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| Pilot boat not busy |
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| Clouds are gone, and sun is coming out |
Because of that, we never even considered taking the umbrellas with us. However, we do notice that the local ladies use an umbrella for shade, which is smart.
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| Souvenier stands |
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| Mature coco de mer with byproducts |
If we planned our day right, we could eat breakfast, then spend the rest of the day at the Botanical Gardens and exploring downtown. Oh yeah, and going out to lunch, of course. There was a shuttle running today, complimentary from the port authority, that took the guests to the center of town. Since we would be heading in the opposite direction, we walked to the gardens instead. First, we checked to see if more maps had been provided by the townsfolk, and indeed they were. Some travel agencies must have included brochures from their businesses also. They were all full of most useful information about the Seychelles.
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| One main roundabout |
Here are some of the facts we learned. The Seychelles are comprised of 115 granite and coral islands .Some are sanctuaries for rarest species of flora and fauna found on earth. The most notorious of these rare plants is the coco de mer, the unique palm tree that has the largest set of coconuts that exist.
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| Famous coco de mer palm tree with coconuts |
The Latin name for this indigenous palm is Lodoicea maldivica, but it is the shape of the coconuts that have been equated with magical qualities as well as a humourous side for what they resemble. There is one specimen planted in the Botanical Gardens, planted by the Duke of Edinurgh when the park was created in the early 1900's. It has had as many as 70 nuts growing on it at one time. They are so large and heavy, it is not recommended to stand under those palm trees.
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| Story of the coco de mer |
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| Extra large coconuts |
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| A marker for a newly-planted coconut tree |
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| Another tree planted in 1956 |
The islands were settled in the 18th century by the French. Eventually, the British took control, and held it until recently in 1976, when they gained their independence from England. One leftover symbol of British occupation is the silver clocktower in the center of town here in Victoria, on the island of Mahe. Named Little Ben, it was erected to celebrate the Seychelles as a British colony in 1903.
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| Clocktower right outside the pizza stop |
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| Little Ben |
It is a replica of London's Vauxhall clock tower. One interesting fact about this city is that it is one of the tiniest capitals in the world.
The Seychelles are loaded with beaches for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. Other activities include hiking, golf, and fishing. What do they catch here? Try marlin, sailfish, green jobfish, and shipjack tuna to mention a few. Speaking of fish leads us to the cuisine offered here. It is Creole, due to the fact that the food is a combination of French, African, Chinese, and Indian. This island is a melting pot of these different cultures, because many of the labor force was brought here to man the very fertile plantations. Grown here even today are cotton, tea, sugar, vanilla, and spices. Back in the old days, the spices brought the biggest wealth to the islands, since there was a huge demand for them worldwide. Today, we are certain it is the 65 beaches on Mahe that bring the vacationeers to stay in the numerous hotels, resorts, and villas.The weather has got to be a factor, since it is always warm here. December through March happens to be the hot and humid time with windless days and temps in the high 90's. The rest of the year, it is cooler with temps in the high 70's.
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| The sign outside the gardens |
Back at the Botanical Gardens, we paid around $10 for the entrance fee per person. This garden takes you straight uphill, not an easy place to stroll. But better to do it at our own pace, instead of with a group, like we have done at least three times over the years. No, today we were going to take our sweet time exploring every corner of this special garden which was created back in 1901 There are six endemic palm trees, including the famous coco de mer.
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| Do's and don't's |
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| Go through the gate |
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| Cost to go in: 100 rupees |
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| Plants cut like the coco de mer |
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| Park grounds |
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| Plenty of benches |
We never knew there were over 27 types of exotic palms in this area, but they are here to be seen. Ten trees are also endemic, but there are over 56 exotic trees planted in this garden park. Some of the unusual varieties included the ylang ylang, known for perfume use, kapok or cotton trees, and even durian, the stinky fruit tree.
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| There were fish in these ponds |
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| Hills made of granite |
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| More foliage |
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| A bench in the forest |
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| Could get lost |
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| A monument in the gardens |
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| Clever beds |
It is the giant tortoises that draw many tourists to this venue. They are from the island Aldabra, the world's largest raised coral atoll. Housed in a pen of their own, about a dozen of them live here.
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| Story of the tortoise |
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One big tortoise
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| Female tortoise |
A funny thing happened when we entered the gates to the gardens. While studying the garden map, we kept hearing a peculiar noise, like a cow bellowing. But who would have cows in their yard? Following the noise, we discovered it was coming from the tortoise pit enclosure. And guess what they were doing? Yes, spring was in the air, and the males were "misbehaving" with the females. The bellowing was coming from the large male tortoises, not cows.
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| What's he doing? |
These creatures weigh up to 300 kilograms, over 600 pounds. The term "misbehaving" came from the folks at the nearby Pentecostal Church, where they hear this behavior every year during their Sunday services. Bet that draws a chuckle from everyone. It sure did from us, and the other tourists here today. By 10am, the noise ceased, never to be heard again on this visit. We suspect that it got too hot for them, in more ways than one.
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| Manicured fields |
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| Hibiscus grow like weeds |
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| Ginger |
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| Short, tropical grass |
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| A another type of ginger |
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| Looks like a jungle |
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| Pretty palms |
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| Meandering creek |
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| Exotic palms |
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| Grown in ponds with water lilies |
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| The perfect bloom |
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| Pretty color |
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| Deep blue flower |
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| Tropical blooms |
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| Higher in the forest |
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| No one walks this part |
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| Looking through a huge palm tree |
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| Forest area |
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| Dense growth |
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| Where there is light, something will grow |
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| Ferns |
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| Rocks |
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| One huge coco de mer palm |
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| Prettiest bird |
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| No bigger than a sparrow |
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| Familiar flower |
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| Buried in the forest |
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| Tree bloom |
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| White flowers |
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| Tropical tree blooms |
Many birds take shelter in this wooded park. Most of them were doves, pigeons, and a set of three geese. The geese were penned with a nice pond for their use. When one tourist fellow went too close to the fencing, one goose grabbed his shoe and honked loudly. We have raised geese like these, and found that this time of year, they can be most aggressive. You do not turn your back on them, because they'll grab anything they can and cause injury.
Another creature that resides in this park are fruit bats. But instead of hanging upside down in the trees, they were actively eating fruit.
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| A fruit bat hanging in the tree |
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| Odd creatures |
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| Bat flying |
The paradise flycatcher and magpie robins are hidden in the trees to be heard, but not seen.
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| Local bird |
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| Nectar-eater |
It was well after noontime by the time we left the gardens. Since all aboard time was 4:30pm, we thought it best to go to lunch first, then tour the town.
We went back to Le Rendez Vous, and sipped Eku beers, another local brew, and enjoyed a margherita pizza. The pizza was excellent with lots of melted cheese on top. Not quite as good as Sydney's, but a close second.
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| Good place for beer and pizza |
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| Much nicer when you got inside |
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| Balcony seating |
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| Eku beer - made in the Seychelles |
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| Margherita pizza with lots of melted cheese |
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| Four beers and one pizza = $38.73 US |
Then we were off to the Sir Selwyn Clarke Victoria Market, dating back to 1840. It is an open-air complex, not large by any means, but full of fishermen and farmers selling their catch, fruit, veggies, and spices. We found a bag of a dozen limes and were able to buy them for a mere $2. They give our sodas an extra zip, and the vitamin C can't hurt either.
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| Where to go? |
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| The old Veggie & Fish Market |
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| Entrance to the market |
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| A streetfull of stands |
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| Fresh catch |
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| All produce was wrapped |
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| Fruit for sale |
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| Fish on a table |
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| He looks Jamaican |
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| Papayas and bananas |
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| Market visitor |
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| Every design is different |
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| Old clocktower |
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| Selling the fruit |
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| Many shops to explore |
Along the way, we passed the Hindu Temple, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, all built in the 1800's.
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| Hindu Temple |
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| Very intricate designs |
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| Made from thousands of tiles |
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Tells a story
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Cathedral
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We figured that we could catch the shuttle back to the ship, but we could not remember exactly where they said the pickup point was. It was somewhere on Independence Street , but by the time we walked to the end of it, we noticed their stop was at the opposite end and across the street.
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| Park art |
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| Afternoon strollers |
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| Little dove |
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| Feeding the birds |
Oh well, we were halfway back to the ship, so we just took our time walking. This time we followed the path the locals took yesterday.....along the harborfront and through the kiddie park. It was in the shade most of the way.
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| Old quarters |
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| One of the main streets |
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| Post office on the left |
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| Hills above town |
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| Granite cliffs |
Still looking for a new Seychelles t-shirt, we sifted through the stands near the ship. All of the best sizes were gone, and so were the best designs and colors. Oh well, maybe next time. It was heavenly boarding the ship and getting that first blast of air-conditioning.
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| Amsterdam still docked |
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| Looking for food |
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| Neat colors |
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| There's the bird |
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| Inner harbor |
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| Small boat harbor |
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| Small boats |
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| Taking the shortcut through the park |
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| Nicer boats |
Another complimentary wine, beer, and soda party was held in the Lido pool area during the sailaway party. Chef Daniel had prepared 6 different types of gourmet pizza, but all we could smell was fish. Whether or not fish was in or on the pizza, we did not stick around to find out. In our opinion, if you put everything including the kitchen sink on pizza, you ruin it. It sure brought back memories of when we were on a Maasdam trip years ago, and the pizza had salmon hidden under the cheese. No thanks. Since we had already eaten pizza for lunch, we grabbed a soda, and heading to the aft deck to watch the sailaway out of the harbor.
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| A better place for the complimentary wine and pizza party sailaway |
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| It drew a large crowd |
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| Many drinkers today....it was still hot outside |
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| Cokes were best |
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| One of our friendly waiters |
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| Lined up for pizza |
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| Pizza....not sure of the toppings |
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| Line for wine and beer |
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| Bartenders |
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| Watching the sailaway from the aft deck |
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| Watching for sting rays |
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| Shipyard sign for the Amsterdam |
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| Leaving the pier |
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| Pool was empty |
We were joined by tablemate Marianne, who had gotten back this morning from their overland to India. Unfortunately Bill was not feeling well, and was laying low for the afternoon. It was nice to hear all about their trip, which had gone well for the most part. In her description, some of the finer details, like seats on the plane, should have been better planned.
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| Sailboats in the harbor |
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| Home of a sheik we were told |
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| Nice sailboat |
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| Working fishing vessel |
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| Cemetery |
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| Wonder if there is a speed limit here? |
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| New community |
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| Pier building |
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| Going fishing |
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| Pilot boat following us |
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| Clear, sunny afternoon |
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| Back from crabbing |
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| Crab trap |
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| Nearby island |
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| Generators were working today |
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| Generator |
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| Two generators |
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| OK, three generators |
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| Last of the sailboats |
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| Cannot catch up to us |
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Nice way to go
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| Last island |
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| Shoreline |
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| At least it's green here |
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| Huts on the island |
They got the leftovers, even though HAL had plenty of time to book in advance. Not one of the couples had seats together.....they were spread out in middle seats instead. We talked until the sun was going down, comparing notes with her with the time we did the overland in 2007. Sounded like not much had changed since then. And as it turned out, neither Marianne or Bill made it to dinner. One of the downers of this particular overland, was that the night of day five had no hotel stay. They ended up flying all night, from New Delhi via Dubai to the Seychelles. Not the best way to end an epic journey.
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| Private beach |
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| Could be St. Anne's resort |
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| There is one person on the beach |
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| Rocky beach |
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| Pretty setting |
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| Vacant |
Comparing notes with each other at dinner, some of us had stayed in town, and Barb had gone to a beach resort for the day. We all agreed that it was hot and oppressive....a nice place to visit for a day or two, but that's all. We have been asked if this is one of the most beautiful places on earth, as they advertise? Perhaps some of the remote islands could qualify, but not Victoria on the island of Mahe. Yes, there are resorts, but too many of them. In our humble opinion, if you want paradise, we still say go to French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Specifically Moorea and Bora Bora.
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| Followed by a fishing boat |
The entertainer was a fellow by the name of Barry Hilton, a South African comedian. Only a few of our tablemates went, since we were all done for the night. We always tell Keith and Margaret to save seats for the three of us, knowing that it will never or seldom happen.
It caught us by surprise, but when we went for our evening walk outside, we found that it was raining. And it felt ever so good. Nice way to finish a day in the Southern Indian Ocean.
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| leaving the islands |
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| Sun setting |
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| Great sunset |
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| Got hot |
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| Going down |
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| Last rays of the sun |
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| Hot skies |
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| Gone for the day |
