The Portuguese returning from India in 1502 found the island uninhabited, tried to keep it secret, and then claimed it for their own. The Dutch and the British fought over it in the following one hundred years with the British finally becoming its present owners.
Captain Cook, Captain Bligh, Arthur Halley, Charles Darwin, Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington all walked the streets of Jamestown, the entry port to this fascinating cultural and ecological oasis that has erupted out of the ocean.
The crew quickly made friends with the inhabitants, mostly descended from African, Indonesian, Chinese and European. With a population of just over 4000, no airport, no mobile phones, and its remote location, the island reflects wherever you look the influence of past visitors, yet thankfully not overtly impacted by modern day tourism. It hardly appears as if anyone uses the walking trails winding up and around the lush green prickly pear and flax laden hills and valleys. There is a soft timeless quality to the pace of life here and excitement seems to be highest when the fresh fruit and vegetables appear on Tuesday market or the passing ships appear.
Stocked with fresh local provisions, (lots of cabbages) we embark again early tomorrow morning on our expedition to Brazil.
Photos: Craig Inglis
