Sao Tome e Principe

Part one

We came to Sao Tome e Principe, very nice and wonderful island, last day in December to celebrate last day of the year and to welcome the New Year and it was interesting to see how the people there celebrate this holiday. Mostly they were in the water, swimming and playing the music over the whole island.

We were there 2 weeks, stayed at hotel O Bigodes, the hotel by ocean on the edge of the town Sao Tome and from the terrace and restaurant is a beautiful view over the town, palms, rain forest and mountains in the background. 

 

We rented a car and it was a good choice because it should be a little difficult to travel by taxi and bus the whole time. We traveled over the whole island both on west and east side, even inside the island as to Monte Cafe, one old coffee plantation and tasted also coffee there, which is very tasty.

We were going around to waterfall S. Nicolau and Bombaim, one other plantation house, now as hotel.


 

One other day we were visiting one old cocoa plantation in Agostinho Neto and in Agua Ize, one old factory there they still produced cacao and even palm oil. 

Near Agua Ize is the Boca de Inferno, in the cliffs is a large hole through which water rapids and it seems that the mouth is full of white shaving foams. 

We were also going to one school which is placed in the old Portuguese hospital, in Diogo Vaz, there it was even art school. It is possible also to overnight there in simply but clean rooms. 

Monteforte, one other old plantation house, was near there so we took a coop of good coffee there. I think we saw almost everything on the island, only at Vulcan we have not been and not saw. 

Even near Pico de Sao Tome we were not, but saw it from the road to Porto Alegre. Interesting formation.

We were traveling even to Porto Alegre, wanted to stay over night in Jale Ekolodge and take a boat trip to island Illeu Rollas for to go to Equator. But because our problem with the language (cannot Portuguese or French) we could not stay there because we had no idea where in Porto Alegre we can find responsible for this lodge. Or even how to take us to the island. It would be very nice there at Jale Ekolodge, it was on the wonderfully sand beach, surrounded by palms trees. 

Instead we were going back for to overnight in Roça Sao Joao de Angolares, one other old Portuguese plantation house. The house and place was nice, on the hill with wonderfully view over the ocean and forest too. It was there one big veranda there we had a dinner and even breakfast.                                              

The roads are paved but in terrible condition especially against Porto Alegre, already after Santana is the road very bad. So count with that even if it is not so far from Sao Tome to Porto Alegre, about 80-90 km, it took 4 hours I think it was.

Sao Tome city is not so nice, chaotic, crowded and taxi everywhere.

Unfortunately, many houses are in very poor condition because Portuguese people did get in a hurry to leave the island and people there were and still are of course not afford to renovate all the houses. 

But to go through the town or sit somewhere and watch people and life on the streets is very interesting and fun.