Aguada the hideout of Eugenio Tavares
Following in the footsteps of Eugénio Tavares, and in the wake of yet another National Culture Day, whose patron is precisely the great poet, we bring you Benvindo Neves' account of the first chronicle of Viagens pela Minha Terra on Sustainable Tourism in Cape Verde.
Welcome, we're off to Aguada, Eugénio Tavares' eternal home on the island of Brava. "Aguada, Eugénio Tavares' "hiding place"
Today I'm taking you with me to Aguada, that almost mythical corner so often evoked in Eugénio Tavares' compositions. Aguada was precisely the refuge of the great Bravense poet. A place, they say, of choice where he, "Nhô Tatai, drew inspiration to write most of his compositions.
On Cape Verde's smallest inhabited island, it's easy to think that all its places are close by and that there won't be any great distances to travel. But that's not the case. To get to Aguada, you have to climb mountains and walk along side roads for about an hour and a half. By car, only as far as Mato Grande. From there, the adventurer will have to walk about half an hour to reach the village of Baleia.
Once in Baleia, take the opportunity to refuel, bring plenty of water and other supplies because now all that lies ahead is desert. Along the way, an immense brown of arid land and steep rocks. Every now and then a small bush stands out in the brown landscape. It's downhill and uphill, always on a rough trail, with an appearance that indicates the infrequent passage of human beings, at least nowadays.
After about 40 minutes on the road, you can see Aguada below, at the base of a gently sloping hill. But you still have to go down a slope and then up the hill on the opposite side. We finally reached Aguada. The place was nothing but ruins! I was accompanied by a guide, Mr. Joel from Baleia. He told me a thousand stories along the way and, perhaps because of this, I didn't feel the road and didn't even notice the time passing.
We're here! "This is Eugénio Tavares' old house," says Mr. Joel, pointing to some ruins. There's no roof now, just walls that still stand up to all the weather and remain stubbornly standing. This looks like a mansion, I exclaim.
I'm thrilled and in a way I feel privileged to have reached this corner where Eugénio Tavares used to walk. But at the same time, I'm overcome by a wave of sadness as I look around and feel the spectre of abandonment in the air."
We're sorry to interrupt you, but at this point, we'll put down the quill and let your imagination take over, reminding you that you can always listen to Crónicas da Viagem pela Minha Terra on @Rádio de Cabo Verde or follow more details on @Benvindo Neves' page.
Benvindo Neves
