DAY 108---MAHE, SEYCHELLES

 

This probably looks like yesterday's map because we only moved about 30 miles yesterday evening from La Digue to Mahe.  Believe me it is HOT here today.  At noon it is 90 degrees with lots of humidity.  

Historical/Background Info:

        This is another of our 2010 visits.  We will be overnighting here again this time.  Mahe is the largest of the Seychelles islands being 17 miles long and 5 miles wide.  86% of the Seychelles over 92,000 population lives here on Mahe.  Again, the Seychelles is known for it swaying palms, blue waters, and beautiful beaches.  We are docked at Port Victoria with a population of 35,000, it is the capital of the Seychelles.  The only airport in the Seychelles, Seychelles International Airport, is also here on Mahe.  The port of Victoria is home to a tuna fishing and canning industry.  The Seychelles prime agricultural products include sweet potatoes, vanilla, coconuts, and cinnamon.  Tourism became a significant industry when the airport opened in 1971. 

LAST EVENING

 

                                                                   Sailing into Mahe

                                                                             Our pier

                                                               One of the tuna boats

                                    View from our balcony this evening, tonight, and tomorrow.

Grand Deck BBQ.  Of course we only do air conditioning dinners but I ran up to get some photos for you.

                                                                 Skyline of Victoria at night

                                                    Pat getting some roasted pig at the buffet

                                                                 Bernalyn,our waitress

                                                                Hanna, our asst waitress

                                                   Claudia, old friend from past cruises.

Spring rolls for our appetizer.  I forgot to get a photo of our deep fried breaded pork cutlet.  It was the perfect size and very good.  I'll have to request it again.

Well, we had the deep fried pork cutlet for our entrees and they were very good.  This is my dessert, chocolate profiteroles.

TODAY

                                      Some clouds on top of the mountain early this morning.

                     At 7:15 some tours already heading off the ship.  Bigger buses today.

 Getting rid of some garbage today.  Later we got a couple containers of provisions.

         No tours for us today but after my hour on the treadmill I changed and headed off the ship.

        I had looked on Google Map and found where this grocery store was.  There were two pharmacies nearby but they did not have Z-pacs.  This grocery was well stocked and all the shelves neatly stocked also and the store was super clean.  I really did not need anything but was looking for a department store.  Never found it. 

        I was back on the ship about 45 minutes later.  My t-shirt was sweat wet and even my shorts.  So HOT.

Took this just prior to noon.  Big provisioning:  lots of beer, wine, sodas, cooking oil, flour, whipping cream, just a little of what I saw through my binoculars.

We had lunch in Compass Rose and I had this burger.

        After lunch I ran up to La Veranda to tell Donald, Sette Mari maitre'd, that we would be dining with him tonight.  Chef Anees came out with the carving special today, baked salmon.  It looked really nice and moist.  I asked Chef Anees for a veal parmesan tonight.

        Just after 3pm there were around 12 passengers who disembarked the ship with some luggage.  South Africa is requiring 4 double side pages (8 total) in passports for their visas to be added.  The purser's office made sure everyone had them available in all passports and put paperclips to save the pages from other countries wanting to stamp passports when we boarded in January.  Apparently, an immigration official in Dubai removed the clip on some passports and stamped the reserved pages.  Now South Africa will not allow them to enter.  I know one of the couples is not flying to the American Embassy in Dubai to get temporary passports.  I believe (not confirmed) that the others will have to fly to Namibia to rejoin the ship on May 8th (13 days from now) after we leave South Africa.  Also not confirmed but I think Regent is paying their expenses since we are required to let them hold our passports when on the ship and they have them stamped in the countries that require it.  What a hassle!!!  I feel sorry this has happened to them and was not their fault.  Just thankful it did not happen to us.

        It is now 4pm and we just left the pier for our sailing to the African island of Madagascar.  It is 735nm away so will be at sea tomorrow before arriving there on Thursday.

        We have decided to have our cocktail hour in the suite again this evening and canapes will be delivered here at 5:30.  As I mentioned we shall be dining in the Italian restaurant, Sette Mari, tonight and I have requested Chef Anees to make a veal parmesan for me again.

               This is tonight's Compass Rose menu even though we shall not be dining there.

      The guest entertainer just joined the ship yesterday.  He is Danny Buckler, a magician.  Sorry, we don't like magic so not going.  Tonight we will be turning our clocks back 1 hour so as to be on African time.