São Tiago Island...

greets us in the morning as we arrive in the Cape Verde islands, and in this location Charles Darwin spent some time in 1831 and 1836 on his famous voyage around the world (click images to enlarge):

After we were cleared by customs officials we set off for the central market in the port town of Praia, finding it filled with friendly female vendors, and these three ladies were particularly proud of their clever stacking of bananas:

This island, the largest in the Cape Verde chain, is crowned by Antonia Peak which rises to 4,500 feet above sea level (seen in the distance).  The basaltic geology in the foreground reminded me of eastern Washington:

On the way to the Botanical Gardens and Horticultural Institute we encountered school children playing a game of tag, and I was captivated by the time-intensive beadwork in their hair:

Here's a splash of color on display in the botanical garden:

And I managed to get a good shot of the colorful national bird, the gray-headed kingfisher: