Around the World Again

Victoria, Seychelles – March 25, 2018

After taking some pictures from my deck, I decided I needed a bite to eat. On many of the all day tours lunch is not until 2 or 3 in the afternoon and I can get very hungry. I had two glasses of juice and a not so wonderful roll and headed to the Queen’s Lounge for my tour.

When I arrived I found that Cyndi and Ed were taking the same tour (Mahe Discovery) so we made sure we were on the same bus. Mahe is the largest of the Seychelles, where the majority of the people live, and where the capital city (Victoria) is located.

The tour was listed as 7.5 hours but it ended up being 7.75 hours. A few facts about the Seychelles…

· There are three official languages – French, English, and Seychellois Creole

· 76% of the population is Roman Catholic

· There is a population of only about 94,000

· 115 islands make up the country that became independent (from the UK) in 1976

· Average temperatures range from 75F-88F but today the high was about 92

· Cinnamon and vanilla are still produced here but tourism is the main industry

We started with a hot, half-hour or so walk at the Botanical Gardens where we saw the coco de mer palm tree. The fruit take 6-7 years to mature and have the largest seed of any plant. We also saw some of the Aldabra giant tortoises. Our guide, MaryLise, pointed out the fruit bats high in the trees.

Our second stop was for some walking through the capital city of Victoria which is the smallest capital city in the world. We walked through the market but most of it had closed at noon because it was Saturday.

As we headed out of town we stopped at the Craft Village. Unfortunately, most of the buildings were under renovation and we only had a few minutes to shop.

It was by then 2pm and we stopped at a Double Tree hotel for lunch and (if you wanted) a swim in the infinity pool or the Indian Ocean. There was a delicious buffet and free wi-fi but I had not brought along my iPad. I was one of the few whose eyes were not glued to an electronic device!

We left at 4 pm and headed on a scenic drive along the coast and up into the mountains. Our last stop was at Mission Lodge where there was a school for the children of freed slaves back in the 1800s. The steps were steep, eneven, and there was no hand rail so I opted to stay on the bus.

Back to the ship about 6:15. There were stalls set up so I decided to see if there was anything else I wanted to buy.

Returned to the ship at 6:45 and since I had already decided to eat in the Lido, I dropped my purchases and headed there. Tonight was a Seafood Grill Dinner with special glasses and tablecloths. The crew were dressed for the event, too. Lobster, crab legs, shrimp and other seafood was available.

At 9:30 pm there was a “Creole Cultural Cabaret”. Lots of happy music and dancing.

Watched the sail-away from my deck and then came in for a shower and to write the blog. The pictures will have to wait until tomorrow (actually later today since it after 1 am) because every time I stop typing I nod off. Check back for the pictures.

Finally, all updated. The wifi has been horrible today!

Water cannons back in place...