Fogo, Cape Verde Islands
Today we visited Fogo, the active volcano in the Cape Verde Islands. Fogo is an immense volcano, rising from ocean depths of 4000 meters to a height of 2829 meters above sea level, making it higher than Mount McKinley when measured from a common base. The volcano has been continuously active throughout historic times, erupting every 50 years or so. The last eruption was in 1995 and the one immediately prior occurred in 1951. The 1995 eruption formed the small volcanic cone called Pico Novo, which can be seen in the foreground of the picture with fresh lava flowing from it. In the background is the main volcanic cone, Pico do Fogo.
We drove from the dock at the capital town of São Felipe up to the rim of the caldera at 2700 meters and then down across the caldera floor to the small village of Cha das Caldeiras where a small population lives on the fresh lava and produces, among the staples of life, wine at a small winery. We took some refreshments, including this local wine at the little posada before continuing back across the caldera and down the mountain to rejoin Endeavour.
Many things impressed us as we made this journey, but none more than the beautiful people of the island. While they suffer from a very limited water supply, they have, with a very great effort, terraced the land and installed efficient irrigation systems to make the most of the little water they have. The results of their industry can be seen everywhere. Each day the women must visit the communal well or cistern for water, which they carry home balanced on their heads. The men work their fields of beans and corn. Some men cut firewood from the acacia trees, which dot the hills and the women carry that home on their heads as well. Our images of the citizens of Fogo, from the bright eyes, which shine from the faces of the lively and charming children, to the deeply etched faces of the “vovos” or grandmothers, portray a vibrant and vital culture. It is one very distant from our own, but in these days linked ever more closely with it in our global society.
Today we visited Fogo, the active volcano in the Cape Verde Islands. Fogo is an immense volcano, rising from ocean depths of 4000 meters to a height of 2829 meters above sea level, making it higher than Mount McKinley when measured from a common base. The volcano has been continuously active throughout historic times, erupting every 50 years or so. The last eruption was in 1995 and the one immediately prior occurred in 1951. The 1995 eruption formed the small volcanic cone called Pico Novo, which can be seen in the foreground of the picture with fresh lava flowing from it. In the background is the main volcanic cone, Pico do Fogo.
We drove from the dock at the capital town of São Felipe up to the rim of the caldera at 2700 meters and then down across the caldera floor to the small village of Cha das Caldeiras where a small population lives on the fresh lava and produces, among the staples of life, wine at a small winery. We took some refreshments, including this local wine at the little posada before continuing back across the caldera and down the mountain to rejoin Endeavour.
Many things impressed us as we made this journey, but none more than the beautiful people of the island. While they suffer from a very limited water supply, they have, with a very great effort, terraced the land and installed efficient irrigation systems to make the most of the little water they have. The results of their industry can be seen everywhere. Each day the women must visit the communal well or cistern for water, which they carry home balanced on their heads. The men work their fields of beans and corn. Some men cut firewood from the acacia trees, which dot the hills and the women carry that home on their heads as well. Our images of the citizens of Fogo, from the bright eyes, which shine from the faces of the lively and charming children, to the deeply etched faces of the “vovos” or grandmothers, portray a vibrant and vital culture. It is one very distant from our own, but in these days linked ever more closely with it in our global society.
