Feb 21, 2012

Travelogue - Seychelles




Imagine a place where people are happy about everything.. No big complexities in life.. You work from 10 to 4:30 / 5 PM on weekdays..Everything in city is closed from Saturdays 1 PM .. Most of the natives party on Saturday & Sunday evenings on beaches... That's Seychelles.

A quickly planned trip over an extended weekend. We flew in EK 705 from Dubai. 4 1/2 hours flight.. A quick tip for all flying to Seychelles - Always take the window seat and make sure that you land there in the morning. The runway in Mahe Island runs parallel to the coast line..The view that you see while you land is one of the best experiences that you get in the trip.

Snippets from the trip.. 

Long time back when I used to collect stamps & coins, it was very difficult to get a few stamps / coins of small nations like Seychelles. I'm no longer into those hobbies. But somehow, didn't want to forego this chance.. Central post office in Victoria, the capital city has a philatelic center. Bought a few from there :).. Few of those where released to commemorate Prince William & Kate.  They came to one of the Islands in Seychelles for their honeymoon. ==> http://www.north-island.com/  . 


Clock-Tower, Victoria.  Erected in memory of Queen Victoria. Perhaps one of the smallest capital city areas in world. Most of the significant areas in capital city are at a walkable distance from this point. 

Waves, beaches & pristine beauty . Cameras cannot capture it fully .. You have to experience it. Umpteen spots around the island. Thanks to our wonderful guide Alrick - http://discoveryagritour.com/   . Highly recommended if you are ever visiting Seychelles. He'll explain everything about the island with apt historical , cultural & scientific background

Seychelles Flag 

Blue for the Sky, Yellow for the Sun, Red for their hearts, White for the beaches, Green for the vegetation. This tiny nation has imagination !!  And Seychellois are proud of their heritage  
Coco De Mer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_de_Mer

This tree is unique to Seychelles. The gender of the tree is known only when it produces its flowers / seeds .. That happens when the tree is about 20 - 25 years old. Lot of stories / legends associated with it..


Aldabra Giant Tortoises 

Again unique to the Seychelles Islands.. They can live upto 200 years apparently.  Endangered species..Conserved in special enclaves.. Nature has even created an Island there in the shape of a tortoise.












The creole cuisine.. Fish, Tuna, chicken  & octopus curry..
Non- veggie's delight.. :)

The cuisine is highly spicy.. with cinnamon as a main ingredient..


"Lavenir  dan ou lanmen" - Your future is in your hands..   Big words  for a small nation.  Till a few years  back Seychellois had no options for higher education.       Now, they have a university which offers a lot of courses.. A few Seychellois who are educated abroad have come back and joined as professors over there..

The beauty of Seychelles is that it'll make you realize that people can be happy with limited opportunities...  Limited income, limited ambitions, limited dreams.. They seem to be blissfully unaware of the high-paced world outside, yet quite content & happy about that ignorance.. At-least for a moment it makes you wonder , whether you really need to have all the riches to be happy in life.