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23 November 2000 Porto Grande, São Vicente, Cap Verde

I'm moored to an old ferry. It belongs to Kai Grosman, a German who runs a kind of mini marina (here). and have free (access to) water taxi and a lot of other things, for instance laundry facilities(/services). The ferry looks like, and probably is, one of the booze cruise ferries that sailed Flensburg Fjord in the 1970's. He is a ship's electrician and has a mechanic employed. Besides boats they do all sorts of repairs and they are a big help in general.

Kai's ferry at Cap Verde

Kai's ferry at Cap Verde


Cap Verde is totally different from all other places I have been to on this journey. People speak creole here, which is partly Portuguese. The majority of the population is black and unbelievably many people live in poverty. Here are beggars in large numbers and you experience poverty, street vendors selling matches, postcards and chewing gum in a first hand attempt to survive. It actually seems as if not much has changed since the colonial period, and most things are in (a state of) disrepair. A lot of the beggars are kids. You are exposed to many "tricks", this one's sweet though: A small boy of 8-9 years of age comes to me. Their clothes are often in rags, and this kid's clothing looked even worse. He takes off his little dirty cap and asks if I want to buy it. At this moment I'm supposed to feel sorry for him: "No little buddy, you just hang on to that. Here's a little money for you...."

I think most of us would want to help others in need. But you have to bear in mind that it is impossible to help everybody. And the problem with the kids - as the pilotbooks will tell you - is that in the past all yachties gave them money. So nowadays they almost seem to think that you must give. That they are entitled to it. And they are not returning to their mothers with the money. Instead you see them buying candy etc.
I always give money to disabled people, physically as well as mentally, who you see everywhere. The state provides no disability pensions. It is simply a problem for the families to deal with. Until very late at night you see women street traders, selling matches, chewing gum, postcards and other bits and bobs. I feel sorry for these people. They sit on the sidewalk with their babies and small children and try to survive. They ought to be at home having a nice time, and the kids in their beds. I always buy from these street traders. Then I have something to give away.

A naked boy, Cap Verde

A naked boy, Cap Verde


Beggars are everywhere, and you get used to them. But the "shit heads", intoxicated or just plain stupid, who often chase away the kids "for our sake" to stop them from bothering us, often end up being a pain in the neck much worse than the kids. They can hang around for hours and often feel aggrieved when you finally lose your patience. I'm not here to entertain shit heads. They are going to experience problems with the next generation. Many kids are trying their luck pickpocketing, and there have been some reports of assaults on tourists.

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From Esbjerg, Denmark to Tahiti aboard a Junker 22