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Bryan writes...
As we pass the halfway mark on this long trip back from Maldives to UAE, I feel like I should write some sort of summary of my feelings of this whole adventure. It’s been just that, an adventure, with a range of experiences and emotions. I don’t think that I could record this bundle of thoughts in one flow, so I thought instead I’d try to capture a few snap shots....
Most satisfying moment: arriving in Chagos; a place we’d never heard of only a year or so prior, and so impossibly remote.
Scariest moment: Waking to find we’d dragged anchor with 15 kts on our beam, and finding the stern sandwiching the dinghy against the harbour wall (the only thing keeping us off the wall!) in the very shallow old Nilandhoo harbour and having to re-anchor in near darkness.
Nail biting moment/s: Going through passes in coral reefs, and not being sure how much further the depth meter is going to go down.
Most attitude changing moment: Meeting with professional soldiers (including a Royal Navy submarine driver!) conversationalists, and diplomats, and seeing (a more convincing) side of Chagos history.
Most changed-opinion experience: Our unplanned side trip to Galle, Sri Lanka. At first I was immensely frustrated that we had to make a triangle shaped diversion from our route four hundred miles out of our way just to satisfy Maldives paperwork requirements. Helped by the fact that the diversion wasn’t too long (four days there, six days back), it turned out to be a really interesting and rewarding stop over.
Biggest buzz: Being able to share this adventure with Helen and the kids; my family, including my mum and sister (who flew into Gan, Maldives); friends Laith and Bernard (crewing on the passage to the Maldives), Joff and Nik (on the passage from the Maldives back to UAE); and also friends via this blog.
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