I just had the loveliest time! I feel so satisfied and happy at this moment. I went to the center of the town to witness and take pictures of the closing ceremonies of the presidential campaign and I came across Mr. Manuel, a businessman whom I’ve known since I was a little girl. I have always loved his house because of its 4 shirtless sculptures of Cape Verdean men (a promise I’ll take a picture of the house soon). He has built a beautiful hotel a few steps from the center of the town. One of the walls of the hotel has a sculpture of St. Anthony, the name given to the hotel.
Mr. Manuel volunteered to show me another one of his houses, or should I say work of architectural wonders, where he has built a lounge in the form of a cave made of stones from the Cape-Verdean seashore. I could not take a picture that would capture how incredible the place is. I was amazed by the creativity and artistry of the lounge. He and his wife invited me to dinner at their restaurant upstairs, which has some of the most beautiful chairs I have ever seen. We ate traditional Cape Verdean food and had very engaging non-partisan conversation regarding our island and the state of our country. They kept offering me more food. As tasty as it was, I sincerely could not eat anymore.
My mom always says that she did good things so people could treat her children well. She is definitely right. Mr. Manuel told me that before he became a businessman, he used to work for the utility company and that every month when he went to our home to check the electricity meter, mom would give him a banana and “pontche” (drink made with rum). Thank you mom! You have done well!
p.s. It seems that this man has made all of this investment because he loves his islands since business here is very slow. If he had build his businesses in S. Vicente, Sal or Santiago, tourists and locals would be all over them. Check out the pictures once I'm able to post them to get an idea of what I can hardly describe. (Internet connection is very slow around here.)
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