Monday, Day 79 - Mar 26 - to 6PM - Port Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles

There is no rush for us today. We get up and have a leisurely breakfast and check with the tourist office lady on the ship about places to eat on the water. Carolyn would really like to go to a beach for awhile and have some lunch and water time, but Dick has no desire to go in the water. After some discussion with the lady ,we decide to take a taxi down town and walk around, maybe do some shopping. We didn’t explore downtown on the 2015 trip since Carolyn was having trouble with her feet after our grueling time in Burma. Then we plan to get a taxi to take us over to Edan Island for lunch on the boardwalk.

There is no shuttle to town as this is another port with a taxi mafia. It is a $15 ride into town a little less than 2KM! The driver lets us out at the Sir Selwyn Clark Market. It is a vibrant market built in 1840 selling all sorts of fish, veggies, spices and fruits downstairs and local crafts upstairs.

Across the street is the Hindu Temple. It is interesting to look at and we walk over to peek at the inside. We are at the upper end of town. Carolyn has picked out a few shops and places of interest working our way back toward the ship. We do some shopping in a few little shops and a couple of craft markets and check out some of the French and British influenced architecture. Before we know it we have walked too far toward the ship and can not find a taxi so we wind up walking back to the ship’s taxi stand! It is HOT!

We take another taxi over to the island for $20 and find a lunch spot. It is an open air place right on the marina . There are millions of dollars in yachts right in front of us. One even has a helicopter sitting on its top front deck and a couple of guards around it. We order some very good calamari and some not so good pizza, but most important cold beer and sodas with lots of water on the side.

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We get a taxi back to the ship and the driver asks where we are from.  When we say Texas, he says his sister is married to a man from Houston. He picks up his phone, dials and speaks to the other end and hands Dick the phone. After a fumbled start to the conversation Dick finds himself talking to the United States Consul in the Seychelles, the driver’s brother-in-law. He is from Houston, knows Brenham well and jokingly asks that we ship him some Blue Bell ice cream.

Back at the ship, we get cleaned up and a nap seems like the thing to do. We are a little tired after our hot walk. The captain’s announcement that we are sailing wakes us so we go to the Galileo Lounge for drinks and to watch the sail-way as the sun sets.

We have several drinks and enjoy a few snacks until about 7:30PM when Dick decides he is going to bed. Carolyn stays awhile longer and reads before heading down to Sette Mari for a Caesar salad and roasted garlic. There are not too many people tonight which is funny since we couldn’t get in this place on the first segment. On the last three segments it has not been full any time we go. After a nice, light dinner Carolyn goes to the room to find it dark and Dick sound asleep! She is in a similar state very quickly!