(9571 miles from The Dalles, Oregon).

March 16

As we sailed through what is referred to as “the blue desert,” the only interesting stuff is revealed by bathymetry. I just learned that bathymetry is the measuring and study of underwater features and I had to use it. At about 3 miles of depth, there’s lots to study.

I was last in the Seychelles in 1970 on a Semester at Sea stopover. At that time, the population of the British Protectorate was about 50,000…half of what it is today. Our port, Victoria, has a population of about 25,000. As I recall the previous visit, I walked away from a transaction because the vendor wouldn’t accept my offer. I’m hopeful of finding her and agreeing to her terms.

The history of the 155 islands is different from those we have visited in the South Seas and Asia. They were not inhabited by early travelers and not colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch, and/or English. Vasco de Gama stopped by in the late 1400’s, but kept moving. Occasionally, pirates used the islands for a stopover. The French and British competed for control of the islands in the 19th century, with both countries leaving their languages, which are still spoken, along with Creole which came from the slaves imported to work sugarcane and other crops. In 1976, Seychelles became an independent country, the smallest in Africa. It now has the highest Human Development Index of any African country.

Parenthetically, I should add that on a previous cruise I stated that we would travel to the “shithole countries” and turn right. On this one, I would have stated that we would reach the “sc’s” and turn left. I didn’t realize that Seychelles was considered part of Africa. And, these are really beautiful islands so I don’t think that president trump’s description applies.

There isn’t much going on in Seychelles. The major employers have been fishing and services. Karla’s guide mentioned that tuna has been prosperous and attracted the Spanish, Korean and Chinese; he expressed concerns with over-fishing the waters and blamed the government for permitting their giant trawlers as long as the permit fees were paid.

There are a few agricultural products; coconuts stand out. The fastest growing employer is tourism and they are trying to attract foreign investment. Close to 50 percent of the land is in National Parks so that their assets can be preserved and attractive to tourists.

I took an excursion that focused on several high points in Victoria and then traveled around the northern part of the island, Mahe. The botanical gardens were very attractive and, besides the trees and plants, had lots of fruit bats and giant tortoises. Our stop in the center of Victoria was not much. It’s a small town and just about everything was closed on Sunday. We did appreciate the very scenic drive. I’m happy that we stopped, but it will be at least 50 more years before we return. It might have been better if shops were open; I would have liked ‘bat on a stick” or some other local delicacy.

Karla was enthusiastic about her boating/snorkeling adventure which I’ll let her describe. She, too, encountered beautiful islands and nice people.

Karla here: rather than going with the somewhat overpriced and overattended Viking snorkeling excursion, I found one offered through trip advisor and contacted the local operator. For $120, they offered a shared trip with about 9 others, visit to the St. Anne Marine Sanctuary, fish feeding (we were given a couple slices of bread and threw pieces in the water), hike around the naturally shaded Moyenne Island and seeing the tortoises in their natural habitat, visit to a white sand beach, snorkeling, and a barbeque lunch with coconut fish curry, mango salad, grilled shrimp, chicken and fish. One of the best things about the trip was being able to hang on the bow of the boat and our small group– in contrast to a Viking excursion.

All very good. The easy, relaxed vibe from the beginning was all “island vibe”– the “dont worry, be happy” kind.

Upon docking the ship was met by a zydeco band and a shipmate from New Orleans commented that it made him homesick.

Our guides, Perry and Dario, were both laid back and friendly. I’d highly recommend this visit if you are in the area. It is a long way from the US to the Seychelles but well worth the visit to this beautiful place.