: a real mirage in the desert.
We had never seen a mirage before, so we were looking forward to the new experience. And some other tourists, for some reason, posed in strange and incomprehensible poses. We didn't ask them why they did this, we just took pictures ;-)
The workers at this tourist centre were either haughtily sipping beer from a reel of electric cable, or exchanging news and cigarettes at the entrance to a cinder block shed.
We took a long time to gather our courage, but eventually we decided to go into this center of local trade. There we were met by "Voodoo" dolls, tasting of 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: did we see a MIRAGE?
The guide showed us the direction where you can see a mirage of a lake in the middle of the desert. We frantically began to photograph this lake-mirage. And here, in front of you is one of the photographs where you can see this effect. If you have ever driven on hot asphalt in the heat, then you have probably seen a similar mirage. Maybe I am too biased, but see for yourself.
Having watched "Mirage", we completed our visit to the capital of the island of Sal - the city of Espargos. Then, all travelers go to the lagoon "Buracona", which we will tell you about later. The poor nature of the island, on the one hand, causes despondency, and on the other - has some kind of magic, forcing you to look at the photographs again and again. See for yourself.
