Thursday 15th January
Mindelo, Cape Verde
We have sailed further south and have arrived on the Cape Verde Island of São Vicente. The Cape Verde Islands are about 400miles west of West Africa. There are nine main islands and they were uninhibited when they were discovered in the 15th century by Portuguese explorers. Up to the 1870s the economy here was based mostly on the slave trade being on the route between West Africa and the New World. The majority of islanders are Creoles with both Europeans and African ancestors. The islands became independent from Portugal in 1975. Today we are in Mindelo which is the main town on São Vincente. The town is small with many old colonial buildings painted in bright colours. There were several markets including a busy fish market. This picture of Mindelo was taken from the top of the Tower of Mindelo which is a replica of the Bethlem Tower in Lisbon. It was built almost 100 years ago and is now a museum of the sea. It contains artefacts from historical shipwrecks near to the islands. The viewing platform at the top gives good views over the town and the harbour.