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I joined the Amistad adventurers on the 9th of March, while the ship was anchored in Cidade Velha, at the Isle of Santiago, in Cape Verde. The village was very important during the slave trade of the XVIII century. For many slaves it was the last piece of African land before arriving in the American colonies. Until today it is possible to see there a “pelourinho”, where the slaves were tied to and punished.
At the end of the day, Amistad left for Praia’s port, the main port in Cape Verde, and the crew started to get ready to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The way to go was west, and the final destination, Barbados, near the Caribbean islands. While the engineer of the ship made the last adjustments I was trying to adapt to life aboard the ship: the constant rocking on the waters, the day-to-day close proximity to people from different parts of the world, the daily tasks of maintenance and the little sleep. Because I was afraid to get sea sick, I started taking pills on the first day for sickness. Although I don’t like taking medicine, it was a good call because I didn’t get sick like other crew members. But I still feel nausea, especially when I am trying to eat, read or write while the ship rocks up and down. We have been sailing for four days and the trip has been calm and steady, thanks to the good weather. I had a pleasant surprise when I saw the volcano of the Island of Fogo, when we past close by, as well as the lights of the Island of Brava. After that, only a Brazilian cargo ship made us remember there is civilization outside the boarders of Amistad. We hope luck stays by our side and that the fist part of this adventure ends in 16 days in Barbados. Until then, I want to keep learning new things and fully embrace this opportunity. Every day we have class on history, geography and culture. The main subjects are slavery, navigation, celestial points and currents. I always try to contribute by making reference to Brazil, and telling the Brazilians and South Americans’ point of view.
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