Journal #69 - Seychelles
Sak dir from Seychelles!
We arrived, midday, on a plane that hovered low over the island a bit before landing. We could see the expanse of dense verdant jungle covering the hills, spotted with bright red buildings along the coast of aqua water. This nation is known for being a vacation or honeymoon destination, and it looked the part as we swooped down, the plane skidding to a stop mere feet from the water at our side.
We stayed outside the capital city of Victoria, winding our way through the hills to a sleepy resort. On the route to our getaway, we passed the lighthouse and farms the island is known for. The real beauty of Mahé shone during our first evening though. Nothing could have prepared us for the jaw-dropping beauty of the sunset. The entire sky lit up in vibrant pinks and oranges splashed across a still bright blue backdrop. This repeated every night of our stay. We would settle in before dinner and just watch the light show of clouds and sun as they painted the world for a few minutes each day.
A large part of the charm of visiting the Seychelles is its beaches, and where we stayed was no exception. The sand was powdery, the water visibility was stellar, and the palm trees draped themselves over the whole scene with the beauty of a curated set. It was absolutely picturesque - until you heard a coconut hit the sand. In that moment, we were quickly reminded not to sit directly under a palm tree. Even from the other side of the beach, you could hear a distinct thud as the husky rock plummeted into the wave-compressed sand.
The landscape is not just for beauty, it also grows a variety of fresh fruit. Every afternoon, our accommodations hosted a tea hour, where we could steep our blend and snack on fresh fruit under an awning with sandy floors. It was yet another reminder of the joy we both find in setting aside time for quiet sitting somewhere beautiful. Traveling as we do, it is easy to feel like we need to be doing or seeing the next thing, so it is good for us to have built-in moments to stop and enjoy where we are.
The whole visit was incredibly peaceful. We rested, lounged near the beauty, and just chatted or sat quietly, thinking, sparking our creativity. Being somewhere so restful gave us a moment to process all of the amazing places we have visited in recent months and to think ahead to our next set of adventures. We have packed our bags and are ready for more time in the East African islands. Our next stop was the home of the now-extinct flightless bird - the Dodo. Any guesses where we are off to next?
