Pirogues

Two days ago we sat in soft white sand under stars as the fishermen loaded the bags into the pirogue.  It is a dugout canoe made out of a large tree with a smaller balance log about a meter away for stability. Many pirogue operaters (captains??) rig a rectangular sail with an ingenious combination of ropes and wooden poles.  We were out into the lagoon before the sun rose when the sea was still and quiet.  Philip, a young French guy living in Montreal, was seasick within the hour. The adventure was beginning, and we were awake with excitment.  The water was so clear like crystal and the lagoon shallow enough to see the soft white sand.  There was no seaweed for a while.   Then we could see sea urchins, huge bright red starfish,  pink spiky balls and lots of strange looking creatures.  We got stuck in the coral reef at low tide.  Had to wait it out for a while.  The driver cracked open a sea urchin and ate it.  Lots of men out in underwear, or nothing, diving for fish with spears.  Boys used nets.  Women waded in the reef.  When we got sailing we were surrounded by hundreds of other sailing pirogues with make-shift sails.  It felt like we were surrounded by a pirate armada.

Not sure if our drivers were inexperienced, the pirogue too heavy, the wind and tide against us, or all the above, but our 8 hour trip turned into 17 hours, and we didn't even make it to the first night's destination!  Poor Philip maintained a ball-shaped position for virtually the whole time.  Didn't see him lift his head once.  Lunch was at a remote fishing village: peanuts,  cassava,  crackers, and fried fish appearing just as they did in the ocean (maybe a shade darker).  Then we walked an hour through the white sand dunes to meet the canoe.  The driver kept saying "one hour".  The one turned to 8 more.  We were wet and cold and uncomfortable, but the sunset was beautiful in the uninterrupted sky - no land, no other boats in sight.  Then a clear full night sky slowly emerged.   You couldn't distinguish the ocean from the sky and it felt like an omni theater planetarium.   We saw 4 satellites,  more than one galaxy,  lots of planets and shooting stars.  The night was especially dark without the moon.  The only sounds were the roar of the ocean crashing against the reef on one side and the lapping of gentle waves against the beach on the other side.  There was no wind and the drivers started rowing.  Mysterious particles started lighting up and glowing in the water.  Phosphorescence!   We dipped our hands in the water and particles started glowing all around.  It was amazing.  Finally at 11:30 pm they pulled the canoe to the shore (at a random fishing village of about 10 homes), and we set up tent just above tide line.  No dinner. 

The sunrise was beautiful the next morning with soft pink light against white sand.  We switched pirogues and drivers 3 hours in at breakfast in Salary (original destination).  Our tea was like drinking ORS...salty water.  Probably needed it anyway.  

The new pirogue was smaller and faster.  Two less people.  The water again was gorgeous - blue, green,  and crystal.  It was pleasant until the sun began to set and the waves picked up.  It was a little scary and stressful as we realized we were again not going to make it to the destination and would be setting up our tent in the dark and sleeping wet.  A total of 11 hours for day 2.  It was supposed to be 8.  Another night on the beach of a smaller fishing village.  No lunch and barely dinner.  Dinner was 2 stale donut holes.  We did get some song and dance from some kids and a guy with a homemade guitar-like instrument.  Although we felt kind of miserable,  the setting was incredible.

Woke at 4 am this morning to start the day.  No breakfast.   At one point we ran into low tide and coral reef.  Had to walk through it, which was sad.  We finally made it to Morombe (11 hours later),  a small seaside fishing town.  We are warm and comfy and thankful to be somewhere before dark tonight.