Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sailed closer we could make out the little patches of houses nestled in between the valley of
the two main folds of the mountain. We saw sea gulls loitering about, as well as gannets and
little petrels. The fish were very prolific here in the Atlantic. The frigates and other birds
were constantly plummeting down into the purple ocean and coming up with fish wriggling
in their beaks. The color of the ocean eventually began to lose its deep purple and was re-
placed with a greenish blue color as the land mass shallowed out from the mighty ocean.
We could also smell the land as clearly as we saw it, whenever the breeze changed direction
and brought with it the loamy, fresh smell of earth and vegetation. Soon, cars were visible
as well as people, houses, and the streets of Jamestown.
We saw several boats bobbing to their anchors in a rolly bay to the north of the remote
island. Recognizing some of them that had left Cape Town recently, we motored up and
dropped an anchor in an open space. Herman and I removed the lashing about the little
dinghy, and with the aid of the outstretched boom as a gantry, launched it in the water with
a splash. A pair of oars was fitted into the rowlocks, and we all hastily got into the dinghy
along with our passports and boat papers and rowed ashore.
