Seychelles

Since they cancelled Kenya we get an extra day in the Seychelles

but not on the same island so they re-jigged our excursions.
We now get 2 days on Mahe as per schedule but arriving a day early. Then sail over to Praslin for the extra day.
I had tried unsuccessfully to book something on Praslin before I left Ottawa but could not get any response. Looks like a nice bonus to get there - home of the largest coconut in the world - the Coco de Mer.

I was all set to go to the Seychelles in 1973 ( I think ) but I went to Canada instead. Met my future wife & that as they say, was that. Could have saved myself a lot of grief.

Anyway - I have a catamaran to catch..

& you may note that there is actually someone under the age of 90 on this boat. She is also on the big boat & I assumed she & her boyfriend were staff, but no, they are tourists & mysterious as well. No one I came across found out what they do for a living & I never got her name. That's her on the right in red, not on the left in green.

This is day one & we were on the way to Cerf island (yet another island) to go in a semi-submersible to see some fish.

As per, there are no fish. Never mind, it's a nice ride out to the island...

Where Robinsons Friday has just left...

Maybe he was scared by the locals...

Then it's day 2 & off on another boat ride further down the island..

to Peter Pipers pickled pepper plantation. Up in the hills with all sorts of spices & maybe even some pepper, but for sure some nice views over the ocean...

Where there are some Giant Tortoises..

Giant spiders...

small sea dogs...& some extremely large Coconuts

& oceans of lovely blue sea....

Overnight to Praslin.

After all my hype about Praslin, it was a bit of a washout.

Almost continual rain. Went for a walk through the forest & the trail was a river. The guide was a young girl, part mountain goat. Wearing flip flops she just hopped for rock to rock. I just waded through. She offered to turn back & many did but I soldiered onto the end. Could not see a whole lot what with the water streaming down my glasses & having to look where I was going the whole time.

Did see this young couple so I asked them to pose for me with the famous Coco De Mer.

And you can see how wet it was...

& here I am within a degree of the Equator, just coming up on the Maldives.

A nice moon out tonight...