Seychelles III: Fish Food with Friends

Day 6 (Wednesday) and Day 7 (Thursday)

In Canada, there are many who have not heard of the Seychelles. But in Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, to name a few places, the Seychelles are well known as a popular holiday destination, especially for honeymoons (where better to spend your honeymoon but in the ‘Garden of Eden’). The Seychelles’ biggest industry is tourism, and, in turn, there are beautiful resorts and hotels found everywhere. My friend, Linda, used to work at the beautiful Coco De Mer resort which was a short walk away from her home and from the home in which we were staying. Linda arranged for us to spend the day at the resort, which gave us a glimpse into how most visitors spend their time in Seychelles. After a day of lollygagging, reading, writing and schoolwork on Wednesday, we arrived at Coco De Mer resort around noon on Thursday, and had a beautiful lunch on the poolside terrace overlooking the ocean. We watched couples walking on the beach, young families swimming in the pool, people snorkeling from the dock, and paddle boarders. Our lunch was very yummy and we continued our tab so we could enjoy a few cold drinks poolside (white, crisp wine for me, and a creamy chocolate milkshake for Ethan). It was a glorious afternoon alternating between refreshing dips in the pool, which was shaped like the Coco de Mer seed, by the way, and lounging on the cushioned sunbeds.

We returned again that evening to enjoy the buffet of authentic Creole cuisine and to watch, and participate in, the traditional music and dancing. While we were eating on the elevated patio, we were able to see the dancers in their colorful floral costumes, moving together in couples to the music of the live band. The music was reminiscent of the songs of the Acadians I’ve heard in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick which makes perfect sense since Creole and Acadian are both of French descent.

We were hoping to have some traditional Creole dishes, with seafood and fish being a daily staple here. We were told to try the Octopus Curry, grilled fish of many varieties, and breadfruit and breadfruit chips. We were able to have the Octopus Curry at Coco De Mer’s buffet and it was delicious, but rich. We also had a coconut chicken dish, grilled Jackfish with a tomato sauce, a variety of chutneys, which we found to be very popular here, including pumpkin, carrot and squash varieties. The chutneys were sweet and a nice compliment to the fish. For dessert, there were lots of tropical fruit based cakes and puddings, and a fried plantain dish with a sweet sauce. It was all very delicious and we left extremely full.

In the lobby, we enjoyed the dancers, and being a small resort, we were treated to an up close and personal experience. The dancers performed the Sega, the Maloya, and the Moutya (which I discussed in Seychelles II: Island Hopping and Sunsets) with flourish and joy. It wasn’t long after, that they had Ethan, myself and many other guests on the floor to perform some community-like group dances. One dance was performed in a circle and the dancers would lead having the whole group hold hands and circle in one direction and then the other, move to the center and out again, and then bringing one person at a time to the center to do a new dance move, which the rest of the participants would emulate. Another dance had the dancers take a member from the audience to perform a fast paced polka-like whirling dance in couples for the first part. Next we lined up, facing our partner, and the leaders would perform a movement though the center of the line, with each new couple following. I reveled in the fact that Ethan had little choice in participating, as the dancers didn’t take no for an answer, and he would have never volunteered. This part of the night’s entertainment became an experience in itself, and Ethan will not soon forget his night at the Coco De Mer. I am a firm believer that, as hard it might be sometimes, our best experiences are often the ones that take us out of our comfort zone.

Day 8 (Friday)

Unexpected adventures can be good. We needed some groceries and I thought it might be good to wander through some shops in nearby Grand Anse town. Ethan wasn’t interested in shopping and wanted to have some downtime at the house so I headed for the bus stop. I thought I knew where to get off but ended up on the bus all the way to Mt. Plasier, by mistake, somewhat. I remembered from our travels with Linda and Lyn that the bus went to Mt. Plasier and turned around, so when I missed my stop, I decided to stay on the bus. I wasn’t worried and I would enjoy the sights along the way. Little did I know that the turn around spot was an area with trailheads to some local hikes, and that it was the driver’s lunch break, meaning I had to get off the bus and wait a half hour for another bus to return. There were cars parked here but there were no people to be seen. I walked a little up one of the trails but didn’t want to miss the returning bus so didn’t venture far. It was a bit disconcerting to be a little isolated on my own but knowing that Seychelles is considered a safe place, I put my mind at rest. Soon, a very cheery fellow came out of the bush and came to sit at the bus stop. He was a local fellow and was asking me where I was visiting from. It did occur to me to be cautious about telling him too much and I was sure to let him know that I had local friends (whom might miss me). It turned out he knew Jose and Linda (it’s a small island). He offered me a local fruit he had just picked in the forest called a Santol. Although apprehensive, I took it, not wanting to be rude, and he quickly showed me how to open it and how to eat it by starting to eat his. Knowing it was safe to eat, I was able to suck on the four seeds one at a time enjoying the tart, but sweet nectar. The bus came and he bid me farewell with a smile, while shouting out greetings to his friends onboard.

The Black Parrot

When I returned, I finally was able to get a fantastic view of the extremely rare black parrot of Praslin island. For days now, we heard their district call and even saw one fly high among the treetops, but were unable to get a really good view of this famous inhabitant of Praslin. Praslin is the only place in whole world where the black parrot is found with an estimated population of 530-900. Madame Francine motioned me over to her yard after we heard the familiar call in close proximity. It turns out that the black parrots are regular visitors to her starfruit tree. It was a treat to see this particular parrot eating the young starfruit only about 10-15 feet above our heads. Black parrots are more of a brownish, dark grey color and considered a medium sized parrot. He entertained me by hanging upside down to eat his starfruit treat.

As fishing is the next biggest industry in the Seychelles, I was hoping to try more local seafood. We were in the right spot with the right new friends, as Jose is a fisherman and was able to provide some fresh seafood. Linda had already had shared some breaded rabbit fish one other evening, and tonight she insisted that she barbeque some fresh Jackfish for us and that we would have supper together. She brought over an oil drum constructed BBQ, and started the wood fire. We patiently waited for coals to form, and when they did, she brought the fish over which she had scored and marinated with garlic, ginger, lime and salt. She placed the fish on the grill, and between us, we kept the the heat consistent and flames down by sprinkling water on the coals regularly, The fish was enclosed in a two sided grill itself so it was easy to flip the large fish every few minutes. She had also brought over an octopus curry that she prepared, and it was even better than the other one I had tried. Along with this, she brought boiled breadfruit, pumpkin chutney, and chilies, as hot chilies are often added to food by the Seychellois. After dinner, Ethan and Lyn played some games and shared information. A glass of wine, some great conversation, and a lovely evening was had by all.

Day 9 (Saturday)

There seems to be always a beach on each island that is THE beach to visit. On La Digue, it was Source D’Argent, on Mahe, it’s Beau Vallon and on Praslin, it’s Anse Lazio. It was Saturday and Lyn didn’t have school, so she came along with us. We took the bus to the closest stop and ventured along the road leading to Anse Lazio. After walking up and down a couple of good hills for about 20 minutes in the heat, we were looking forward to cooling off in the water. The beach was found on a lovely crescent shaped bay with lots of white sand and overhanging Sea Grape trees for shade. We ventured into the waves, and struggled out past the forces of tide that tried to knock us down and then we were able to bob along with each wave. The kids decided to body surf a bit after watching the white, almost translucent fish underwater, and we moved a little closer to shore. It wasn’t long and I was exhausted, and went to rest in the shade, keeping a close eye on Ethan and Lyn. If they didn’t sleep well that night, I would have been amazed, because they ebbed, bounced, and glided in those waves for two hours straight. I went into the water three times for a few minutes each time and thought they might follow me back into shore, but, nope. Ah, the energy of youth.

We again enjoyed cuisine ‘a la Linda’ that night, and enjoyed the company of Madame Francine and Monsieur Nigel, as well. Linda made a delicious Coconut Chicken and Rice dish with fresh coconut milk accompanied by a papaya chutney. Francine shared stories about her family, and we learned a little about immigration differences between Seychelles and Canada.

Day 10 (Sunday)

Jose offered to take us in his boat for a tour circumnavigating Praslin, some snorkeling and to visit Curieuse Island. Lyn also joined us, along with their neighbor, Kess and his young son. Kess is a teacher from England, whom is here, along with his wife, working at the local international school. The water was a little bumpy when we first started but the refreshing breeze and the scenic view was glorious.

On Curieuse Island, we were able to visit a two story, colonial style house with terraces on all sides. This had been the Doctor’s House during the late 1800’s when the island was a colony for those afflicted with leprosy. Since then, it has become a Nature and Tortoise Reserve. We visited the giant tortoises again and were able to learn more about them. There were many babies of various ages to see.

That night we had supper with Jose, Linda, Lyn, and Kess. We had more grilled fish and, this time, grilled breadfruit and lots of conversation. I was told that once you’ve eaten breadfruit, it means you will return to the Seychelles. That’s a good thing, because my dearest hubby, Mike, and my oldest boy, Ben, missed out and I hope to share this beautiful spot with them someday.

Day 11 (Monday)

It was time to go home. We headed to the small airport nearby to take Air Seychelles’ Twin Otter to Mahe to catch our flight back to Dubai enroute to Canada (remember our miserable trip there on the one hour ferry ride; hence, the island hopper flight). This flight offered a quick fifteen minute trip to Mahe, and amazing aerial views of the islands. We left with wonderful memories, an experience to treasure and new friends I hope to meet again.