2018 HAL World Cruise
Thursday, April 19, 2018
It was the Portuguese who settled the island of Santiago in 1462. Antonio da Noli discovered the island and built a garrison in what is now Cidade Velha (Old Town) but was known then as Ribeira Grande. It was transcontinental slavery that made Ribeira Grande the second richest city in the Portuguese realm. Praia, which means “beach” was a coastal community about 9 miles away. So, when French pirates attacked Ribeira Grande in 1712, the inhabitants moved to the plateau above Praia. Today, Praia is the capital of Cape Verde.
We found Praia to be charming and more Mediterranean than African. Many of the buildings date to the Portuguese era, the sidewalks are decorated with the signature Portuguese designs, and although U.S. dollars are accepted and English is widely spoken, the music is exotic and reminds you there is an African influence.
We took the ship’s shuttle up to the plateau and spent the entire day walking around, shopping, visiting the sites and enjoying the local brew!!!!
We are now on our way across the Atlantic and will arrive at our final port-or-call, San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Thursday. The party is almost over.
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