Fogo & Brava Islands, Cape Verde
Today was a day of contradictions. It was a day for experiencing Cape Verde by exploring two very different aspects of this island nation. The morning involved the volcanic landscape of Fogo and the afternoon was for the waters around Brava.
Shortly after breakfast we went ashore on Fogo and slowly wove our way up through many small villages and agricultural land. The higher we got, the more lava we saw, until we rounded a corner and were greeted by a panoramic view of barren lava in all directions. This flow was from 1951 and went all the way down to the sea. The large cinder cone rose in the distance, with a foreground of pahoehoe and a'a lava, along with many smiling children selling homemade trinkets.
We passed by the most recent flow, from 1995, and made our way into a small village within the caldera. Friendly children greeted us, along with local musicians. Some of us sat and enjoyed local wine and goat cheese, while others wandered around the village. The entire time, the massive peak ominously loomed overhead. Images were everywhere, from kids playing football, to paintings on the houses, and one of my favorites of a donkey tethered outside a traditional house.
During lunch the ship repositioned to nearby island of Brava where we set out to explore the inshore waters. Some of us kayaked along the rocky coastline, while others donned masks to see the numerous fish around a large rock outcropping. Others went on a Zodiac cruise and were lucky enough to encounter some energetic pantropical spotted dolphins racing alongside. Overall a fantastic day in Cape Verde!
Today was a day of contradictions. It was a day for experiencing Cape Verde by exploring two very different aspects of this island nation. The morning involved the volcanic landscape of Fogo and the afternoon was for the waters around Brava.
Shortly after breakfast we went ashore on Fogo and slowly wove our way up through many small villages and agricultural land. The higher we got, the more lava we saw, until we rounded a corner and were greeted by a panoramic view of barren lava in all directions. This flow was from 1951 and went all the way down to the sea. The large cinder cone rose in the distance, with a foreground of pahoehoe and a'a lava, along with many smiling children selling homemade trinkets.
We passed by the most recent flow, from 1995, and made our way into a small village within the caldera. Friendly children greeted us, along with local musicians. Some of us sat and enjoyed local wine and goat cheese, while others wandered around the village. The entire time, the massive peak ominously loomed overhead. Images were everywhere, from kids playing football, to paintings on the houses, and one of my favorites of a donkey tethered outside a traditional house.
During lunch the ship repositioned to nearby island of Brava where we set out to explore the inshore waters. Some of us kayaked along the rocky coastline, while others donned masks to see the numerous fish around a large rock outcropping. Others went on a Zodiac cruise and were lucky enough to encounter some energetic pantropical spotted dolphins racing alongside. Overall a fantastic day in Cape Verde!
