In-between Islands

Traveling on a world cruise there are certain things you come to expect; there are going to be a lot of sea days, you are going to change time zones a lot, etc.  One thing that comes with the territory is moving from one continent to another, which can require some time and lots of travel in open oceans.  As we sailed from Sri Lanka to the continent of Africa, we had lots of sea days, but also 3 ports of call at small islands along the way.  It certainly helps to break up the long stretches at sea, but I also like going to these islands because they are so hard to get to.  There aren't a lot of people that travel to these ports and it makes for a unique and beautiful experience every time.  The first island was the large main island of the Seychelles.  

We got off the ship on the first day of our overnight in the Seychelles and walked around he main part of the port for a while.  Eventually we decided it would be nice to get to a beach and maybe find a spot to watch the sunset or grab some dinner.  We got a cab and headed up, up, up through the mountains and onto the other side of the island where our cab dropped us off.  He informed us that the Russian mafia owned this beach resort, but it was the nicest one on the island.  Ha ha!  We head in and as soon as we walked into the main courtyard/restaurant area of the hotel I knew it looked familiar.  We sat down and I asked the waitress if she was working there in 2009.  I said I thought I had been there before, but there were different tables.  As I described my night there we realized I was right.  In 2009 I had traveled to the Seychelles and been at this very resort with another cast from a ship.  It had been pitch black, since I had been there at night before, but sure enough- I was there.  I couldn't help but laugh at what a small world it is.  We had a nice time watching a gorgeous sunset and then wandered along the water for a while.

Not a bad view.

As we walked we sort of accidentally ran into this awesome bbq happening.  There were tons of stalls set up with locals cooking meats and veggie kebabs.  There were local coconut cookies (yum) and fresh-squeezed juices.  I was in heaven wandering around and finding my own dinner picnic situation.  Any local food on these islands is always so good because it is usually cooked so simply.  

Fun bbq by the beach.

The next island we reached was lovely Mauritius.  The day was blazing hot as we took the shuttle into town.  There was a nice shopping area, but we were there on a Sunday, so not much was open.  A group of us ended up negotiating a pretty good price to find a nice beach about 25 minutes away.  We took the cab to an area with lots of public beach space, clear water, and some nice resorts lining the water.  The day was perfect for the beach and I had fun walking along the water and exploring the fancy resorts, pretending I was wealthy enough to be there.  The highlight of the day in Mauritius was lunch, though.  We found a clearing where a bunch of small stands were placed.  Each one had different items, but I knew I had to go with one where I got a sandwich with fresh smoked herring on local bread and a freshly-squeezed orange, passion fruit, pineapple juice.  It was light and delicious.  I know I'm always talking about food, but it's one of my favorite ways to remember where I've traveled.  Most memories stay with me via food and food experiences.  

The last of our island days off the coast of Afria was in Reunion, a French colony right next door to Mauritius.  This island is absolutely beautiful and vast.  The shuttle actually was a gorgeous ride to an area called St. Gilles.  We were dropped off in a spot with a grocery, some cafes, bars, and a really nice beach.  I had a blast at the beach even though the current was crazy!  I found some nice spots for snorkeling and spent most of the morning exploring that way.  Tonyia and I wandered around and found a restaurant with crepes for lunch.  The workers spoke no English and the menu was all in French, which always makes for an interesting dining experience.  I knew enough to find a ham and cheese crepe and to order a caramel and almond crepe.  Perfect lunch accompanied by some delicious coffee in this quaint port of call.  The day finished up with a long walk to explore the coastline and a quick grocery trip before we sailed on our way to one of my favorite places in the world, South Africa!

Live rejoicing, 

Tripp