S/Y New Dawn

The main reason to sail the 2.000 NM from Chagos to Mayotte, was for me to see a good hospital to find out what the pain was and how to treat it. Cutting a long story short and after having spend ten days here with in and outs of the hospital and laboratories, I have stones in the right Kidney and have had them in the Gall Bladder, which also have given me digestive problems. There is still a 5 mm stone left in the right Kidney and it is giving me pain and is uncomfortable. I am told it will eventually pass and can be painful. Am taking five different drugs, so I hope it will be OK eventually.

I will leave the marina Sunday and anchor on the other side, where the ferry traffic should not give me all these big waves, which has been very disturbing since I arrived.

This couple, Catherine and Jean Claude, was in contact with me when I started to have the Kidney problems in Chagos, as they are friends of a sailor I have met in Pangkor marina. They are both medical Dr's and advised me to get to Mayotte and arranged the hospital visits for me? Catherine also did my laundry.

Today there was a "tyre competition run", which mean that people run with two sticks and push forward a tyre. They are very skilled and run for hours at a fast rate. A big and cheap sport in this area. As always the police has a heavy presence at all events.

Carious photos taken in town during the last few days. Many people carry things on their head and many women are elegantly dressed in bright colours.

Their housing leaves much to be desired.

A lot of women put a mask on their face to smooth their skin and some even make a design. Doe not look good, but it is normal here.

Many of these street sellers are illegal immigrants, and I learned that the "legal" population is about 250.000 and the "illegal" immigration are almost the same. They come here to get free medical treatment and they make a lot of trouble for the population. It is not safe to walk at night.