Dear Friends and Family,
You cannot go to the Seychelles and not go to La Digue, even if it's for a day trip. You get there from Mahe by taking the local catamaran to Praslin and then the ferry to La Digue. The main mode of transportation on La Digue is bicycles. The island's just got a completely (well, not completely, but on a relative scale, completely) undeveloped feel about it.
What We Did
We got up at the crack of dawn and drove out to the dock. It takes a little under two hours to get to La Digue from Mahe - 45 minutes on the catamaran, 15 minutes transfer, and 30 minutes on the ferry. I napped on the first leg since it was still early.
We stayed overnight on La Digue. So, when we got off the ferry, we walked to our place to "check in." The bungalow wasn't available yet so we dropped off our bags, changed, and picked up our bicycles.
Mr. mouse read that there are giant tortoises on La Digue. Originally native to most of the islands of the Seychelles, they were hunted to extinction by the early settlers. One island maintained a tortoise population because the owner forbade the exploitation of the tortoises. Now, they're slowly being reintroduced to all of the islands. The Seychelles are the only place you can see them in their native environment (technically, not native, but certainly closer than the San Diego Zoo would be, per se) outside of the Galapagos Islands.
Okay, it goes without saying, SO much better than exotic coconuts.
I could have stayed all day watching them. The smaller, "baby" tortoises are close to 40 years old. And, the full sized, "adult" tortoises are closer to 100 years old. Seeing them was one of the highlights of the trip.
Mr. mouse finally dragged me away from the tortoises. We went back to check on our room/bungalow. It was ready. I was still a little tired, so I opted to stay in and take a quick nap while Mr. mouse explored the north side of the island.
We headed out for Anse Patates. Mr. mouse rode up there while I was napping. It was probably somewhere between one and two when we got there. The beach was tiny but beautiful and the waves were strong. Still, it was beautiful. And, we found a couple of manageable spots in the water before laying out in the shade to nap again.
We biked back down the island to Anse Source D'Argent for the afternoon.
Quintessential Seychelles.
I was almost afraid. After we parked our bikes, before we headed to the beach, I stopped Mr. mouse and told him how amazing the trip had been so far. And, that I was completely fine if the beach turned out to be a bust. I couldn't have been more wrong.
It blew my mind away.
And, it got even better. As it got later into the day, most of the day trippers started packing up to catch the last ferry back to Praslin. And, we quickly had the beach to ourselves. Technically, there were a half dozen of us, but believe me, it doesn't get much better than this.
And, as the sun set, the rocks came alive in shades of rose and pink that is so different from the midday white and black. We spent a couple of hours in the water taking pictures with Mr. mouse's monopod. It could not have been more beautiful.
What We Ate
Well, we couldn't make the hotel brunch because our boat left too early in the morning. But, we read that there was an early continental breakfast - my guess is for people checking out for early flights and for scuba trips. But, when we went down to the lobby, we didn't see it. I asked a waiter, and instead, he gave me a huge takeout container and told me to help myself from the buffet as it was being set up.
Well, beans and sausages don't travel well. But, the croissants and muffins and rolls do. I grabbed two of everything and then Mr. mouse stuck in a couple of slices of ham and a couple of sausages. It was enough for breakfast both days on La Digue and for snacking on throughout the day both days.
We supplemented our carb fest with food we picked up at the grocery store on the way back from seeing the tortoises. They had more fritters and baked pies and we grabbed an assortment not knowing what we'd find inside. It was a blend of meat and spices. Delicious.
After sunset at Anse Source D'Argent, we rode back in the dark to our bungalow. I took a quick shower while Mr. mouse went back to the supermarket for drinks and the ATM. Then, he took a quick shower and we headed out by foot to scrounge up dinner. We walked by a couple of restaurants and ended up by the ferry drop off point at a place that did take away. We picked up a plate of pork and lentils with rice and one of noodles. I wasn't very hungry, but figured eating was a good idea. The food turned out to the better than I thought it would be and we polished both plates back at bungalow. We went out for one more night of star gazing and then turned in for the night.
What I Learned
Two very important lessons.
The first was when we were with the tortoises and some of the tourists were doing very uncool things like feeding them bananas from their packs. I realized how important conservation is for me. Maybe realized is not the right word, since it's not a new discovery. Maybe it's I realized how much more important it is for me than it is for most people. I felt sorry for Pioneer. They'll grow up with an appreciation for beauty and nature, but I'm going to be pretty strict about it all. They're not going to be able to pet the tortoises nor feed them food. They'll be able to sit and watch. This is not a petting zoo, people!
The second was when we were at the beach at sunset. I thought about how fortunate we are in what we get to see and do. And, I thought about how important it is to stay real and to stay normal and to stay humble. Who wants to hang out with arrogant braggarts besides other arrogant braggarts? No one. And, that's when I was reminded how important it is to stay grounded and to keep it real.
Cheers!
mouse
You cannot go to the Seychelles and not go to La Digue, even if it's for a day trip. You get there from Mahe by taking the local catamaran to Praslin and then the ferry to La Digue. The main mode of transportation on La Digue is bicycles. The island's just got a completely (well, not completely, but on a relative scale, completely) undeveloped feel about it.
What We Did
We got up at the crack of dawn and drove out to the dock. It takes a little under two hours to get to La Digue from Mahe - 45 minutes on the catamaran, 15 minutes transfer, and 30 minutes on the ferry. I napped on the first leg since it was still early.
We stayed overnight on La Digue. So, when we got off the ferry, we walked to our place to "check in." The bungalow wasn't available yet so we dropped off our bags, changed, and picked up our bicycles.
Mr. mouse read that there are giant tortoises on La Digue. Originally native to most of the islands of the Seychelles, they were hunted to extinction by the early settlers. One island maintained a tortoise population because the owner forbade the exploitation of the tortoises. Now, they're slowly being reintroduced to all of the islands. The Seychelles are the only place you can see them in their native environment (technically, not native, but certainly closer than the San Diego Zoo would be, per se) outside of the Galapagos Islands.
Okay, it goes without saying, SO much better than exotic coconuts.
I could have stayed all day watching them. The smaller, "baby" tortoises are close to 40 years old. And, the full sized, "adult" tortoises are closer to 100 years old. Seeing them was one of the highlights of the trip.
Mr. mouse finally dragged me away from the tortoises. We went back to check on our room/bungalow. It was ready. I was still a little tired, so I opted to stay in and take a quick nap while Mr. mouse explored the north side of the island.
We headed out for Anse Patates. Mr. mouse rode up there while I was napping. It was probably somewhere between one and two when we got there. The beach was tiny but beautiful and the waves were strong. Still, it was beautiful. And, we found a couple of manageable spots in the water before laying out in the shade to nap again.
We biked back down the island to Anse Source D'Argent for the afternoon.
Quintessential Seychelles.
I was almost afraid. After we parked our bikes, before we headed to the beach, I stopped Mr. mouse and told him how amazing the trip had been so far. And, that I was completely fine if the beach turned out to be a bust. I couldn't have been more wrong.
It blew my mind away.
And, it got even better. As it got later into the day, most of the day trippers started packing up to catch the last ferry back to Praslin. And, we quickly had the beach to ourselves. Technically, there were a half dozen of us, but believe me, it doesn't get much better than this.
And, as the sun set, the rocks came alive in shades of rose and pink that is so different from the midday white and black. We spent a couple of hours in the water taking pictures with Mr. mouse's monopod. It could not have been more beautiful.
What We Ate
Well, we couldn't make the hotel brunch because our boat left too early in the morning. But, we read that there was an early continental breakfast - my guess is for people checking out for early flights and for scuba trips. But, when we went down to the lobby, we didn't see it. I asked a waiter, and instead, he gave me a huge takeout container and told me to help myself from the buffet as it was being set up.
Well, beans and sausages don't travel well. But, the croissants and muffins and rolls do. I grabbed two of everything and then Mr. mouse stuck in a couple of slices of ham and a couple of sausages. It was enough for breakfast both days on La Digue and for snacking on throughout the day both days.
We supplemented our carb fest with food we picked up at the grocery store on the way back from seeing the tortoises. They had more fritters and baked pies and we grabbed an assortment not knowing what we'd find inside. It was a blend of meat and spices. Delicious.
After sunset at Anse Source D'Argent, we rode back in the dark to our bungalow. I took a quick shower while Mr. mouse went back to the supermarket for drinks and the ATM. Then, he took a quick shower and we headed out by foot to scrounge up dinner. We walked by a couple of restaurants and ended up by the ferry drop off point at a place that did take away. We picked up a plate of pork and lentils with rice and one of noodles. I wasn't very hungry, but figured eating was a good idea. The food turned out to the better than I thought it would be and we polished both plates back at bungalow. We went out for one more night of star gazing and then turned in for the night.
What I Learned
Two very important lessons.
The first was when we were with the tortoises and some of the tourists were doing very uncool things like feeding them bananas from their packs. I realized how important conservation is for me. Maybe realized is not the right word, since it's not a new discovery. Maybe it's I realized how much more important it is for me than it is for most people. I felt sorry for Pioneer. They'll grow up with an appreciation for beauty and nature, but I'm going to be pretty strict about it all. They're not going to be able to pet the tortoises nor feed them food. They'll be able to sit and watch. This is not a petting zoo, people!
The second was when we were at the beach at sunset. I thought about how fortunate we are in what we get to see and do. And, I thought about how important it is to stay real and to stay normal and to stay humble. Who wants to hang out with arrogant braggarts besides other arrogant braggarts? No one. And, that's when I was reminded how important it is to stay grounded and to keep it real.
Cheers!
mouse
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1 comment:
Mouse-
Your vacation sounds so beautiful. And you're right about nature. As a former molecular biologist- I am constantly aware of my surroundings and what is happening. Unfortunately, my children are constantly being reminded of how lucky we are and to NOT TOUCH the flora and fauna. I am hoping that they will grow up with an appreciation of our world and what we have. I have been reading your blog for the last year and a half and really enjoy reading about you and your husband because you are so grounded.
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