mercredi 16 mai 2018

Cabo Verde on my mind









"Cap Vert, really? Why don't you try Europe or Asian, they are more fun."
"Well, first of all, define FUN." 






I often got that reaction whenever I mention Cabo Verde as my first-time-abroad destination to my friends and family. And to be honest, I don't know why I choose it. It's just whenever I think about it, I get this intense energy and excitement. I had friends from over there (Miguel, Elsa and Juan) and probably they, unintended-ly, influenced my choice. 

Cabo Verde was on my bucket-list for three year in a row, and I failed to fulfill that because, well, I had other highly ranked priorities. But, 2018 is my year. And I DID IT.


First things first

Visa Requirement
Obviously I had to check whether I need a visa to enter into the Cabo Verdean territory.  As a holder of a Moroccan Passport, I will acquire a visa of 30 days upon my arrival to Praia International Airport, GREAT!

*It actually got complicated afterwards. I came across an article stating that travelers to Cabo Verde are no longer allowed into the direct flight Casablanca - Praia. Many were denied boarding due to the lack of Visa. Funny thing, not funny though, Cap vert is still claimed to be visa upon arrival for Moroccans, yet, the Moroccan authorities do not allow boarding without a visa. Another funny thing, there is no representation of that country in Morocco, no embassy, no consulate. Nada! 

Ps. I wrote that before I have actually traveled. And true, after seeing that article, I went looking for further information and I found one travel agency that can provide an authorization issued by the Cabo Verdean authority to allow access to their country. And guess what? I was still denied boarding because my passport didn't have any visa stamp by the Cabo Verdean authority, notwithstanding the authorization -_-. So I had to call the travel agency to fix it :D

Flight ticket search

My Cabo-Verdean friends who were studying in Morocco back then informed me that there are direct flights from Morocco (Casablanca) to Cap vert (Praia, Santiago), so I didn't bother about that issue much. However, I did make research just for information and also compare the prices, I found that there are other alternatives with other airway companies with one or more stops into Europe. A direct flight it is then. 

April coincides with my vacation and also, to my luck, the low season, which is perfect for me given my tight budget.

Flight tickets, booked!


Accommodation

I had to make a thorough research for a youth hostel and luckily I found one in Praia. However, in Maio, only hotels or apartments are available.

In Praia, I booked a bed in a shared room in a hostel in the suburbs. I haven't been asked to do any ads for this hostel, but Morabeza Kriol Hostel is the place to be for backpackers; in the center of Praia, with a bus station right in front of it. Dany, the owner, to my luck, spoke very good English and even French, and was a very good and keen host.

Cannot lie, there were issue with WIFI connection in there, but it made things even better. I mean it made us, all travelers, sit together, get to know each others and share stories from our travel experiences.

I tried Couchsurfing but the people who replied to my staying request declined hosting me as they were not around Praia at the time of my travel.



Budget

I have assigned a budget of about 700 Euros, flight ticket excluded for the 10 days. And returned with about 200Euros :D

The currency of Cabo Verde is Escudos (CVE), equivalent of approx. 111 Escudo = 1 Euro.

Language

I regret not having learned Portuguese before going there. I mean with luck you can find people speaking French or English but most of the time, Portuguese wins and Kriol (native language), of course. So, honestly, I have missed a lot of opportunities to interact with the locals.