Located 500 km from Senegal, Ihla do Sal is part of the "No stress" group, which is the slogan of Cabo Verde. This country is formed by a few islands in the Atlantic ocean and their main language is Portuguese. Sal is the driest of them all and I had the chance to explore it, it was all a big surprise.
Capo Verde consists of several islands but the transport between them isn't easy to arrange last minute, so I basically got stuck on Ihla do Sal but ended up enjoying it very much discovering all its sides. It has a desert with mirages, volcanic parts, dunes, salt mines, friendly people, beautiful language, great beaches, some friendly ones and some with sharks, which actually seem to be very friendly too. I got into one with a local guide and they say they do not bite.
Favelas.
This was a quick passing through the favela between Palmeira and Espargos.
A favela, just like you have possibly heard from in Brazil, is an urban area of low resources. The houses are built of aluminium plates and other recycled materials. I think the dust gave a nice layer to the shot too.
Salinas.
The salt mine used to be important in Sal. Now there is too much competition from other African countries. There is an area here where people are allowed to swim and experience the low effort needed to float due to the high density of salt. It is still a mystery to me why some areas were pink, I am guessing it is the mix of iron with the salt but if you do know please tell me.
On the right you see an actual river of salt. Below, the areas where salt gets extracted from.
Fishing
Sal is quite arid so it isn't easy for plants to grow. Surrounded by salt water, fishing is one of the main activities, relevant to feed families and tourists.
As a vegetarian, I still got sad but I understand the fishing need over there better than I do in Europe.
Kids.
Exercise.
It was unexpected, all the physical activity around the isle! From jogging on the far away roads, yoga on the beach, kitesurfing, surfing and fitness.
Boats.
Since fishing is one of the main activities, boat building and repair is very important too. Often there were men sanding or building boats.
This man that came to a tiny street bar works in the boat industry as well. Funny enough his jacket says "Live in a world without work".
Buracona, volcanic area.
The stones at the bottom of this burnt out land looked so smooth and round!
I enjoyed this view so much, imagining how once everything here was liquid fire. Now the dark tones contrast beautifully with the green tone of the water, which I swear, that's the real colour!
Beaches
Right after arrival I ended walking towards the "wrong" direction and thanks to that found some great dunes and a lonely beach, where I found all sorts of interesting objects.
I am not sure whether they were brought by the ocean or dropped off by the locals. Tyres seem to be a handy tool though! They are used as fences, for home building, as kid toys, as fitness training tools and for beach games.
And yeah, some plastic on the lonely beaches, again not sure whether the ocean brought it or not but downtown was surprisingly clean.
And the forever ongoing mystery of every single country: the stray shoe.
Mind picture: One of the best moments was a batucada on the street, drums playing, people following and dancing around and suddenly they all started running and I didn't know why, they seemed happy so I ran too and there were some cars that people were euphoric to see. I asked someone who those people were and the man said it was some guys that just got released from prison and this musical event was their welcome back home from their friends and family.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures! <3 And I do recommend Ihla do Sal.
Love,
Anahí