Port Mathurin
Rodrigues
3 August 2008

How lucky we are to be in this welcoming little town! Rodrigues is sometimes mentioned in sailing journeys in the past. It feels good to be in a place in which sailing boats in the past have visited after also crossing the Indian ocean. Rodrigues has an interesting history where pirates used to stay and there are rumours that treasure is still hidden in the hills here.

The locals are a mixture of races but all speak Creole and /or French. The younger people speak English but the older ones forget it after learning it in school due to lack of practice. In the restaurant Du Quai last night one would need a wide range of skin colours for a paint palette to paint the clientele. We were 2 of 3 white skinned people. The rest were various blends of Indian, African and European coloured skins. There are a small number of Chinese about who seem to own several stores that sell absolutely everything crammed on dusty shelves.

We are so glad we brought our bicycles. It is very pleasant riding around here. Rodrigues is only about 10 miles long so we should be able to get to most places. Yesterday we went for a ride with James, a 69 year old local who welcomes yachties and keeps books of all the yachts who visit. James invited us to his home where we met his wife Madame Fifi. We enjoyed tea and cake made from manioc. We had never eaten manioc before and Madame Fifi pounds it to make a flour. (It's a root vegetable) After looking at the previous yacht entries in the books (since 1990) we decided to ride to the next bay. Unfortunately Linda's tyre was flat. Linda went back to chat with Madame Fifi in 'French' whilst Bill and James rode around . They went to the prison which never has inmates but has 2 staff members on duty!! We are glad there is no crime here in Rodrigues!! Madame Fifi gave us some of her preserves made from olives, chillie and limes to take back with us. We really enjoy eating green chillies ground with limes in a preserve with our meals here.

We have almost forgotten our passage here. I remember reading a log written by some New Zealanders who described their 25-35 knot (with 45knot gusts) passage as 'routine'. Perhaps we were just used to the tropics! NZ and WA sailors think nothing of a brisk 40 knot breeze! Apparently the weather in September is less windy. Sounds like a good time to get around the bottom of Madagascar to South Africa. We are very glad we have come this way rather than the Red Sea which would have been 30 knot head winds. At least our winds were with us! The cooler weather agrees with the captain and we are both glad to be out of the tropics now. (Linda can wear outfits not worn since September in Oz!) The captain has repaired the dodger using his 'sailors palm'. As it seems to shower rain periodically throughout the day it means we can keep the hatch open without everything getting wet.

The local radio station is an interesting mix. At first we were listening to French Creole music but now it is India's latest hits! A local dance form called 'Sega' is supposed to involve hip shaking and has its roots in Africa. Linda would like to see this and perhaps participate! We have heard cds of Sega music and it sounds like a mix of Reggae/African/Spanish etc. Purchasing of Sega music is on Linda's shopping list.