Out of Africa...comes the Seychelles!

 March 16

Victoria, Seychelles

"Prince William and Kate honeymooned on our North island," our guide Celice told us. "Of course, a prince would take his bride to paradise!" 

The sail in to Victoria was lovely as we skirted a number of little barrier islands and sandbars. As you can see, solar panels and wind turbines have been installed on a harbor islet. Our guide, Celice told us solar provides 17% of the island's electricity requirements.

We are often greeted by folkloric music and dancing when we disembark. My DH's dad would have loved this group. They were playing POLKA music! At our first stop in Africa, I was expecting something a little different...

One of our onboard lecturers showed us how geologically both Madagascar and the Seychelles were once part of the African continent that got left behind as the Indian tectonic place pulled away to the northeast. Seychelles is, in fact, the smallest African nation in terms of both size and population, but they are highest in a measure of income and lifestyle.  

This statue and fountain of Queen Victoria was erected in her honor. The fountain eventually had to be turned off. 98% of the island is Catholic. Folks were mistaking the statue for the Virgin Mary, dipping their hands in the little waist high pools of water, and crossing themselves!    

The people of Seychelles speak French, English and their own Creole. When the European powers arrived in this part of the world, there were no indigenous residents on the island, but as their 3 official languages suggest, there has been a tug of war over it in the past. 

The island is quite mountainous and has a peak that rises to almost 3000 ft.! The original little church was destroyed in the early 20th century when an avalanche of large granite boulders broke free and rolled down on the town. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The church originally was situated on the waterfront with the ocean lapping at its steps. The rocks and soil the landslide provided helped the inhabitants build out more reclaimed land and moved the oceanfront several blocks away from the church that was rebuilt on the original site. 

It was Sunday when we visited, so all the stalls and shops were closed along Albert Street, but we did get to slip into the back of the large cathedral at the end of the business district. The sanctuary was packed and the congregation was singing a beautiful hymn I didn't recognize. It was sung in French, and all I could translate based on my high school French was "Forgive me, Lord." But the acoustics of the space made the voices soar heavenward as if we were in a giant bathtub! Lovely!

Postcard perfect, isn't it?

Our next stop was a beach resort on the North end of the island. I've swum in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. My swimming in the ocean days are, unfortunately, over. However, I did roll up my capris and wade out to knee deep. The water was warm and the surf gentle. I'd forgotten how the sand sinks around your feet. When it was time to leave, I stopped briefly, letting the wavelets slide over the packed wet sand to kiss my toes one last time. It was a precious moment for me. I felt overwhelming gratitude at being able to experience such a beautiful place.   

This is a Coco de Mer nut. What? Were you thinking something else???

At the National Botanical Garden, we learned about this unusual nut palm. It's not a coconut because a coconut palm has both male and female elements and can self pollinate. A Coco de Mer palm requires both a male and a female tree for germination. It's not difficult to tell the difference. The male trees are as ..."manly"... in appearance as the nut is "ladylike." The Coco de Mere is endemic to Seychelles. That means you can't find them anywhere else on earth.

In addition to lots of flowering shrubs, we saw fruit bats hanging upside down in the canopy above us. They are the only native mammal on the island. 

Our guide told us the tortoises like to be stroked under their chin on their necks, so when this fellow looked at me expectantly, I gave it a try. He stretched his neck out as long as he could and raised himself from lying on the ground to standing up on all fours so I could more easily stroke his rough skin.  

Aldabra Tortoises are the same species found in the Galapagos Islands. This gentle giants often live to see more than two centuries. And love was in the air while we were there. One determined tortoise tried to mount one of the females, singing a long, low bawling song that didn't sound a bit like a Lou Rawls love mix. Unfortunately, the unlucky lover didn't have good sense of direction and ended up trying to climb up his would-be girlfriend from the side or the front. Perhaps, as she slowly moved away, she was trying to tell him "No means no." 

Silhouette Island in the distance

Seychelles is a wonderful destination and I'd love to go back. But there was one thing our guide told us that troubles me. As we were driving along, she pointed out one of their new schools. It was paid for by China.

Almost everywhere in the world we visit, we see Chinese grants, investments and outright building projects including schools, hospitals, ports, etc. Useful things. Things that raise the quality of life of the countries who receive the Chinese government's aid. They seem to be buying friends all around the world with tangible gifts.

There's a lot of discussion about foreign aid right now. I would argue it's important for us to give to countries who need our help. But I'd like to see our aid go in the form of providing fresh water wells, desalination plants where needed. Help with improving agriculture so countries will have more food security. 

Much of the world doesn't want us to send them our culture, like the Brits taught them to drive on the left side of the road. The world needs bridges. Better housing. Easy access to fresh water. School buildings. 

Essential things.