Entries about indian ocean

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...

Going to a tea plantation today. This is a long but interesting ride though Columbo which has suburbs stretching for miles, & then out into the hills.

DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS STRUCTURE IS.

RELIGIOUS?

THERE'S NORM TAKING A PICTURE OF HIS WIFE, DIXIE.....

WHO IS AKING THE GUIDES LIFE DIFFICULT...PROBABLY WANTS TO KNOW IF WE WILL BE STOPPING FOR SOME TEA SHOPPING....

They harvest rubber in this place..Rubber! Grows on trees! Course I know rubber grows on trees but it always surprises me to see something like that actually doing it.

as well as tea...hard work in the lush grounds.

We did get to go into the tea factory but no photos allowed & they were very strict about that. Ladies working machines with dust all over the place. Not the best environment to spend all your day. Ladies were very friendly but no time to talk OR HAVE A CUPPA as they were busy, busy, busy.

We had tea & biscuits on the lawn. Very nice.

THERE'S NORM, GETTING HIS ORDER IN....DIXIE AT THE BACK, MAKING SURE HE HAGGLES WELL....

You come across little shrines all over the place.

This is a strange looking building.

& that's it for the former Ceylon. I did get to chat with the guide a little. About cricket mostly but he was great at spotting birds as we passed by. Seems a gentle sort of place which belies the violent times they have had over the years. let's hope that is behind them.