Indian ocean

Cool Runnings : Chagos !

Create a notification for "Indian ocean"

Chagos has been fantastic and our favorite stop on our trip so far! The kids have taken to surfing the waves that form when the swell comes in from the ocean beyond the reef, and eventually breaks on the sandbanks in low tide. Kids, young and not so young alike, have spent hours surfing the waves, and come back to the boat sundrenched and exhausted! One day we all took our dinghies over to one of the deserted little islands for a picnic. It is amazing the feast that can appear when 3 boats, (Shuti, Moby and Cool Runnings) each bring something along to eat. Under the shade of the palm trees, with logs as seats, and little tables fashioned out of coconuts (for the base/feet) and flat rocks as table tops, all this delicious food appeared! Fresh, out-of-the-oven warm Italian herb focaccia, salami, cheese, fresh-baked rolls, sprouts, hummus, corn and more bread dipped in olive oil and herbs; it was a feast for kings, or at least a feast for some hungry yachties! And later, for desert, we cracked open some coconuts (easier said than done!), and ate fresh coconut right there in the sand, under the coconut palms!

The following day, after morning boat chores and school work was done, we once again took our little fleet of dinghies, this time over to Boddam island, where we explored the ruins of the once thriving community of Chagossians. We could imagine the community as it had been in the 1960's, before the deportation. We had pictures of the original settlement, so we could see where the warehouse was, we saw the ruins of the once grand manager's house, the jail, the copra drying sheds, the hospital and the church. Now, the remaining, moss-covered remnants house only huge coconut crabs and the ever-expanding roots of the jungle trees.

My mornings are filled with making yoghurt, making bread, and more recently, sprouting (in order to get some fresh greens!!), so by the time all those chores are done, it's usually afternoon. Dave spends each day slowly getting items checked off his "to do" list… We continue to enjoy the water, and besides the surfing, we like to snorkel in this beautiful water. The kids are doing well in school, and will graduate their respective grades here in Chagos in the next day or two! Not too many kids can have that claim to fame!!


Who: Dave, Guds, Ben, Gaby

Where: Chagos archipelagos, Indien ocean

Boat: Lagoon 400

Blog: www.svcoolrunnings.blogspot.com

Share this article