Kids On The Streets Of Palmeira (Sal - Cape Verde, January 2016)

Kids On The Streets Of Palmeira (Sal - Cape Verde, January 2016)

Palmeira (population of around 500) is a rather small city. Actually more like a village than a city. It is also the location of the major commercial port of the Island of Sal.

It is not really an ugly city but it has some rather shabby looking areas. There is a small container terminal and a Shell oil terminal.

There is also a market hall, a food store and some pubs and restaurants as you would expect in any port city of the world. And some tourist gift shops, of course.

The port is essential for Sal, as almost all kind of commodities and goods including fuel, food, tourism related stuff etc. have to be imported.

So, if you prefer fresh fruits, yoghurt, cereals or what have you for your healthy breakfast at the all-inclusive five stars beach resort, all these goods must pass through the port of Palmeira.

A local guy told me that people working as staff members in hotels and beach resorts earn around US$ 200 per month. Some other guy told me that rental costs for an average one bedroom apartment in Santa Maria, the Island's main tourism city, are around US$ 250 per month minimum.

How does that work? It doesn't, I guess.

Then again, there are two slum areas on the Island. More in the desert areas, where tourists hardly show up.

But that is another photo. And another story...

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