Blogs from Seychelles, Africa

Here we are, our last entry about our 13 months stay in Seychelles. We are boarding our first flight in 7 months. You know me, honeymoon, need to have something special...something like one more round-the-world maybe. But here we are, this is 2020, the year of Covid-19! So we went on honeymoon, less than 80 kilometers from home. I never thought this could even happen one day, but here we are, it's 2020! Tourists have been allowed back in Seychelles. So we encounter few there and there. Our early morning flight is actually pretty full, with some 2/3 of locals on the plane. We are out for a long week-end, one night at Le Lemuria and two nights at Duc de Praslin. We get into Praslin and jump on a taxi for the 3-4 kilometers to ... read more

I hope you are all safe, well and healthy wherever you read this from. The world has changed over the last three months. Well, we know about it through the media, as today we are living in a parallel world. The airport is closed, and the Seychelles has been Covid-free for weeks! We went back to the Seychelles on the 15th March. Three days before, they had declared the first few Coronavirus positive cases. These were mainly imported ones, and mostly spotted by the authorities on entry at the airport. Seychelles reached a total of 11 positive cases before being declared Covid-free. The last case was an airport employee who had visited many friends prior to his test. This brought us a soft lockdown for 4 weeks. Let put it simply, none only did we had ... read more

Imagine, by the end of this week, it will be already 4 months that we settled in the Seychelles! But before this, allow me to wish you and all your families an Happy New Year and best wishes for 2020! May it be a wonderful years for all where we keep visiting our little planet, understand and meet others...and believe that all those populists on earth should not lead those with an open mind to lower grounds! So four months already on our small island of 65,000 souls! So far, so good! Well, I have to admit, it feels good to be able to get out from time to time. I don't think I could survive on a small island for a continuous 12 months! But so far, love the way we are doing it! I'm ... read more

(CJ writes) Thursday 7th March: my birthday (hence the trip to the Seychelles), and we spent it in fine style by taking a ferry to the nearby small island of La Digue. So small, in fact, that there are few cars or lorries, and the locals mainly get around by bike. The touristy thing to do is to hire one on arrival at about 9:45am and ride around all day visiting the various local beaches, restaurants and souvenir shops before boarding the return ferry. We got there, picked up the bikes and got going. (I haven’t ridden a bike since we rode along the city walls in Xian, China, a few years ago, but you never forget ... Turns out I can either pedal or steer, but not both at once). Few shops open because a ... read more

(CJ writes) Things we have learned about the Seychelles: * the islands have a chequered history: occupied by freed slaves, colonised by France and then gained independence, then the British took over - and they eventually gained independence again. Consequently the first language is Kreol, the official language is English and place names, businesses etc tend to be in French, which nearly everybody speaks. Prices for locals are in Seychelles rupees, tourist prices are in euros; * drivers are almost all lunatics. They’ll pull out of a turning - looking right at you - when you’re only a couple of yards away. They’ll routinely drive hanging half way over the centre line (and the roads are barely wide enough for two vehicles). They’ll overtake on blind corners. And the bus drivers are worse than that! * ... read more