Hi from Skipper Steve
What a difference a few days can make, from the heavy rolly seas of our passage to Mauritius we are now enjoying the most exquisite short overnight sail to the island of Reunion. It is just past 01.30, everything is calm on board and I am being serenaded by Debussy. We hope to make landfall by dawn however there are signs that the gentle blow is further easing, which might require the firing up of the in line six, which would be such a shame on this beautiful night.
We left Mauritius at 12.00 in full racing mode with a near perfect line start, my new crew, and old friend Dennis was keen to show that a couple of landlubbers from the midlands, adorned in saints shirts, could get the good ship Kasuje launched and steaming. Dennis has settled easily back into boat life and we are both looking forward to sailing together again. Should be real fun, and after the depravations of the last leg, mostly enforced by the heavy conditions, it was good to crack a bottle of Muscadet with tonight's pork curry, and the grilled garlic prawns and fresh tomato salad, washed down with a pint, at lunch time was a real joy. Dennis has taken up residence in the forward suite whilst I have to endure the privations of the rear cabin and apart from meal times it is highly likely that we will only see each other as we swap over on the 3 hour watches. After our stop over in Reunion for 5-6 days, and if all goes to plan we should be in South Africa, Richards Bay, about the 7th November, where we hope to go on Safari for a few days before sailing down the coast to Cape Town.
Dennis has relatives who farm inland approximately half way down the East coast and we are trying to arrange for them to put us up for 2-3 days to experience the outback in South Africa , I can't wait. I worked as a young man in Zambia before moving on to Nigeria and I can still distinctly remember the sounds and smells of Africa.
As for Mauritius I have very mixed feelings, it is quite nice, but I would not rush back, the tourist attractions are very limited with a couple of Hindu temples and an extinct volcano or two. The Hindu culture mixed with the trappings of our western world, did not rest easy with me. The whole island is very much geared up to the posh hotels with their private beaches etc. Port Louis however was very vibrant with lots of exotic smells and colors, I really enjoyed meandering through the market traders who energetically hassled for your custom, so a good few hours was spent just wandering amongst the stalls. Maybe it is because we have been spoilt by the wonderful Pacific islands or I am just getting tired of small island life, but unless the attractions are spectacular the appeal is a little thin, so bring on Africa.
Kindest Regards
Skipper Steve and a sleeping Dennis.