After a long morning of work, as my trustworthy guide and I
were returning to base camp, we passed through the smallest of villages, Oque
Daniel. There I was ever so kindly, and albeit somewhat forcefully, offered a drink.
Out of politeness and weakness I accepted a beer, as the strong-smelling
crystal-clear liquid they were
drinking didn't exactly look like something you doctor would advise you to have
on an empty stomach as a mean of rehydration. Seconds after the first sip my
fellow drinkers were deep into a number of lively discussions on a variety of
topics ranging from whales to drinking, from dogs to fishing. Partially numbed
by a combination of alcohol, intense heat, fatigue and boredom I let my attention
come and go as the topics unfolded. Moreover the speed and excitement with
which they were debating were putting a strain on my weak knowledge of Portuguese.
But at a certain point the excitement obviously escalated of an order of
magnitude. Shaken out of my apathy, I summoned all my Lusophone skills to
understand what the new discussion was about. It took a while for the penny to
drop, and retrospectively I can’t blame only my linguistic deficiencies, as it
took me some extra time to believe what I was hearing. They were discussing the
slope of the sea.
 |
| Is the sea between Príncipe and São Tomé uphill or down hill? If you ask the local fishermen they all seem to have a different answer... |
The subject of the dispute was not the depth of the waves on a
stormy day as opposed to a calm one, but if the stretch of sea between the
islands of Príncipe and São Tomé is, as a matter of fact, uphill or downhill!
My astonishment grew as participants came forward presenting their unequivocal evidence
supporting one or other theory (flatness didn't seem to be worth considering).
One observant speaker reminded everyone how navigating away from Príncipe you
would gradually see the island disappear in the distance starting from its base
till the highest peak was the last thing you would glimpse. Clearly a sign you
were ascending a slope. Others, instead, were accurately accounting for the
difference in petrol needed to go either way.
As abruptly as it had started, and far from being settled, the pre-Columbian
debate was brought to a halt and abandoned. It was time for them to play a game
of cards, and for us to move on. As we resumed our walk to base camp I thought
that if only they could go and ask the port authority, their doubts would certainly
be put to rest at once …after all everyone knows that the stretch of sea to São
Tomé is uphill.
Oque Daniel, Príncipe,
20th August 2014
