The most beautiful thing about my travel to Cape Verde was the African Portuguese culture. I fell in love with the music and the people told me "Travelling is the best way to know a country but it is not the best way to know the people."

I'm from Portugal and I love to travel, I always try to meet the locals, learn about the culture and history, language and music that each place has to offer.<br><br>I have been to Cape Verde in December, and I fell in love with the place. It reminded me of Mozambique - the beautiful beaches, the mountains and the people and the music.<br><br>Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony, and the music is similar to ours - morna is similar to our fado, funaná is a more upbeat style and batuque is the traditional music and dance, it's very rhythmic and has some African influences.<br><br>I had the chance to meet some of the locals, they showed me around, taught me their music and their dance and I had a great time. The people are very friendly and welcoming, they invited me to their homes to eat and drink with them.<br><br>It was a great experience, but I also learned that travelling is not the best way to know the people. I met some locals who told me that they feel that the government is more concerned with attracting tourists than with making sure that the people have access to basic necessities like healthcare and education.<br><br>They told me that sometimes it feels like they are living in a different world when they see the luxury hotels and restaurants that cater to the tourists, and how it contrasts with the poverty and lack of opportunities that many people face.<br><br>I also saw that there are many young people who are leaving the country to look for better opportunities, and that there is a lack of jobs and a lack of investment in the education and training of young people.<br><br>It was a great experience, but it also made me realize that there is a lot of work to be done to make sure that the benefits of tourism are shared by everyone, and that the people have access to the same opportunities and resources as the tourists.