I’ve been fond of the inhabitants of Cape Verde for a long time. The pictures from the time at high-school, my colleagues at college, the fact that I met the colony of Cape Verde in New Jersey, might have contributed to this feeling.
 
However, when I visited Cape Verde for the first time, I was enchanted with the peaceful countenance of the man in the street, those people’s way of living, the delicate way they welcome visitors.
 
During almost an  entire month, I learned that these people rarely shout. I walked alone, during the day and at night, through cities like Mindelo or through small villages like Santa Maria, and it seemed that crime, racial discrimination and disrespect for others simply don’t exist in that land.
I’ve seen French, Russian, Senegalese, Brazilians, Germans, Cubans and South-Africans being welcomed. I felt that the Portuguese are treated with special care.
 
I noticed that there are wealthy and well-off people, as well as a lot of poor people. But I haven’t seen poverty and hunger like I’ve seen in other African countries.
 
I’ve seen good airports, sea ports and roads. It seemed to me that there are well-organized public enterprises, such as those of fuel, agriculture and food production, and health care products. I also noticed the existence of dynamic private corporations – national and international – for example in the areas of commerce, hotel services and construction.
 
I liked to listen to well-spoken Portuguese, although I was sad about the vulgarization of the Creole.
I deduced that political worries were relegated to a second plan, in order to give priority to national construction.
 
Portuguese people say that it isn’t hard to live; what is hard is to know how to live. Well, I got the feeling that the people of Cape Verde are trying hard, in a rational way, to know how to live.
But... is everything a bed of roses in that archipelago? Of course not. Their culture, social organization and economy are (and will probably be for a long time) far from the European patterns. However, the construction effort they are making is notable. This effort is also supported by many emigrants in Portugal, Holland,  France, Italy, the United States and other places, who send money to their country.
 
I heard about plans of industrial and agricultural development that will allow Cape Verde to export some products, in order to balance the economic transactions.
 
I got bored because the services were very slow; I enjoyed the tropical beaches; I saw black people with blonde hair; I found it hard to get connection flights between the several islands (apparently because the airline was not very organized); I ate lobster, tuna and saw-fish at low prices; and I heard the dances and songs from Cape Verde, from sundown to nightfall.
 
When I bought my children some shirts, where you could read “Cape Verde – land of poetry”, I thought that, in fact, it is a fascinating people and a land of poetry.
 
I think some African countries, from a material point of view, have a lot to learn from Cape Verde. Spiritually, even some European countries have something to learn from them.
 
Finally, it came to my mind that the Portuguese can support the development of that country, and even benefit from it. I saw labels of some Portuguese trade marks, but I would like to have seen more. I haven’t seen teachers or Portuguese doctors, but I would have liked to see them, as well as other technicians. For the sake of Cape Verde and Portugal.
 
 

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