Up and out early today – no gym for us as the ship arrives at 7:30 and we want to be out on the streets shortly thereafter.  Arriving at the gangway, Renu (one of the sweet Security officers) doesn’t know if we can walk out of the port – but she calls someone outside and after a bit, they confirm we can indeed walk – otherwise we’d be screwed having to wait for the first shuttle at 8:30.  We knew we could walk – having researched this previous and seeing the sign on the wall of one of the buildings pointing to the pedestrian walking exit – but as this is another brand new port for Journey, no one is absolutely 100% certain of little details, understandably.

First off the ship, we commence our walking adventure in Port Victoria.  It is an easy 20-minute walk over to the Botanical Garden, our first stop of our tour.  Walking is easy because the drivers here are far more civilized than Mombasa – they actually stop at crosswalks.  Much less stress inducing.  Of course on our way over, we also have to cross 3 lanes of traffic without a crosswalk, but we just watch the locals and do as they do – pretty simple.

Arriving at the Botanical Garden a couple minutes before 8, their stated opening time, we cool our heels outside the gate, waiting.  And waiting. And waiting.  We get island time, but it is almost quarter after 8 and no one has shown up yet.  One of the gates is open, so we decide to go on in – checking at the information booth to ensure no one is in there yet.  Hey – we aren’t specifically trying to break in, but if no one is there to take our money (and it’s a lot!  $19 each!), we’re not arguing. 

What ensues is a fabulous 45 minutes or so of pure solitary bliss inside this gorgeous botanical garden.  There is no one around – no one.  Even though there are garden vehicles, there are no people whatsoever.  We pass a monument to a former Director of Agriculture and an Entomologist, then continue on to the Aldabra Giant Tortoise area.  OMG!  26 massive Tortoise all either lumbering around or eating. Totally wild and amazing – look at them all lined up like organized helmets in a row! 

There are great informational posters in the enclosure too – telling us all about the tortoises; they live to a ripe old age of 250 years!  Aldabra are one of the last 2 existing species, originating from a remote atoll of the Seychelles of the same name, they have the ability to survive almost 3 months without food or water.  Unlike other tortoises on the mainland that have predators and retract their heads and legs into their shells, Aldabra Tortoises have no predators on the Atoll and sleep with their heads and legs relaxed and extended.

Taking a trail that wraps around the edges of the park, we pass a grove of Coco de Mer trees with their massive coconut-like seeds/nuts, the largest seeds/nuts in the world, weighing up to 40 pounds. 

We pass the back of a lily pond with exposed root trees, a cannonball tree with the prettiest blossoms.

Circling back to the main path, we reach the all but hidden Chinese Guangzhou Garden – a serene and beautiful little area with traditional Chinese vases, gorgeous budding Lobsterclaw flowers that remind us of Birds of Paradise and the Five Rams statue.  The statue was gifted by the city of Guangzhou, it is their city symbol, and represents the legend that has Gods riding rams gave seeds to the citizens of Guangzhou, allowing for them to grow wheat to feed themselves, turning the area into fertile land.  The Gods left the rams, which turned into stone protecting the area and continuing to keep it fertile.  Sort of like these gardens!

Making our way out of the garden, it is obvious we came in from the back entrance as there is a beautiful traditional Chinese gate we pass through on our way to the end of the path in the dense forest of trees. 

Heading back down to the entrance, we make a stop at the bathrooms with the cutest/funniest male/female designations!  You can guess which is which.  Great!

On the main path, we pass the front of the lily ponds, which are quite extensive and beautiful.  You’d never know it from the rear path.  And further down a Coco de Mer tree with seeds/nuts still on the tree.  Those things are massive!  Can’t even imagine being anywhere near when they fall.

Turning back to the path, we see lots and lots of people at the entrance. Obviously the garden is open now….and the tours have arrived.  6 busloads full of Azamara tours.  TIE.  We had a lovely, peaceful time here before the hoards.  Time for city exploration!

Heading toward town, we pass the Unity memorial, arriving at the Clock Tower with plenty of time to spare before the National Museum of History opens, allowing us to grab a quick cappuccino at a little café right next door. 

Wandering through the little garden outside the museum, we pass the bust of Pierre Poivre, a member of the first settlement of the Seychelles who introduced “spiked plants” (according to the translation) in particular cinnamon (not pepper as his name would suggest), and doing the touristy thing with the picture frame. Sadly, the museum is not to be – there is a sign announcing it is closed today and Monday for some unknown reason. 

Oh well – we’ll just continue on our sojourn, back past the clock tower and the Love Seychelles letters, spotting a grey Egret on a rooftop then continuing on to St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral. 

After that, it’s the central market – lots of produce, lots of spices, pricey as is everything here in the Seychelles.  Then it is over to the Navashakti Vinayakar Temple for some great shots of the temple and the mountains beyond.  And….our touring is complete.

It is a small town with few things of interest.  Our next chore is to find a grocery store for snacks and beer, which proves harder than you’d expect.  Both stores we find have beer behind counters and aren’t all that appealing. We finally end up in the Spar Express on the way back to the ship, grabbing 4 big cans of Seybrew, before making the trek back to the port.

Back aboard, we cool off, hang out for a bit, then head to lunch where Ed has the lunch special Kari Koko Zourit, an octopus dish – with TONS of octopus – typical of Seychelles.  The destination lunch specials have been especially great.

Our afternoon is especially packed, early gym – as in right after lunch – a matinee show with Amy, our assistant CD, who is absolutely wonderful and makes me cry with her rendition of Feel Like a Woman. Then our back to back meeting with only 100 some odd guests staying, which totally surprises us – we figured it would be more like 200 or 300.  And later a lovely dinner on the Patio with Wresly, GR Manager, Ferdinand, Concierge and 8 others (all on the Grand Voyage).  Don’t know how we were selected – other than we are always talking to Wresly – but it was a nice dinner, especially so as I had Wresly next to me and the seating arrangements were such that it was hard to talk to anyone else, so the 2 of us chatted the entire meal. Felt sort of bad monopolizing him, but it was either that or not talk at all!

Then onto Jose’s show, which we absolutely love and will go see again next cruise!  We skipped the Creweoke, simply because we were tired and wanted quiet time on the balcony.  And that was it for our first leg adventure – 2 more sea days and onto the next cruise.