Day 104: Mayotte, Comoros Islands

Mayotte is part of the Comoros chain of islands at the northern end of the Madagascar Channel. There are four large inhabited islands - Grande Comore, Moheli, Anjouan and Mayotte. Of those four, Mayotte is the oldest geological island, whilst Grand Comore is the youngest, with one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Karthala, the volcano, is continuously bubbling, although its last major eruption was back in 2005, displacing 40,000 inhabitants and destroying a crater lake in the caldera. 

The Comoros were first inhabited in the 800s and were initially known as the
perfumed islands (because of the Ylang Ylang plant—see Madacasgar post). Vasco de Gama discovered the islands from the European viewpoint in 1503, and the Portuguese set up trading posts for the next 100 years. there was no formal attempt to claim sovereignty, and a considerable amount of intermarriage occurred. Various countries, ranging from Oman to Mozambique, attempted to settle on the islands with little success. By the 1790s, warriors from Madagascar raided the islands to run a slave trade and decimated the male population. By 1841, the French stepped in and established a military and political presence. Various islands came and went under French protection until they were all united in 1909. 

Then it gets interesting. There was always a considerable desire for independence, fueled by the majority Sunni Muslim population. In the mid-70s, France held a referendum about granting independence. Three of the four islands voted for independence. Only one - Mayotte - voted to stay as a French Protectorate by 57-43%. This caused considerable friction with the three other islands, who had formed the independent nation of Comoros. They asked, "Are you sure?". Given that a month after independence, there was a military coup in the newly independent nation, Mayotte voted 99.4% to stay French. It's been that way ever since.

Over the next 50 years, that was a significant economic, political, and military benefit. Compared to the Comoros, the Mayotte economy grew, and immigration into Mayotte from the other 3 islands exploded. Considering that 84% of the population is under the poverty line and 40% of homes are corrugated iron shacks - you wonder about the other islands. 

So - the day in Mayotte was distinctly average. There are no large docks, so the Mariner had to tender between Grande Terre and Petite Terre (Highly imaginative names for the two islands of Mayotte - Big and Little!). There wasn't much shelter, and we thought the day would be a bust, so the captain would just move on. Not so. Unlike our previous captain, this one is a little more confident and decided to weigh anchor and give it a shot in 20-25mph winds. Allison (wisely) looked at the bucking bronco tender boat and decided that was a sign to stay on board. I, along with labor 1/3 of the passengers, decided to go ashore and proceed with my excursion. 

(Note - proving that you can never make everyone happy. The same people who complained about missing ports because of weather conditions in French Polynesia complained about the sea conditions in Mayotte, saying it was too bumpy to go on boat rides or too dangerous to get on the tender.) 

Looking at the positives - I took a hike to a point at the top of the hill overlooking the harbor and the boat. Meaning I reached my 10,000 steps for the day, and learned something about the local culture from our guide Ange. She was fluent in 5 languages, including English, and gave an excellent commentary about the island. The local sights, however, weren't much. We walked across the harbourfront, then alongside a gravel road for a few hundred yards until we turned into a local park. From there, it was all uphill to the top. Basic physics. Although the view was nice, it was one of those sights that's better for the human eye than a camera lens. 

We saw some random chickens and roosters but unfortunately only heard the maki - the local monkey. The perfume Ylang-Ylang flower was all around us, in addition to some huge bamboo and palm trees. On our way back, we went through the local flea market. It was full of stalls, mostly run by women, with their small kids sleeping on a bamboo mat or even on concrete. The produce market was fun, although I certainly wouldn't buy any of the fish or meat on sale. The 3-4 foot long sticks of cinnamon were interesting, though. 

All-in-all, glad I got to visit Mayotte. Certainly not a place I ever expected to visit. But, despite the fact it possesses one of the largest coral reefs and lagoons in the world, t it's not on my "gotta go back" list.