Robinson Crusoe looks for land

Its now Monday and I still have not shaved and I am starting to look like I have been shipwrecked. Claire didn’t bring my shaver that I use every other day in favor of my razor and foam for a wet shave. She obviously prefers me clean shaven. Trouble is she brought my razor handle and foam but forgot the razor blade. It’s been difficult to find things here as they are quite in their infancy and it will take a while to catch up. Finally found an internet café that allows a USB connection so I can download photo’s and text from my data stick. It’s far behind India here. Also managed to find a shop that sells razors and we also managed to phone home for the first time today.

Last night we stayed in and I zipped over to Harries Bar (Indian and Chinese takeaway) for a curry to take out. Got back to the apartment and no spoon, plate or anything so asked in our reception if I could borrow a plate and cutlery. As the hotel only provides breakfast with no possibility of lunch I thought they would be happy to provide people to eat in. A very positive no was their response so I had to walk all the way back to Harries to beg some from their which he was more than happy to provide. The staff here are so miserable and it’s not a language problem as facial expressions are universal. If you say thank you to any of them you rarely get a response, just a blank look. We thought it serves us right as our total package was only £380 each which includes flights, transfers, room and breakfast. And we get £100 back each for letting TOPA show us a few properties regardless of if we buy or not. If we buy we would get a further £500 back each but I fear we will not see that part. It’s a very good way to come for a cheap holiday especially if you are looking to invest abroad.

We met Jacqueline from TOPA at 9am this morning where she drove us to a local development to talk to the owner and be shown around some finished apartments and the site. The site is Italian and called “Djadsal Moradias” that includes 12 blocks of 3 stories with a pool and gardens in the centre of each block, a casino the size of a block and a water theme park and hotel and night club in the centre of all the blocks. The water park alone is 60 acres with the hotel complex a similar size. This development is within a 2 or 3 minute walk from the beach and there will be shops around the ground floor of each block. This site mostly consists of 2 bed apartments with a shower room and terraces. The finish was reasonable but we thought the kitchen etc was a little cheap looking. However they come fully furnished and equipped right down to plates, knives and forks. The prices are 11000 euros for a downstairs, 115000 for first floor and 12000 for top floor but he is holding the exchange rate at 1.4 £ per euro which helps. He is also waiving the last 15 % payment so it get fairly reasonable. Letting potential seems good and all of the block being worked on are sold and very few of the next block are left so you have to look a couple of blocks away. We then moved onto another smaller developer called “Delfini Resort” who are currently selling in Boa Vista where we will visit tomorrow. These seem to be much cheaper and have a better finish as he showed us around an apartment in Sal. I will let you know about these and others on Boa Vista after we have been there. We saw the little dog with puppy when first entering the first site.

We had noticed that our flight tickets to Boa Vista were not right as Claire had her new name (my name) rather than her maiden name. We had already bought the tickets for this trip before we were married on our last trip so couldn’t change her passport until it’s all settled down. Anyway TOPA were marvelous and sorted it all out today while we were enjoying ourselves. They have been great so far, getting the holiday so cheap, booking tickets for our Boa Vista trip, booking the car hire etc. They have added nothing on for their time, we paid the rate the hire company charge, and flight prices, everything. Also they are here so they know the best places to hire from etc. A couple we have become quite friendly with that came on the same flight as us, are staying in the same hotel 2 rooms along the corridor from us but paid £780 each for 2 weeks. We haven’t told them what we paid yet but its largely down to TOPA for knowing their way around.

After we had finished our development tour it was my favorite time, LUNCH TIME! Jacqueline had recommended several places on both Sal and Boa Vista to eat and we chose “Casa Canaria” where we had a fantastic meal today. She warned us that they were building all around it but the food was always consistent and good. We had a local fish we have seen on all the menus, “Wahoo”. It is very meaty like swordfish steaks but smaller so we got 3 slices each with no bones. Accompanied with Canarian potatoes (those small new potatoes with big salt on), salad and the 3 dips of Aioli, green sauce and my favorite spicy one I can never remember but sounds like Mahon? We had a beer and a bottle of house rose, I’m sure we will be revisiting this one. Such a shame for them that the development around them is spoiling their business and they are plagued with dust. The lady owner said that they just have to be patient until all the developments are finished and that it has already been going on for 2 years. I would imagine that most businesses in this area have a similar story to tell. We would highly recommend this restaurant and they also do a full range of Tapas.

Following lunch we went for our usual walk but today only an hour to spare as we had spent so long in the internet café catching up with these stories for your entertainment. After this entry which I will post in the morning before our flight we are not sure how easy it will be to find an internet café until we get back on Wednesday evening so don’t fret if there is not one tomorrow, it will be written and waiting to be uploaded.

I put the stone house with the windows blocked up as we walk past it regularly and I really like the property but it has been vandalized by the owners. The hotel that we couldn’t remember the name of yesterday where we watched the Turkish GP on the big screen whilst eating a Sunday roast is called, “Papaya’s” and we loved it and thank them. I would buy one of their properties but probably will not be buying anywhere else. This entry is too long so will leave the next story for another time but it concerns being ripped off in the Q Bar which is part of the hotel, “Odjo d Agua”. Fantastic spot but don’t trust them!