April 13th

Mahe, Seychelles

When I woke up this morning we were sailing past the smaller islands in the Seychelles. It looked like a beautiful sunny day, and I was soon up and ready to go.

Soon after the ship docked we met up with Dan and Irene and headed ashore. We were docked in the cargo port, so there was no cruise terminal. However, it was only a short walk to the port gate, where there were scores of taxis waiting to entice passengers to take a tour of the island.

The taxi drivers were not as intrusive as those in Malaysia, so you didn’t feel you had to fight them off. We soon found a very nice gentleman named Michel who agreed to take us to the Kempinski Hotel where we had booked lunch and a day on the beach, and then bring us back to the port when we had had enough sun.

The hotel is on the other side of the island, and we had a lovely 45-minute drive along the east side coastline, and through the verdant interior, to the hotel.

When we arrived at the hotel there were no chairs available by the pool, so we ended up in the shade next to the beach. This actually turned out to be a better position as there were very few people on the beach, and we had a very secluded spot. The pool was somewhat crowded and very noisy, but we had our own little piece of tropical paradise.

The only issue was that it was a long walk to the bar, but Brian was up to the task of keeping me supplied with drinks that came in coconuts with a straw. We spent the morning reading, and swimming in the warm Indian Ocean. Total bliss. The only problem was passing rain showers. It’s actually OK getting wet when you are in the water or sunbathing, but annoying when your books and clothes end up damp.

There was a set menu for lunch, but each of the choices looked great. Brian had octopus curry, which was a lot more adventurous than I was. I opted for the fish of the day, which was grilled job fish in lime and cilantro with grilled asparagus spears. It was totally delicious, and reminded me of the yellow fin tuna we eat in Mexico. I chose gazpacho for starters, and there was sorbet in champagne for dessert. We sat under a thatched umbrella looking out over the bay. We were indeed in a tropical paradise. I finished my book, and then swam and napped all afternoon.

I do love sight seeing and seeing new places and experiencing new cultures, but there is a lot to be said for a relaxing beach day.

Michel drove us back to the ship via the west side of the island, and over the steep mountain roads in the interior. On our way along the coast we stopped to look at fishermen selling the fish I had eaten for lunch. I had not realized that it was such a big fish.

We loved our drive from the hotel. Mahe really is a very beautiful island, and unlike many African countries, the Seychelles have a thriving economy, and politicians that really seem to care about doing the right thing for the population. It just has a very nice feel to it.

Once we were back in the capital of Victoria (I like that they kept her name even after independence), Michel took us on a tour of the major buildings, and even took us to a beautiful Hindu temple. So I was not quite done with temples yet.

He then showed us the new government housing estates and newly constructed schools. He is obviously very proud of the progress his country is making. As he should be.

Finally we returned to the port and we bade him farewell. Before we returned to the ship we checked out the stalls selling souvenirs, which had some really lovely jewellery and dresses for sale. It looked like there may have been wifi, but we didn’t check it out. There was a great rock band playing , however we didn’t stay long to listen to the music as it was after 6:00, and I had laundry to do before dinner and sail away. We took some photos of the ship, and walked back on board.

I managed to get a washing machine right away, but there was a queue for use of the dryers. The dryers on the other decks were also full, so I waited on our deck for a dryer to become available, and fretted about missing the sail away. I did however have a good time chatting to the other inhabitants of the launderette on the issues of launderette etiquette, or lack thereof. Who knew it was such a complicated process, so many ways that you could fail to meet their exacting standards.

As it turned out I needn’t have worried about the sail away. We didn’t sail until we were seated for dinner. Luckily the curtains were open, so I could watch our progress from our table in the dining room.

I had been hoping to go to the show tonight, but after all that sun and relaxation, I was exhausted. It was also nice to be out of the pirate zone and to be able to open the curtains without tripping over in the dark. There was a little bit of pitching and rolling, so I was fast asleep in a matter of minutes. It is so good to be on a ship.