Sao Tome of Sao Tome & Principle, while again a new country for us, more closely aligned with our expectations of West Africa.

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an island country in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, about 81 nautical miles (150 km; 93 mi) apart and about 135 and 121 nautical miles (250 and 224 km; 155 and 139 mi) off the northwestern coast of Gabon. With a population of just over 200,000, São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-smallest and second-least populous African sovereign state after Seychelles.

The islands were uninhabited until Portuguese explorers João de Santarém and Pedro Escobar became the first to discover them on 21 December 1470. Gradually colonized and settled throughout the 16th century, they collectively served as a vital commercial and trade centre for the Atlantic slave trade. The rich volcanic soil and proximity to the equator made São Tomé and Príncipe ideal for sugar cultivation, followed later by cash crops such as coffee and cocoa. The lucrative plantation economy was heavily dependent upon enslaved Africans. 

Interesting side note, observations of the solar eclipse of 29 May 1919 in Príncipe by Sir Arthur Eddington provided one of the first successful tests of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity.

The country achieved independence on 12 July 1975. In 1990, São Tomé became one of the first African countries to undergo democratic reform, and changes to the constitution—including the legalisation of opposition political parties which led to elections in 1991 that were non-violent, free, and transparent.

Our guide suggested that there are various ethnic groups that settled here from across Africa (e.g., forced settlement as slaves), and while they may have different languages (everyone also speaks the national language of Portuguese) and customs they live in harmony.  He was proud of the fact that there are multiple political parties and a democratic government.

That said the island is very poor.  The roads are poor and the infrastructure dilapidated.  Our visit was on a Sunday so there were many people playing on the beach.  When we handed out colouring books and crayons there was a rush to secure these treasures.  

Sao Tome is the largest city of the islands with about half of the country's population.  Its right on the equator so it is hot and humid with two seasons, wet and dry.  

We first took a short drive to the Sao Sebastiao Museum which is a fort built in 1566 that is now a museum.  There were a few religious artifacts to see so we mainly enjoyed walking on the ramparts enjoying the views.

We also visited the fishing village where a local group performed a native dance, then visited the pristine Our Lady of Grace Catholic Cathedral with the walls lined with beautiful blue & white Portuguese tiles, walked over to Independence Square where another group performed a dance, briefly stopped at an art warehouse called Cacau, popped into a “chocolate factory”, and drove by the outdoor market where there were many vendors selling piles of used clothing. 

The island itself is beautiful and the waters are clear & blue.  The people were welcoming, always waving as we drove by.  While there is a five star hotel on the island (The Pestana) this could be a resort paradise if someone had buckets of cash.   However, for now the country has a long way to go before it will reach success.