Cape Verde is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets on Earth
Submitted 3 years 7 months ago by AlexP.
When I arrived in Praia, it was obvious what a small country this is. A tiny airport with a few guys outside and few facilities. I don't recall seeing a proper restaurant at the airport.
I took a cab to the city center and found an Airbnb for about $40 per night. I wasn't staying in the colonial center (known as the plateau), but rather in a kind of new center near the shopping mall and the beach at Quebra Canela. My first thought was, "Damn, this city is crap." Ugly houses, unfriendly people, traditional American ghetto dress, and a lack of trendy restaurants or something that catches the eye. It reminded me of some of the poorer coastal cities in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, with their concrete grey houses, hot weather, and lack of culture. To get to know the city better, I went on some long walks around it. Plateau is a little nicer, but it was still deserted on a Sunday. I wanted a lot more from the country's colonial capital. It was difficult to find a decent restaurant, and I had expected idyllic settings with maybe a nice cathedral or a park or something, but there was nothing.
On the second day, I went for some more walks around town. The shopping centre was small and deserted. In the West, this will not even be considered a shopping mall; it is simply a collection of small stores housed in a single structure. People seemed shocked to see me enter. The beach at Quebra Canela was fun. There were a few people there, and it was fun to swim in the sea. I had some excellent seafood at one of the nearby restaurants. There is a sort of strip next to the beach with a few bars and restaurants. If the locals want to please their dates, I think this is where they go.
I went to the beach during a brief window of sunshine, which was virtually deserted except for a few people, including two young 20-something ladies. Later in the evening, I tried to find some nightlife somewhere, but it seemed like everything was closed or just not lively at all. Some street urchins come begging, and it definitely seems sketchy in some places. Some of these guys are still opioid users. I went up to the hot black girl, and although she was friendly, she had other plans that night, which was unfortunate because it was my last night before flying to Sao Vicente the next day.
Santa Antao – Sao Vicente (Mindelo)
My mental state dramatically shifted as soon as I arrived in Mindelo. I felt energized after seeing how much nicer this city is overall than Praia, with an absolutely beautiful beach right in the middle. My Airbnb for $40 a night was a bargain, with a comfortable balcony overlooking the ocean (although not as close the center as I had hoped). I felt amazing after my first swim, and walking around the city center, I liked it a lot more than Praia, with more nice colonial houses, a more comfortable atmosphere in general, and, most importantly, prettier people everywhere.
The local breakfast is called Catchupa, and it consists of some kind of corn, eggs, sauce, and meat or fish. I ate this every day in Mindelo because it was filling and a healthy protein-rich and inexpensive way to start the day.
I even went swimming almost every day because that beach was incredible. I met a few foreigners in the bars as well, and as is often the case in the third world, you encounter some odd and hilarious characters with random backstories. One of the guys also showed me around the island and gave me a lot of details, and we even had a small party among foreigners at some guy's place. I also rode through the slums, which were not as poor in terms of construction as I'd seen in other African countries, but the looks from the locals were probably worse, with the usual gangster mentality of who are you and why are you on my block.
Due to the shit virus, there was no nightlife outside of the small bars (which closed early and had only guys), and there was little to be found online in terms of girls. The inference for me was that, for the first time in a long time, I would have to put in a lot of effort in the daygame because it was the only choice. I went all out because I liked the local look of the girls (light skinned with spectacular curves, a little like the Brazilian look), walking for hours a day and talking to a lot of random girls. While it was a good learning experience, and I can certainly brag about all the random openers I did, it was also a frustrating one. Almost no girl I spoke with spoke anything other than Portuguese, and some didn't even speak Portuguese at all, just creole. Oh no! As a result, the daygame attempts became very amusing at times, with girls just staring at me as though they had never had a foreigner randomly speak to them on the street. I went direct a few times and indirect some. The majority of the girls gave me a phone number or a Facebook account, but they never seemed to have credit because they never came online on Whatsapp (despite the fact that it was obviously theirs) or took a long time to react. Most girls were just too shy to approach someone who didn't speak Portuguese. Owing to the language barrier, I was also hesitant to make direct phone calls.
In some occasions, the locals messed up my openers, such as when I asked for directions and they would come in and try to help me directly, but it was obvious they were cockblocking. You must remember that Mindelo is a small city of about 80.000 inhabitants, so everyone knows everyone else. Everyone knew who was who and where they came from because of family names and other factors. Competition was also tougher on the island, since there were many American Cape Verdeans with the usual hip-hop look who seemed to be involved in shady shit, driving around in very fancy cars (saw several hummers, porches, etc.) in this poor setting.
I essentially saw my personal ten during one afternoon. A girl who embodies everything I admire in a woman. With her beautiful ass, huge natural tits, caramel skin colour, and long curly black hair with a sweet face, she was clearly the queen of the island, and she was getting stares everywhere. When I first saw her, she was with a fat, gangster-looking guy wearing gold chains (think the Latino version of a Russian mobster). To my delight, I saw her walking by again a few minutes later while having a coffee, but this time she was with a female friend she was saying goodbye to. This was my only chance, so I had to act quickly. It's not every day that you open a girl of this caliber, but I felt compelled to do so. She was fun to talk to and polite in general, and she spoke good English. I opened in an indirect manner, but I did ask for her contact information, which she also provided. Regrettably, she wasn't very receptive when I called her later. Based on her Instagram, I'd say she's a local celebrity, as she's a model and has been used by a variety of local businesses for product ads, etc.
To summarize, I wasn't getting anywhere with the ladies, but I was having a good time on the island as a whole. I also took a side trip to Santa Antao, which was fantastic. Nothing beats a full day of hiking in the woods, breathing in the fresh air, and eating local fruits and seafood to get in shape. I also went to the other beaches on Sao Vicente, which were also good but a little deserted. Most of the smaller villages didn't have much going for them.
On my last night, I went to one of the few bars for a beer, and for the first time, there was an attractive girl there, but she was with a local man. This girl was caramel-colored, absolutely tatted, had an incredible butt, and was dressed in sexy high heels and a thin summer dress. She was sitting at the bar with another man, but they didn't seem to be talking much. I sat on the other side of her, by myself, and ordered a drink. When the other guy went to the bathroom, I struck up a conversation with her and took her phone number. She didn't seem bothered in any case, because when he returned, she kept talking to me as if nothing had happened. She told me, much to my surprise, that there was only one club open on the island and gave me directions. She had to leave with this man, but she said we could meet up there later (it was already around 11 pm at the time). I briefly considered whether she was a prostitute based on her appearance, but there was no way of knowing at this stage.
Mindelo girls have this typical appearance, but they are usually curvier.
I was happy either way, because I was high, but also because there was a glimmer of hope for some nightlife. Goddammit, on my last night! I took a cab there, and when I arrived around 11.30 p.m., the club was alive and well. There were about a hundred people in there, and I was obviously the only foreigner or white man. I went to the bar and was about to order when I heard an announcement that the club was closing at midnight due to police orders. In such a desperate situation, I did what any other man would do. To the surprise of the group next to me, I ordered four double Cuba libres, of which I drank two on the spot and took the two remaining ones with me to the club for the final 30 minutes of fun. It didn't take long for me to become acquainted with a party of two girls and one guy who seemed to be really interested in meeting me.
The next day, I scheduled a coffee date with another IG girl. In several ways, it was intriguing. When I sent her an online message, she seemed surprised that I would invite her over for coffee, claiming that it is extremely risky to do so and asking, "How can you just meet up with someone you've never met?" I persuaded her anyway, claiming that as a frequent traveler, it was very natural for me. We sat down for a cup of coffee after she arrived. The chemistry and conversation were both enjoyable and stimulating. She explained her reservations to me, saying that a lot of bad things happen on the island and that as a foreigner, I might be setting myself up to be robbed or worse. She gave me a lot of information about the culture, people, and how things worked in Cape Verde, so it wasn't a waste of time, just a nice casual meet-up between two strangers.
I had a high-potential date planned with the evening for my last date. This girl was smoking, and I was shocked that she was willing to come straight to my hotel. I informed her we might have some drinks at the top-floor hotel bar, despite the fact that it was closed due to corona. Such a shame, but oh well, it's my bed, I suppose?
She arrived wearing almost nothing. That would be considered lingerie in my country. I threw her on the bed as soon as she walked in, and what followed was one of the wildest nights of my life. After the pent-up horniness of the previous days with no real day game success, I banged her many times in all positions. She was a squirter as well, and she drowned my sheets full. The sexual chemistry I had with this girl was incredible. We were both really horny; her butt was near perfect, with those slutty but well-done tats. I had an early flight the next morning and had to leave the bed totally soaked in pussy juice (sorry cleaning lady). I drove her straight to the airport, and she took the same taxi back home, still just wearing lingerie, which is quite a sight at 7 a.m. I later discovered on her Facebook page that she is married to this Portuguese man.
Back to Praia
The last few nights in Cape Verde altered my perception of the island. In some ways, it felt like a rollercoaster. From being very disappointed with what Praia had to offer, to being overjoyed upon arrival in Mindelo and discovering the cool spots, to being seriously disappointed once more when my day efforts and all the work I was putting in yielded nothing, to finally having many girls come through in my final days (through an unexpected extension).
Overall, I'd say Cape Verde is a fun novelty destination. Excellent for adventure/nature tourism, but logistically and linguistically challenging. It will be more difficult in many ways if you do not speak Portuguese. If you had more time and were not in a hurry, you could probably enjoy all the wonders of the various islands, but if you have a shorter time frame and are willing to work hard, you can quickly see the drawbacks of this place in terms of scale, population, things to do on one island, and so on. There were a couple of older retired western guys there who seemed to enjoy it a lot. A relaxed, low-cost lifestyle surrounded by beautiful nature, with adequate facilities and attractive people. It could be close to some of the smaller Northern Brazilian towns, but I'm not sure.
I still want to go there to see the carnival because I've read so many positive things about it.