West Africa Cruise: San Tome (12.2.24)

San Tome, an island off the coast of central Africa, is a tropical paradise.  We visited on December 2, 2024, and were charmed by the intense greenery, the jaw-dropping views of cliffs and sea, the tropical fruit, and the friendly people.  The island was settled by the Portuguese in the 1400s, and it has a unique blend of African, Portuguese, and Brazilian influences.  Except--a bitter war for independence in 1975 and the abrupt pull-out of the Portuguese left the island financially destitute, from which it has not yet recovered.  The island seemed heartbreakingly poor. Our guide said that 40,000 people emigrated from the lightly populated island just last year and that it can't keep its educated young people, who flock to Lisbon.  There, they can speak the Portuguese that they were raised with and find good jobs.

We had a great guide--frank, informative, and fluent in English.

As we began our drive around the island, we passed a river where people were washing their clothes.

We stopped at a cocoa plantation once run by the Portuguese and now by a local cooperative.

Our guide cut open a cocoa pod to show the beans inside.  The beans are removed from the pod, dried, and then fermented, before being bagged and exported overseas.  A problem for San Tome, as for most African countries, is that they ship their natural resources abroad before processing them.  They lose the profit that processing brings to richer countries.

We explored the former Portuguese plantation house.  It was once an elegant home, but has now been partitioned into apartments, with peeling paint and roofs stripped bare.

There were beautiful views out to sea from the walkway along the roof.

Some workers lived within the old plantation house and some lived in houses nearby.

My favorites--the little boys striking poses for my photos.  I assumed their hand gestures were not risque...

We paused at a viewpoint for fresh coconut juice.

We also stopped at a beach for breathtaking views.

Finally, we arrived at the Sao Jaoa Plantation Hotel on the east coast of San Tome.  A local entrepreneur had turned an old Portuguese plantation into an elegant hotel, restaurant, and art gallery overlooking the beach.

The restaurant had a six-course tasting menu featuring island food products, such as cocoa beans, pork, and plantains.

I could imagine spending a few days at this hotel, relaxing in a hammock and enjoying the view, the flowers, and the art.

As we finished lunch, a troupe of singers and drummers performed for us.

Back in San Tome City, we stopped at a chocolate shop where an entrepreneur turned cocoa beans into gourmet chocolates.  After paying $20 for a box of chocolates and finding them chalky, rather than creamy, we decided that chocolatier had a ways to go!