First Impressions of Cape Verde

When I landed in Cape Verde, I had a harder time adjusting than I originally thought. I have just taken a semi-vacation of sorts in a West African country (Senegal) that left me adjusting to West Africa in general and leaving more expectations for when I finally arrive in Cape Verde. After all, the complications and hardships that plague the African continent don’t affect the high quality of life here in Cape Verde. In a sense, I was readjusting my view of an African country, after an unpredictable trip into the mainland.

There are some adjustments that have carried itself over from our little excursion into mainland Africa. Over at Dakar, I got used to the heat. I got used to the flies. I got used to seeing virtually all Africans and not the diversity that Americans got to offer. Almost every car you see is either a taxi or a public van. I got used to the greasy food and the fact that I can find Coke virtually anywhere. Despite all the adjustments I encountered in an African country, I even got used to its hardships. Although, a lot of the problems I encountered in Dakar cannot be found in Cape Verde. There weren’t kids hustling for money outside our airport. There aren’t a lot of nationals who speak good enough English. You don’t run into nationals who look like they will sell their soul for an American. There aren’t people living in horrible conditions, there isn’t sand everywhere and there aren’t drummers who drum all night. But I don’t mean to confuse you, these characteristics of Senegal made me really envy the kindness of its people.

So my initial frustrations with Cape Verde fall into 2 concepts. One, that Cape Verde is not essentially “African”. The nationals here are essentially African by blood, slaves taken from the mainland and traded in this country, but in modern time they draw a huge influence from Portuguese and Mediterranean culture. A lot of nationals here understand some Spanish, mainly from Portuguese, whereas Spanish is useless in Africa. Buildings here have toilets and even in my rural setting, running water. There are Portuguese and American movies playing on TV every day (I’ve even caught some movies I’ve never seen before) and occasionally I catch MTV in the morning. Each day, I learn more about the western influences on this country.

And then you realize that malaria and mosquitoes are not that big of a problem, the national HIV rate is amazing at around 13%, there are no dangerous or hazardous animals, and the most surprising for me is the abnormally high 70% literacy rate, life expectancy rate, and absolute lack of famine. I think somewhere in statistics I read Cape Verde is the 4th most developed country in Africa. Its situation as such can probably be attributed to its location… it’s not even on the mainland. Here in Cape Verde, it’s not that they don’t care to see an American, it’s just they’re just so connected to the rest of the world, it’s really nothing to them.

Before even coming here, I knew I had to associate Cape Verde as its own entity. I knew for a while that Cape Verde was totally different from the rest of Africa but having seen the distinction myself underlines it. This is geographically Africa, but is distinguished on its own. It is rich in diversity, culture and the happiness of its people.

This also leads me into the next concept of Cape Verde’s development. Personally, I feel the country has its problems but I still feel Cape Verde is way more developed for Peace Corps standards. Everyday I feel I have less to adjust to and that more and more Cape Verde and its people are my new home. I catch myself asking, how can I feel like a Peace Corps volunteer if I can walk down any street and catch a beer at the bar with the locals? Or how can I feel like a volunteer if the biggest cities have everything I need? Or how can I feel like a volunteer if most of this country is used to seeing Americans? Sometimes I blink and forget that I’m in the Peace Corps, or even on the other side of the Atlantic.

There’s all these questions and concepts that make me wonder why I am here and not continental Africa. The sense of success is a lot harder to fabricate whereas success in a lesser developed country is more likely obvious. However it’s these questions that will stick to any volunteer and I just have to play my cards. It will all make sense one day.

Coming here after getting a slight taste of mainland Africa yearns for me to go back. I want the true African, safari, swahili, blaringly hot, tribal, drums blazing, sahara desert animals’ experience more than ever. It will still be a while before I’ll get a chance, if I ever do, but I know that Africa is there waiting for me. For now, here’s to my new home and my re-adjustment.