SEYCHELLES …. PARADISE

So we finished a couple of days in Dubai and are heading in a new direction. We were suppose to go through the Suez Canal but some Houthis got in the way of that plan … so we are taking a new route … “ a long cut” around Africa with a few stops in Europe. Basically we are ending up traveling the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic and skipping the Mediterranean.

We are going around Africa followed by stops in Portugal, France, and London and then head to New York.

So we are now on our way to Seychelles … traveling the Indian Ocean … sailing from Dubai.… we are trading “Houthis” and their missiles for “Somali Pirates.” Somali pirates must be having a field day now that they have an abundance of ships trying to avoid the Suez Canal. What a world?

So to try and avoid some unfriendly encounters we are sailing far east off the coast of Africa … about 1000 miles from the coastline of Somalia

… we have some extra company on board. We are being escorted by special security commandos that joined us in Dubai and will get off in Seychelles. ( One of the new commandos actually looks like a pirate … with the black eye patch … 9 million tatoos and muscles like Popeye.)

… along with the additional security we are being accompanied by an escort ship that I guess is suppose to jump in if there is a pirate attack. So it all seemed and sounds a little over the top until I found out there was a hijacking off the coast of Somalia as recent as the end of March.

So extra boat in tow and our additional security … masquerading as pirates … we are on our way …. traveling a little over 2000 miles … crossing the equator again …. the 3’rd time on this trip…. ( it’s getting to be a regular thing along with changing our clocks ). So we will end up 300 miles south of the equator and hope to land at this tropical island by Sunday.

Seychelles is a place I was interested in checking out but figured a beach island off of Africa was probably not something we would fly 8000 miles for …. 18 hours of flight time from NY. So if it worked out in our travels … GREAT … if not … PASS.

So that was the extent of what we knew about Seychelles. We went to a lecture on the boat about the island and it sounded like your typical tropical island coupled with an opioid problem.

It was great to wake up to a beautiful view of a tropical paradise. Blue skies …. ( It looked better than ever after the smog in Asia) turquoise water and lush greenery. So we took a tour to check it out.

Seychelles is actually an Archipelago. ( Finally got this archipelago thing figured out … in this case … a grouping of 115 islands. ) The largest island … Mahe … where we docked … is where most people reside. ( 120K people ). The capital … Victoria .. is located here along with an international airport and the infrastructure for Seychelles.

The island is about 60 square miles …. located in the Somali Sea … the area is mountainess rainforests making for some spectacular scenery.

Seychelles was discovered by the French navy in 1756 … the island is named after a French Governor … and as usual … the Brits showed up in the early 1800’s and colonized the island. In 1976 Seychelles became independent from Britain.

Despite the long presence of the British … the French language and culture remained dominant and has a strong influence over the country today. 90% of the population is of French Creole descent …. from French Colonial Settlers and African Slave Laborers … the rest are European. The languages spoken are French, Seychellois Creole and English … the predominant religion is Roman Catholic.

Seychellois people are a cultural melting pot … a mix the locals are very proud of. They believe in harmony and acceptance of all as equals …. several sculptures throughout Victoria are featured in roundabouts representing their beliefs and their history.

Seychelles is the smallest but the richest country in Africa. The economy is driven primarily by tourism. To continue to attract tourists … in 2012 they expanded … adding 1000 acres through land reclaimation … providing more upscale housing and luxury resorts.

Seychelles has beautiful Mountainess Rainforest … home to some very rare plants. Since the country was inhabited just 250 years ago … plants that became extinct in other parts of the world still exist in Seychelles. For a nature lover … it is true paradise … and for the rest of us it is still pretty amazing,

… In 1970 they discovered the “Jellyfish Tree” ( Medusangny Oppositifolia …. That’s a mouthful ) on the island …. A native plant thought to be extinct in the world.

There are 32 Species of Banana Trees including Red, Green and Yellow Bananas

The Cannonball Tree grows up to 110’ and produces fruits that hang in clusters and look like rusty cannonballs.

But their big CLAIM to FAME … “Coco de Mer” ( Sounds like a liquor )… the largest seed in the plant kingdom … a very rare species of Palm tree native to Seychelles. It is the national fruit of the country and the world’s heaviest seed … it can grow up to 40 lbs and take up to 10 years to ripen.

This tree story is like a sex education class. There are male and female trees …. ( Boy and Girl Trees 🤔 ) …. you should be able to figure out the male seed versus female…. Somehow they pollinate …. ( They think by wind or geckos transfer pollen ). Folklore has it that it is the “forbidden fruit” associated with love and passion and other romantic escapades. With its suggestive shape on a faraway island you can see how the stories could develop,

But the best part or most unexpected part I saved for last …. here in this remote island in the middle of the Indian Ocean is home to the “Giant Tortoises” … Seychelles and the Galapagos Island in Ecuador are the only two places in the world they exist.

These ancient creatures can weigh up to 800 lbs and 4’ in length. They can live up to 250 years of age … Most live 80 to 120 years … and we had an unexpected opportunity to spend a little time with them.

Seychelles was a special place … I am not sure I would fly 8000 miles just to get there … but in combination with another destination in the neighborhood … like Dubai … it would be amazing.

NEXT STOP … MOMBASA KENYA DAY 145