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Written by: 8/6/2012 10:04 PM
The slaughter was both gruesome and delicious. What comically horrifying creatures we must have been. In one hand we wielded eight foot long boat hooks and in the other our machetes of varying form and degrees of bluntness. Walking through the forest of coconuts we reach into the lower boughs asserting our dominance over the massive nuts by wrapping our hooks around their narrow stems. One determined pull and invariably the nuts try to assault us with all their weight falling as nearly on top of us as they can. This is dangerous prey as I already know all too well.
We gather under the shelter grafitied by hundreds of sailors who’ve left their boat markers behind shouting out against the void left with their departure. In a wild flurry machetes begin arcing through the air striking hideous blows into the green fruit. Built to sail across oceans they do not yield to us easily. No one is sure how many fingers must be sacrificed before we can taste the water and eat the flesh of a coconut. Whatever the price, we keep hacking. Finally, sweaty, nearly exhausted, and desperately needing a nap a coconut is open. We all partake and the machete is handed to a fresh recruit to begin the slaughter again. If only we’d remembered to bring the rum.
12 comment(s) so far...
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Beautiful pics!!!! My favorite one is (of course) the self portrait of the feet. ;) And coconuts are a bugger. I want to just stand near the coconut water section of whole foods and explain to people how lucky they are to have this nectar (milk and water) of the gods.
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling
Beautiful pics!!!! My favorite one is (of course) the self portrait of the feet. ;) And coconuts are a bugger. I want to just stand near the coconut water section of whole foods and explain to people how lucky they are to have this nectar (milk and water) of the gods.
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Great photos, I am jealous of your adventures and wish you well. Keep posting.
Great photos, I am jealous of your adventures and wish you well. Keep posting.
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Have you ever come across any recipes for herrmit crab?
Have you ever come across any recipes for herrmit crab?
Re: Your sailing clips.. Your sailing clips are amazing, insperational...I've been glued o youtube watching them, but there are not enough!!!! Upload more....please!!Well doneFair winds and calm seas..Warren
Re: Your sailing clips..
Your sailing clips are amazing, insperational...I've been glued o youtube watching them, but there are not enough!!!! Upload more....please!!Well doneFair winds and calm seas..Warren
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Great pictures and love following your adventure. Are you going to be posting any more video clips from your journey? How long to you plan on sailing? Sail safeCurtis
Great pictures and love following your adventure. Are you going to be posting any more video clips from your journey? How long to you plan on sailing? Sail safeCurtis
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling I always thought it would be so cool to go and live on a desert island in the tropics. Just lay on the beach to sleep. That was until I went to Fiji and attempted to do that. Within minutes, the hermit crabs were approaching. Trying to sneak up on me. Okay, I figured that's not a great idea. So I slung a hammock between two palm trees. Ahhhh. I thought, I'm safe here. Then I saw that there were insects feeding on my flesh and bugs and things coming from every angle. I packed up and headed for a hotel in Suva. At least there, the biggest threat were cockroaches and they were kept at bay by the netting over my bed. The tropics look nice in photos but the bugs are not my thing. I have never experienced such intense sun as I did when I was in Fiji. Wow. Like a broiler. I'm a Pacific Northwest kind of guy. As much as I envy you the experience, I am happy being back here in a land where we don't have too many bugs or snakes or things that go bump in the night. Lee, if you want something to read while you are out there sailing, email me at the email I provided and I will send you a couple of novels that I wrote. One is a boating adventure story and one is about a young girl who is crazy about sailing. They can be found at my website www.nauticaldecorandmore.comTake care out there. I wish you the best!!Michael Matthews
I always thought it would be so cool to go and live on a desert island in the tropics. Just lay on the beach to sleep. That was until I went to Fiji and attempted to do that. Within minutes, the hermit crabs were approaching. Trying to sneak up on me. Okay, I figured that's not a great idea. So I slung a hammock between two palm trees. Ahhhh. I thought, I'm safe here. Then I saw that there were insects feeding on my flesh and bugs and things coming from every angle. I packed up and headed for a hotel in Suva. At least there, the biggest threat were cockroaches and they were kept at bay by the netting over my bed. The tropics look nice in photos but the bugs are not my thing. I have never experienced such intense sun as I did when I was in Fiji. Wow. Like a broiler. I'm a Pacific Northwest kind of guy. As much as I envy you the experience, I am happy being back here in a land where we don't have too many bugs or snakes or things that go bump in the night. Lee, if you want something to read while you are out there sailing, email me at the email I provided and I will send you a couple of novels that I wrote. One is a boating adventure story and one is about a young girl who is crazy about sailing. They can be found at my website www.nauticaldecorandmore.comTake care out there. I wish you the best!!Michael Matthews
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Hey Lee,haven't heard from you in a while. hope everything is ok. Looking forward to hearing more about your journey
Hey Lee,haven't heard from you in a while. hope everything is ok. Looking forward to hearing more about your journey
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Ive been catching up and reading this amazing and inspirational ship log. I live in La Porte near Kemah TX. I'm in the planning and learning stages for a very similar voyage. Although it will not be single handed ! I eagerly await more entries :)
Ive been catching up and reading this amazing and inspirational ship log. I live in La Porte near Kemah TX. I'm in the planning and learning stages for a very similar voyage. Although it will not be single handed ! I eagerly await more entries :)
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Hey folks,Sadly, I had to ditch the boat rather quickly in Mauritius. My mother passed away and I had to take an emergency flight home. I'll update when the words return. Hopefully sometime soon.Lee
Hey folks,Sadly, I had to ditch the boat rather quickly in Mauritius. My mother passed away and I had to take an emergency flight home. I'll update when the words return. Hopefully sometime soon.Lee
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Very sorry to hear about your mom, Lee. God doesn't make mistakes and I hope you and your family find peace during this tough time. My boy justgraduated from TCU and you are inspiring. Godbless you.Alan
Very sorry to hear about your mom, Lee. God doesn't make mistakes and I hope you and your family find peace during this tough time. My boy justgraduated from TCU and you are inspiring. Godbless you.Alan
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Lee, real sorry about the news. I had a feeling something serious had happened since we hadn't heard from you in a while. take care
Lee, real sorry about the news. I had a feeling something serious had happened since we hadn't heard from you in a while. take care
Re: Photos from Horsburgh Island, Cocos Keeling Oh, Lee! We are so sorry for your loss. I know she was an inspiration to you and your greatest supporter.Our sincere sympathies to you and your family.Bert & Mel
Oh, Lee! We are so sorry for your loss. I know she was an inspiration to you and your greatest supporter.Our sincere sympathies to you and your family.Bert & Mel