O Y S TER NEWS
Indeed, the fi shing is child’s play. Whenever we wanted a meal we’d dip the line over the side and pull up a tuna, wahoo, Spanish mackerel, kingfi sh, barracuda and on one occasion a shark.
Of course, all these beautiful anchorages are inaccessible to most people, so we only saw other members of the rally or the very occasional fi sherman, or a small military skiff . When we reached Suakin our senses were assaulted by the sights, sounds and smells of Africa; it was a revelation. Crushingly poor, Suakin has only dirt roads lined by decrepit colonial buildings, homes made from cardboard and children running barefoot playing football with a stone. Our hearts ached for the conditions in which these people live, but there was something wrong: the people were happy. T ey were welcoming. T ey laughed and talked to us. We saw the kids coming back from school every day and they loved to try out their spoken English on us. Most nights the cafés (or rather shacks) using old oil drums for cooking, were fi lled with vibrant chatter and animated faces. T e cardboard shanty homes were spotless and not a piece of litter was to be found around the dwellings or market.
A fascinating discovery was the women of Sudan; no black clothes from head to toe for these ladies. No meekly and mildly walking
behind their husbands here. T ey wore bright, almost neon colours and patterns, and revealed their faces. T is was an African interpretation of how a Muslim woman should dress and we loved it. T ese women even let Jamie photograph them, while they boldly chatted and giggled with him.
Leaving Suakin was a wrench for everyone as it had become
a friend. We were unexpectedly seduced by these gentle, smiling people and humbled by their forbearance and lack of avarice. Everyone on the rally had handed out pens, pencils, toys and anything else they could think of to our new friends. Leah, the youngest at 10, had even gone back to her yacht time and again to see if she could fi nd any more of her toys to give away.
Heading south, however, was the order of the day and we discovered that Sudan’s coast stops being friendly towards yotties just aſt er Khor Nawarat, at 18º 14’N, aſt er which there are few places to anchor. Choosing a time to make a break south depends on the wind and sea conditions; for us it made sense to make one long run to Massawa. Sudan was captivating, but this new country of Eritrea took it a stage further.
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