Rodrigues Island articolo su Bespoke

FISHERMEN IN RODRIGUES
SET SAIL, OVERCOMING
THE LOW TIDES OF THE GREEN
LAGOON WITH THEIR LONG
PADDLES WITH WHICH
THEY PUSH AGAINST
THE SEABED AND PROPEL
THEIR WOODEN BOAT,
BEFORE RAISING A LATEEN
SAIL TO REACH THE EDGE
OF THE BARRIER REEF.
The Rodrigues Islands:
50 shades of blue
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY FRANCESCO RASTRELLI - ROBERTA ROCCATI
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A DAY BY THE SEA WITH
THE FISHERMEN MEANS
SAILING IN A TRADITIONAL
WAY, SEEING THEM COLLECT
THEIR NETS FULL OF FISH
AND ENJOYING THE VIEW
OF ILE AUX COCOS,
ONE OF THE 18 MARVELLOUS
ISLANDS THAT SURROUND
RODRIGUES.
In the square in Amalfi, a plaque by Renato Fucini
reads “The day of judgement, for the inhabitants
of Amalfi who will go to paradise, will be a day
like any other”. With no offence to this jewel of the
Amalfi Coast, Fucini had certainly not yet visited Ile
Rodrigues, the smallest of the Mascarene islands,
a truly unspoilt paradise 650 km North-East of
Mauritius, in the heart of the Indian Ocean.
This precious jewel of volcanic origin comprises
108 km2 of rolling hills that slope down to the
dazzling white beaches and fish-filled bays of
green mangroves, surrounded by a vast blue-green
lagoon, dotted with colourful lateen sails that move
between the 18 little islands framing the barrier reef.
Colour and smiles: two keywords, which are
necessary but not enough, to define the beauty
of a landscape that is never monotonous and the
joyful welcome of the Creole inhabitants. Rodrigues
is an island to be experienced, to capture in
everything it offers, because the verdant, unspoilt
nature and its friendly people make each guest feel
welcome and extremely fortunate. It is an amazing
experience to walk while crushing coral underfoot
on clear, deserted beaches, which lead from Anse
Femi, across Anse Bouteille and Trou d’Argent, to
P.te Coton, protected by green pine forests where
cows and goats graze peacefully; to dive and swim
in the lagoon and search for one of the passes
(some of which are natural and spectacular) that
cross the reef and lead to the ocean. If you love
sport, then you have to brave the ocean breezes
that fill the sails of kite surfboards in Mourouk,
where you leave the beach to go out into sea, in
a kind of slalom through fishing boats, cotton sails
stretched out in the sun to dry and the nets that
await the next fishing trip; or stroll on the red earth,
amongst rooster and chicks, to the Bouba Diving
Center (www.boubadiving.com) and put yourself
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in the hands of the experienced Benoit de Baize (a
Frenchman who never left Rodrigues after the first
time he saw it…and who can blame him?) to dive
amidst the 270 species of coral or on to one of the
still unexplored ocean beds.
But the most surprising and involving experience
is greeting one of the smiles of the inhabitants of
the island and accepting what will follow. It could
be that of a “piqueuse d’ourite”, one of the female
fishermen who, at dawn and at low tide, with their
harpoon in hand, go hunting octopuses to then
let them dry in the sun like garments, or those
of Jeannette, who in the kitchen of Le Tropical
(www.gite-letropical.com) will cook them (or one
of the parrot fish that is as blue as the ocean) on
the fireplace, with soya sauce and aromatic herbs.
You might be charmed by the enthusiasm of a
young boy who sells coconuts at the market in
Port Mathurin on a Saturday morning, where you
travel on one of the colourful local buses, or the
mysterious tales of a guide who will lead you 18
metres below sea level in the heart of the Caverne
Patate, a system of coral grottos filled with stalactites
and stalagmites. It is an opportunity for a pleasant
chat (in French, the mother tongue, or in English,
which everyone speaks, a result of past domination)
to get to know more about local customs and a trip
to Ile aux Cocos – not to be missed – an atoll in the
lagoon that is a nature reserve for rare sea birds:
the sea swallow, known as the yéyé for its call, the
immaculate Virgin Bird and the Booby, a rather less
friendly island presence (as photographers know) if
PREVIOUS PAGE.
COLOUR DOMINATES ISLAND
LIFE: THE MANY COLOURS
OF PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET
STALLS IN PORT MATHURIN,
THE TYPICAL GREEN PEPPERS,
THE DAZZLING WHITE SMILES
OF THE WOMEN OR A RAINBOW
AT THE MOBILE PETROL PUMP.
THIS PAGE: THE “OISEAU BLEU”
GROUP PLAYS AND DANCES
THE “SEGA COUPÈ”
IN A COURTYARD.
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you get too close to their nests! Far more peaceful
and a real symbol of the slow rhythm of the island
are the 2,000 giant tortoises, over a hundred years
old, of the Francois Leguat Reserve, who live
peacefully with the surprising fruit bats that are
diurnal and enormous!
The friendliness of population of Rodrigues
(37,000 inhabitants including fishermen, breeders
and farmers) and their hedonistic relationship
with nature are typified by the Fish Festival on
1st March, when the fishing season with seine
nets officially opens and there is a rowing contest
involving all 2600 local fishermen, who during
the year use fast, motorless canoes with lateen
sails and paddles, to reach their nets lying on the
lagoon bed, inside a reef that protects them from
a far more dangerous ocean.
The last, essential appointment of the day in
Rodrigues is to enjoy the sunset, trying to capture
the outline of a lateen sail against the bright red sun
that dips to kiss the sea, before returning to one of
the Maison d’Hotes with a family atmosphere that
offers typical hospitality “à la Rodriguen”: at the
Auberge du Lagon (www.tipavillon.com), besides
the pool while waiting for dinner, you can learn
creole from the children of the owner, who will soon
become a friend, or enjoy some lively segà music.
At the Cotton Bay Hotel (www.cottonbayhotel.biz),
the first luxury hotel opened on the island, you’ll
find the same typical local atmosphere, but this
time combined with impeccable standards, while
enjoying some relaxation at the spa, a cocktail
on the beach or a fresh fish barbecue. Because in
Rodrigues real luxury is enjoying the sweetness of
a smile during a timeless stay.
For info visit www.tourism-rodrigues.mu
PREVIOUS PAGE.
LOCAL ARTISANS USE
NATURAL PRODUCTS
TO CREATE ORIGINAL OBJECTS:
IN THE CORAL WAREHOUSES
OF THE EX-QUARRIES OF PLAIN
CORAL SMALL SOUVENIRS
ARE MADE; PROCESSING
AND WEAVING DRIED BAKWA
LEAVES TO MAKE BASKETS,
HATS AND MANY
OTHER BEAUTIFUL
AND HARD-WEARING OBJECTS.
THIS PAGE:
THE MAGNETIC GAZE
OF A YOUNG RODRIGUAISE.
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