Blogs from Mahé, Seychelles, Africa

The time has come to leave Seychelles - at least for a while - and as much as I am looking forward to the next few weeks I will miss this place that has become something of a home to me. And I will miss my frequent visits to the underwater world... ... read more

“Welcome to Paradise FM!” a chirpy radio-voice announced while I was preparing breakfast. When turning on the tap produced yet again nothing but a faint and distant hissing noise I felt a tinge of frustration in my heart. My hopes for a clean kitchen followed by a refreshing shower were once more dashed. The problem is: there is no water in paradise. It’s the dry season and for weeks there has been no rain. And Seychelles cannot cope. The exclusive tourist resorts are eager to preserve the cocoon of paradisiacal perfection in which they keep their wealthy clients by supplying them with round-the-clock water including their private infinity pools. For the rest of us it means water only for a few hours in the evening (if we are lucky) and with that dirty clothes, piles of ... read more

I remember my first dive as if it was yesterday – the sense of awe and wonder that filled me as I was entering this other world of unexpectedly intense colours, unusual shapes and serene stillness. At the time I did of course see the different fishes around me but only in the way one might perceive flowers in a field or birds in the sky – beautiful and exotic but essentially anonymous. And it has remained that way ever since – until now. Over the past few weeks I’ve learned to identify and name around 120 species of fish. It is a little like being introduced to 120 strangers who you consequently recognise and acknowledge and I cannot dive without thinking out the names of the now familiar fishes –a pair of coral rabbit fish ... read more

No, not got sick of the other one yet (though he does push it sometimes!) and neither have I had my head turned at belly dancing, he he, but networking has suddenly become order of the day. It started with a random bumping into- and swapping of numbers- that after some thwarted attempts at planning resulted in a beach meet with A and his family. A couple of hours were spent on the beach trading stories and watching their kids hurtle about pretending to be superheroes and building sand empires. They were lovely and it was fun to be in the company of what I imagine a 2.3. family to be like - complete with dog - though the early friendship ws nearly finished as soon as it started as the dog, left to his own ... read more

In my second week at the British High Commission, the main focus of activity was the arrival of a Lifeboat donated by the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) to the Seychelles Coastguard. I got to exercise my press skills, writing the press release and speech for the handover ceremony and more thrillingly, got an invite to the handover itself - how’s that for dediciation (and a desire to do anything different) that myself and the other one found ourselves up early on a saturday morning to bear witness to this event. For Queen and Country and all that. As we strode through a type of Guard of Honour formation and the band struck up as we entered the marquee, I have to say I was a little embarassed- like being the second cousin of the bride’s ... read more

So I went to the belly dancing where there was a modest turnout. I enjoyed shaking my bits and the company of women. Something to be said for females having fun and though it would be dangerous to burn one’s bra in this context - risking personal injury for those with a more ample bosom ( I imagine…) - I fancy the youth today don’t know as much about the ‘F’ word these days as they should; the struggle ain’t over yet! Perhaps the group could become some radical feminist movement ‘ Bellies Towards Equality or ‘BeTy’. Go BeTy go.... read more

We’ve managed to get a two bedroom bungalow for our two night stay at a reasonable resident’s rate and though it looks lovely from outside, painted green and cream with a wide porch and green shuttered windows, inside its very basic and the furniture purely functional. Still, I guess the idea is that we’re out most of the time. Abs spots a TV but his hopes are dashed before he has a chance to get them up as we switch it on and nothing happens. The ceiling fans above the beds are also a small cause for concern, it’s clear by the DIY way it’s hooked up that it’s clearly fallen down before. We eat at Chez Marston where we’ve been before as though we considered heading north, it’s a dark walk. The restaurant is quite ... read more