Last Weekend
15 Jun 2007 11:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wayfaringwordhackSadly, I've been ignoring my journaling about Mayotte these past few months. I have several posts I would like to make but with my WIPs, I end up feeling worded out by the time I sit down with the "post an entry" window. So many times I've started a post and then just deleted, thinking, "Later." Nonetheless, as good as my memory is, I'm going to start forgetting things soon, so I have to get on the ball. Since last weekend was pretty typical of how we spend our days on the boat, I'll blog about that
By the way, not to put any undo pressure on anyone ::cough::mana_trini::cough:: but someone has the material to do underwater videos, so everyone could see the little fishies in their natural habitat. Wouldn't it be nice to have a few videos???
When we left the house Sunday morning, it was with the intention of going south to the Ilôt Bambo (we'll go there tomorrow), but a stiff wind was blowing in from that direction, so we headed north instead to the island of M'tsamboro. Once we rounded the tip of Grand Terre, however, the wind changed. Nothing for it, we kept on course and encountered mana_trini's colleagues out on the Koungé (the police boat). We told them our destination and invited them to meet us for the apéritif--rum punch...easy on the rum, please, heavy on the fruit juices (mango, guava, orange, pineapple...)
We had a fishing line in the water as we headed to M'tsamboro, so we took our time in getting there. Didn't catch anything though (we were cutting across the lagoon, and it is better to fish that way along the barrier reef). Still, the view was great: turtles were sighted along with diving birds who were having more luck with the fishies than we were; schools of flying fish sailed out of the water to check us out (careful! People have been walloped in the head by a flying fish on a "bad" trajectory); and a giant, never-identified splash erupted 20m starboard of us. We killed the motor, hoping it was a whale (season is almost upon us), but alas. Didn't see it again or anything that could have made the splash.
After meeting up and sharing the apéritif with J's colleagues (life sure is hard on those law-'n-order folks), we unloaded the beach mat, cooler, and grill on this beach of black and white sand. There is a much longer beach on the other side of the rocks of blond sand, and behind me, the sand is more thoroughly mixed, making the beach whitish gray. Then, more rocks, and two more blond beaches. You can see Grande Terre on the horizon.
We had lots of company during both the preparation and actual eating of the meal:
Dozens of these skinks were waiting for us to drop some of the chicken we had brought to grill, some of them even jumped into the fire trying to steal a bite. Definitely not shy. Or smart.
Then this little guy came to check out our beach mat and burrowed into the sand right next to it:
After eating and lazing around a bit (in the shade; we aren't beach bunnies), we packed everything in the boat and headed out to deeper waters so J could spear fish. He caught a nice big mérou (grouper) which you can see in his journal. So as not to repeat, I'll post one from the previous weekend--same spot--where he caught four fish in ten minutes. I kid you not. The freezer is nice and full these days.
Yes, a lovely time was had by all. We are truly blessed to be able to spend a few years here.
mana_trini's colleagues out on the Koungé (the police boat). We told them our destination and invited them to meet us for the apéritif--rum punch...easy on the rum, please, heavy on the fruit juices (mango, guava, orange, pineapple...)We had a fishing line in the water as we headed to M'tsamboro, so we took our time in getting there. Didn't catch anything though (we were cutting across the lagoon, and it is better to fish that way along the barrier reef). Still, the view was great: turtles were sighted along with diving birds who were having more luck with the fishies than we were; schools of flying fish sailed out of the water to check us out (careful! People have been walloped in the head by a flying fish on a "bad" trajectory); and a giant, never-identified splash erupted 20m starboard of us. We killed the motor, hoping it was a whale (season is almost upon us), but alas. Didn't see it again or anything that could have made the splash.
After meeting up and sharing the apéritif with J's colleagues (life sure is hard on those law-'n-order folks), we unloaded the beach mat, cooler, and grill on this beach of black and white sand. There is a much longer beach on the other side of the rocks of blond sand, and behind me, the sand is more thoroughly mixed, making the beach whitish gray. Then, more rocks, and two more blond beaches. You can see Grande Terre on the horizon.
We had lots of company during both the preparation and actual eating of the meal:
Dozens of these skinks were waiting for us to drop some of the chicken we had brought to grill, some of them even jumped into the fire trying to steal a bite. Definitely not shy. Or smart.
Then this little guy came to check out our beach mat and burrowed into the sand right next to it:
After eating and lazing around a bit (in the shade; we aren't beach bunnies), we packed everything in the boat and headed out to deeper waters so J could spear fish. He caught a nice big mérou (grouper) which you can see in his journal. So as not to repeat, I'll post one from the previous weekend--same spot--where he caught four fish in ten minutes. I kid you not. The freezer is nice and full these days.
Yes, a lovely time was had by all. We are truly blessed to be able to spend a few years here.
By the way, not to put any undo pressure on anyone ::cough::
mana_trini::cough:: but someone has the material to do underwater videos, so everyone could see the little fishies in their natural habitat. Wouldn't it be nice to have a few videos???![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 15 Jun 2007 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 15 Jun 2007 05:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 18 Jun 2007 03:45 am (UTC). . . .I hope . . . .
::suddenly feels nervous about that laughter::
no subject
Date: 18 Jun 2007 08:25 am (UTC)