Coping with the coronavirus, seeing the Seychelles: La Digue to Mahe to Addis Ababa, Days 7 & 8

The view from the balcony of our guesthouse, looking toward Beau Vallon

Well, we made the decision - we will be leaving Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ on Authorized Departure this Saturday, arriving Sunday morning at Dulles Airport. After spending Sunday evening in a hotel, we will be moving into an apartment in the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington County, which will be our home for 60 days. We'll be entering a state (Virginia) the governor of which yesterday issued a stay-at-home order, under which we'll only be permitted to go outside for groceries (exercise and fresh air are permitted, but only by implementing strict social distancing requirements).

So why leave now? Although Addis isn't under a lockdown at present, we feel very isolated here. Amber is doing online schooling at home, and I'm only going into the office once a week. Although there are officially only 19 COVID-19 cases at present in Ethiopia, it's widely believed the actual number is much higher. The local markets are still teeming with people, and while driving last Sunday to a gas station, part of the road was closed due to many worshipers crowding the street in front of a popular church. I guess they felt they would be protected, forgetting that the same deity gave us the deadly coronavirus in the first place. It's probably only a matter of time before the Ethiopian government (which has already closed all schools and most government offices) attempts to impose stricter measures in an attempt to contain the virus.

Speaking of gas, long lines of cars can be seen leading into all the gas stations in town. And, finally, due to an ongoing road-paving project taking place right in front of our residence, it's almost impossible to go out (at least by car) during weekday mornings and afternoons. So, all things considered, we've decided to ride out the next two months, at least, back in the U.S. despite the situation continuing to get worse there.

Maybe we should have stayed in the Seychelles to wait out COVID-19? Not possible, but a very pleasant thought. Which is the only way I can think of at this moment to lead into this final blog post about our recent trip to the Indian Ocean archipelago. We had considered going out on a Friday morning on an excursion by boat that would've included tortoise-spotting and snorkeling, but the timing would've been tight for our 12:30 ferry departure from La Digue. So instead we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Villa Authentique:

After breakfast I went for a walk, and managed to see an Aldabra giant tortoise eating its breakfast on a vacant plot of land:

The ferry departed La Digue on time, and following a brief stop at the neighboring island of Praslin, reached the main island of Mahé around 14:00. We picked up a rental car at the port parking lot and drove to our final accommodation, the Ocean View Guest House in Bel Ombre, not far from where we first stayed after arriving in the Seychelles. The view from our balcony looking to the northwest (that's Silhouette Island in the distance):

After settling in, Amber and I drove to our last beach on this trip, Beau Vallon, the most famous on Mahé. It's an excellent place for a swim, though the waters were seemingly bereft of any fish:

Who's a sex machine to all the chicks? Not this guy...:

After a couple of hours in the water, Amber and I had dinner at Mahek, an Indian restaurant only meters from where we had been swimming:

Most of the dining establishments along the beach were closed, and we were two of just a handful of diners at the restaurant, the result of the Seychelles having barred travelers from the European Union after the first COVID-19 cases were detected in a pair of Seychellois who'd returned from Italy:

One last glorious sunset, taken from Mahek's outdoor patio, where we had dinner:

Shu-E had remained behind at the guesthouse. We joined her there after dinner, where I had a nightcap on the balcony:

Life moves slowly on the Seychelles, and there are only two local TV stations, one of which signed off the air around midnight (just like I remember TV stations doing when I was a kid!). The programming on that Friday evening was dominated by news of the coronavirus:

The view from behind Ocean View after breakfast on Saturday morning:

Our flight back to Addis wasn't scheduled to depart until 17:45, so after checking out of the guest house, we drove into Victoria to have a look at the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market (1840):

Though small by African standards, it was very active:

Shu-E did some spices shopping:

We walked around town after checking out the market. The National Museum of History looked interesting, housed in the former Supreme Court building (1885), but it was closed, unfortunately:

For lunch we drove out to Eden Island. Most of the shops at Eden Plaza were closed due to the virus, and only a handful of restaurants were open. We had lunch at the Tamassa Lounge and Bar:

A local hoping for a handout:

The sight of planes flying over the marina was a reminder that our time in the Seychelles was coming to an end:

So many beaches, so little time, so many islands to explore. The Seychelles are one of those destinations that at the end of a trip leaves the traveler saying to themselves "I've got to come back someday". And who knows? Perhaps one day when the world has returned to some semblance of normality...

Coping with the coronavirus, seeing the Seychelles: Praslin to La Digue, Day 6

I'm on an island...

In my last blog post, I was wondering if we should stay or go. As I prepare this entry, it's looking more and more like we'll be leaving Addis Ababa አዲስ አበባ while COVID-19 rages on. True, there are still only 19 confirmed coronavirus cases in Ethiopia (with no deaths), but many here suspect the true number is much higher. Gasoline shortages are becoming an issue - today (Sunday) I had to wait in line at a gas station for almost an hour before I was able to fill up. Restaurants are beginning to go to a "takeaway/delivery only" service. Most worryingly is the question of how much longer Ethiopian Airlines (the only airline still flying into and out of the country at the moment) will continue to operate. I fear if we wait too much longer, the decision as to whether to stay or go will be made for us.

So in the meantime I'll try to finish up these posts about our trip to the Seychelles by telling you that our sixth day in the country was on a Friday. The plan on this day was to make the short trip by ferry from Praslin to La Digue, the Seychelles' third most-inhabited island. Our rental car was ready to go that morning, as we prepared to leave the Sunset Cove Villa:

With a few minutes to kill before departing to the port for our 10:00 ferry, I took a stroll around the neighborhood, checking out the latest fashions in one shop window:

The local church backed up onto the beach, with a wonderful view of Cousin and Cousine islands just offshore:

Although we rented cars to get around on Mahé and Praslin, the Seychelles does have a very efficient bus system that is well-used by the locals (and a few tourists):

Not having a waterproof camera with me on this trip, I was unable to record the fish swimming around me while swimming in the waters off Anse Soleil and Anze Lazio. The best I could do was this shot taken at the Pier Cat Cocos, while waiting for the ferry to take us to La Digue:

Praslin Marina:

After a ride of only fifteen minutes or so, we entered the La Digue Marina:

After depositing our bags at the friendly Villa Authentique, we had lunch at the Fish Trap Restaurant & Bar, taking in the view from an outdoor table:

After lunch we returned to the Villa Authentique and checked in. While Shu-E rested in the air-conditioned comfort of our room, Amber and I rented a couple of bicycles from the villa. La Digue is small enough to explore on two wheels:

The two of us set off to find the Anse Source d'Argent beach, "famed for being one of the most photographed beaches on the planet", according to Lonely Planet. Getting to the beach requires paying to enter the L'Union Estate & Copra Factory, a former coconut plantation and now a historic site. The colonial-era graveyard:

It's easy to understand Anse Source d'Argent's fame - white sand, shallow emerald-colored waters, granite boulders and shady coconut palms. While there weren't as many fish as at Anse Lazio, the fish here came right up to the shore, and showed no fear of humans, swimming alongside me. I even had a couple of what I presume to be Orbicular batfish nibble at my diving mask:

This video gives a good idea of what it's like to be in the waters off Anse Source d'Argent:

After a couple of hours in the water, Amber and I headed back to the villa. Coconut palm trees can be dangerous - while parking our bikes earlier in the afternoon, a large coconut fell to the ground from one of these trees not far from us. One can only imagine the damage that could result if one of them should land directly on your skull:

We also passed by the estate's collection of Aldabra giant tortoises on the way out:

Back on the road heading toward what constitutes La Digue's main town, we paused to have a look at Notre Dame de L'Assomption. Around 75% of the Seychelles population is Catholic:

Back in La Passe, we collected Shu-E and went out for dinner at the Tarosa Bar and Restaurant, where the evening's entertainment was provided by Mother Nature:

Pandemics come and go (and I really hope this latest one goes soon), but life in a place like La Digue continues at its own relaxed pace. Someday I would like to retire to a place like this.

Someday...