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: Mahe, Day 3

Idyllic...

Monday, another day temporarily removed from COVID-19, though not for long. But the crises of the world seemed far away as we had breakfast at The Palms Seychelles, seated outdoors next to a freshwater stream:

Following the tropical fruit fest that was breakfast, we headed south in our rental car to the country's capital and largest city, Victoria. Unfortunately, the Sir Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke Market wasn't open that morning, so we continued in a southeasterly direction down the coast. Our next intended shopping destination, the Domaine de Val de Prés arts and crafts complex, was also shuttered, but the stunning coastline was definitely open:

One establishment that was willing to take in customers was the Takamaka Bay distillery. In operation since 2002, it's the first (and only) commercial rum producer and exporter in the Seychelles. We took a walk around the grounds, checking out the giant Aldabra giant tortoises and the ruins of a kitchen from the early 1800's:

We also learned (by eavesdropping on a guided tour that was taking place when we drove up) that the rum is made from locally grown sugar cane, crushed on site at the distillery and aged and matured in oak barrels:

The highlight of our visit, of course, was the taste tasting, followed by the inevitable purchasing of a couple of bottles:

From the distillery we cut across the island to the west coast and our beach of the day, Anse Soleil. Accurately described by my guidebook as a "pocket-sized paradise", Shu-E relaxed in the shade while Amber and I plunged into the warm, and surprisingly deep in places, waters. I spent most of my time exploring the rocks at the southwest corner of the beach, swimming among the fish congregating there:

Doing my best Ursula Andress impersonation:

After several hours in the water, it was time for a late-afternoon lunch, with the Anchor Café - Islander Restaurant being the lucky winner of our patronage (truth in advertising - a huge anchor sits in the front garden):

While waiting for the food to arrive, I had a look at the scenery behind the restaurant and across the road:

I had the Creole chicken curry while a curious local stopped by to check us out:

We stopped in Victoria again on the way back to the Palms. The Seychelles has a small Indian community, and a Hindu temple is situated in the downtown area:

The mountains form a dramatic backdrop:

The focal point of Victoria's city center is the Clock Tower (1903), a small scale replica of the clock tower on the Vauxhall Bridge in London:

Having finally learned our lesson, we picked up some food from a stand on Beau Vallon beach and dined in our apartment, taking a moment to take in the setting sun:

 

The next day we would bid a temporary farewell to Mahé and make our way over to Praslin island for the next couple of days...

Not exactly my idea of electronics, but...