…and they’re off! A blazing hot afternoon in March, the wind is good and the waves are… well, wavy. Four Vezo per pirogue, all working hard to keep the boat moving faster, faster, faster. Jumping, pushing, standing, pulling, ropes out, ropes in. What a commotion! Soon everything is running smoothly, you hear the sails take every breath of wind and watch as 20 pirogues sail effortlessly out to sea. Willing the pirogue on ever faster, here comes the half-way point – the loop around Nosy Fasy island. Some boats are grounded, some are swept further out and caught in cross-winds, time to hop out and drag the boat around the sandy island, duck as the sail swings around, pull on the ropes, change the angle, hop back in and sail like the wind back to Andavadoaka. Fast and fun, safe and exhilarating and I was only a passenger.
It was a fantastic experience, the Vezo at their best, this is what they do and they do it so well with gusto and charisma.
Jenny Williams, Expedition Manager
