Thursday 8 August 2019

Wax On Wax Off...

Cape Verde Islands
Mindelo 5-13 January 2018

Of course, I had dreams of finding lots of cotton wax batiks available in Mindelo but not to be.  The shop stocking those exuberant Ghanaian textiles in Mindelo (Sao Vicente) I had read about was long since gone (hopefully relocated) and the market was full of cheap polyester substitutes. 

We had a day trip planned on neighbouring Santo Antao and I had hoped to see fabrics in markets as we drove around the island.  The demand though is for ready-mades (for tourists & locals) and I may have missed noticing any cottage industry in textiles.  There appears not to be a huge demand for them either.  Driving across Santo Antao however, is a delight, with pockets of green tucked into steep sided hills, so the day was rewarding in many other ways as I have already noted in this post.  African cottons…well, I guess it’s back to the drawing board and lots more time on the computer researching.  Or perhaps even planning an African textile adventure.  Now there's a happy thought!

For now, here's a start with a few links to Wiki:  African wax prints and Kente cloth but my photos I'm afraid, are only of the wonderful Santo Antao scenery.

A small fisherman's harbour Santo Antao
 - only for very brave fisherman ; )

Santo Antao interior

Santo Antao's steep and rugged coastline.  

Included this one of Mindelo's busy waterfront with the main market square over to the right
(behind the buildings)