JAKARTA POST



 

A pair of Japanese honeymooners stranded in Cape Verde by the coronavirus pandemic have been named unlikely ambassadors for the tropical paradise's Olympic team at next year's Tokyo Games.

Rikiya and Ayumi Kataoka started a round-the-world trip in December in South Africa, and were working their way north in February when the scale of the pandemic began to become clear.

They scrapped their plans to continue on to Europe and decided to fly to Cape Verde. 

"We thought staying in Cape Verde was the safest option," husband Rikiya, 29, told AFP in an online video interview from the island.
"We felt fortunate that we were able to come here. The number of infections was rising in Japan. Europe has also seen an explosive rise in cases. Honestly, I thought we got lucky for being able to come to a very peaceful place."

But when the country's airport shut down, they were stuck, and Rikiya, who runs a sharehouse business in Tokyo and works as a videographer, began producing videos and photos for local restaurants and resorts in exchange for meals and lodging.

He also posted videos on his Instagram account, featuring everything from Ayumi strolling through the streets of Sal Island greeting waving residents to a local renovation and beautification project.

Word gradually got out and local media picked up the story, catching the eye of the country's Olympic officials.