Seychelles by the seashore

 

Tortoises in the Victoria Botanical Gardens

We didn't do a lot of walking in the Maldives or Chagos, so all the walking we're doing here in the Seychelles has taken some getting used to (if you read that as 'there is a lot of whining going on', you're not wrong). You would think that after all these years, the transitions would be easy, but things like going on passage after being at anchor for just a week or two is still an adjustment.

 

Land ho! The approach to Mahé Island (the main island)

After a night spent in the quarantine anchorage, we moved over near Eden Island, which is man-made and pretty upscale by our standards (which are admittedly low). After a long social drought where we saw no cruisers and then just a few cruisers, we pulled into a very crowded anchorage filled with old friends and new. The Seychelles is a popular stopping point for yachts headed in all directions and a few boats have been here since last year.

And we walked: formalities, groceries, boat bits and a bit of sightseeing. There are more cars and fewer motorbikes here than throughout most of Southeast and South Asia, but we walk everywhere. We might rent a car or take a bus at some point, but for now we (mostly) like the exercise and pace.

Having dropped off our ripped head sail for repair and started the temporary import process needed if your boat stays longer than 30 days, we moved around to the other side of Mahé island. The water is cleaner and clearer at Beau Vallon, so we can swim, clean the boat bottom, and run the water maker.

 

A Galapagos tortoise--my how the size tables have turned