Sumwe Journal

approaching the small island infested with palm trees, i can see old wooden boats tied to a tree, moving with the ebb and flow of the tide. a bunch of guys milling around turn their heads as we arrive in the harbor. we hop off the boat and the light rain continues to fall but we are not bothered by it. taking in the scenes around me, it feels good to be on a new island. a few locals arrive on scooters and we each jump on the back of one and head off along dusty roads, blinking as the rain still falls down into our eyes. hiding in a little cafe we sip on some coffee before continuing to explore the island. we stroll around the streets, taking in the new smells, new faces and smiles. an old couple with wrinkled skin and milky eyes just watch us go by. you can tell they have seen many faces pacing by, and many changes through the years. flowers burst colour in between green shades of the many trees, hibiscus, frangipani and some other tropical flowers i have never seen before. an...

a slow walk to the beach, like i do every afternoon, listening to the sounds around. i watch the sun shine through the huge leaves that have created a thick, green canopy just above my head. soft sand sticking to my toes and soon i can hear the sound of the waves. this section of the island is one of my favorite, the tallest palm trees stretch up beyond the clouds. i feel so small here, and feel stillness. its as if for a few moments the earth slows its spinning, giving time for the suns warm light to caress my eyes and skin.  just before i reach the beach i can hear distant voices been spoken, muffled by the waves making mysterious stories. the distinct smell of smoke drifts to me, mixing with the smell of the ocean. i join the guys standing around the fire and the mysterious stories continue. my eyes wander to the magical colours of dusk. tainted with pinks and other warm shades of oranges, the evening sky is love. the sea reflects this love by shining these colours ...

On the Indian Ocean This place is so full, in the coolness of the night, billions of stars shower the sky, in the early morning it is still, the only motion is that of the sleepy waves. I have seen so many incredible things just in the short time that I have been here. Deep blue and turquoise colored crayfish, eagle rays that fly and glide on the surface of the water and baby turtles, just hatched from their nest and crawled out from their hiding place. It is so beautiful to see the new life of these tiny babies.  One of my favorite evenings was a fishing trip. We get onto the little dingy before the last bit of the days light disappears. As soon as we are out of the calm lagoon, we are drenched with some bigger waves. Holding on and non-stop laughing we go on, into the blackness that surrounds the island. After a while we get to the spot where we need to drop anchor, the waves aren't as crazy here.  But the stars out when there is so little light aroun...

M A L D I V E S 3.2028 N  73.2207 E This is a magical place, little islands sit perched up, off the oceanic plate, covered in palm trees and other tropical plants. Lying along the equator the air is steamy and hot. A unique pattern of corals and turquoise coloured water surround each of the islands, and then the eternal deep blue swallows up the horizon and everything in view.  Sitting on the soft white sand, i can see hundreds of frenzied hermit crabs, scurry around. Their little feet make tracks in the sand and the end result of all of them together creates an art work of nature. So many things to observe when you really look. Slow, small waves dance along the shore, tickling the sand and bring gifts of broken corals and shells with intricate markings. The sultry summer brings breezes that are heavy with moisture. It is salty and I can taste it on my lips, I can feel it in my sandy, knotted hair. The breezes goes on to shake the leaves of the palms, and t...