Mindelo harbour was filled with the usual mix of long distance yachts and rusting hulks, one of which was surprisingly close come the morning! Dave got the dinghy lowered and very quickly returned having been told to radio in on channel 72 to receive instructions for the marina.
We raised anchor and performed our first ever stern to moor picking up two buoys of each bow and reversing into the marina pontoon. The berth was strictly speaking too small for us but we successfully got Hocus Pocus secure.
This is also where you can leave your dinghy if you remain at anchor so it's quite a social place for long distance yachties to gather.
We decided to explore a bit of the town, it is a lot more modern and bustling in comparison to other towns on the islands, it feels quite prosperous, however we still got accosted regularly by young boys begging.
We went to the market square and were treated to a real African coffee and coconut bun by one of the stall holders, if you have never tasted this particular beverage it has quite a " hit". We managed to escape having only bought a pebble game souvenir, however we were also all bedecked in new jewellery, some free some not!
The market really is a fascinating place but we did have to make a quick exit before we were forced to spend all our money. We also discovered the old market hall which was a lovely example of colonial architecture. Also a great selection of fruit and veg.
This is a " where's wally " picture .......spot Dave, Lynne and Carol...
The town has some glorious buildings, although a lot of the newer development is a monument to breeze block the old Portuguese colonial buildings have been restored very nicely.
Just around the corner from the marina is a glorious beach with water a brilliant aquamarine colour, it is overlooked by the island of Llheu dos Paseros.
We had passed this small island the day before as we entered the bay. We prepared to go out on the town to celebrate New Year, it felt quite strange to be preparing to celebrate in heat of 28 degrees! It proved to be quite a night!
The harbour at Mindelo at sunset.
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