A coco-fesses on my passport

This journey from the time I dreamed ... Since '89 when my parents flew to the island paradise for a "second honeymoon", and when the slides came back with breathtaking ...
Thirteen years later, with my husband, I managed to achieve this dream, taking the opportunity of our honeymoon in September 2002 ...

 

The trip and some information on Seychelles

Airport St Exupéry, Lyon, France: we still have our heads full of wonderful memories of that day and spend hours waiting to comment on our marriage ... The fear of not starting because of the strike of Air France happened today when vanishes confirm our first flight Lyon-Paris. We can breathe a sigh of relief ... Obstacle overcome!
We arrive in Paris at 12.00 and as the flight to Mahé party will take advantage at 19.30 to take a trip in the French capital, although we have already had occasion to visit several times. To do something a little 'different from the usual, we decide to go in search of the places included in the film "Amélie" that there was a lot like ... Let's go to Montmartre and ask some information to passers soon find is the greengrocer is the famous bar "Aux 2 Moulins" where we give a beer and a piece of cake to celebrate the birthday of my new husband ...
Starts at 19.30 the flight on board the International Air Seychelles - good company. Stewart hostess and beautiful and available, dinner washed down with Champagne, a film and a few hours of sleep I do this in a hurry to spend 9 hours and a half that separates us from the Seychelles.
Upon arrival at the airport of Mahé, at 7:30 am local time, we hear some tourists talking about the cyclone, storm ... Oddio! What happened? ... The sky is cloudy, in fact, and the ground is wet from a recent rain ... Fortunately, when it comes our turn to stop immigration, the employee gives us his most beautiful smile stamp our passports with the picture of fesses coco (the symbol of the Seychelles) and says that everything is in place, and that is all over, without ever nominate that word "storm" as if it were taboo ... Second sigh of relief ... We can begin our journey!
The Seychelles, also called the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, consist of 115 islands scattered in the Indian precisely to 8,000 km from Europe, north of Madagascar ... Seychelles is divided into 4 major groups (on the maps but I found other versions): Inner Islands, Amirantes Group, Aldabra Group, Farquhar Group. The islands are most famous in the group of Inner Islands (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue, Silhouette, Frégate ...) and are mainly granitic islands, but the Seychelles are mostly formed by coral atolls (the most famous islands: Bird, Denis, Aldabra , Alphonse, Desroches), and the most distant islands are located 1,000 km from Mahé!
The Inner Islands group is located at 4 ° south of the equator, so staying away from the cyclone ... but just to deny this fact, in 2002, September 7-the very day of our marriage-there was a violent tropical storm, like a mini cyclone, which hit the islands of Praslin and La Digue, causing some Damage to structures: flooding of the main hotels, no light for a few days, broken trees ... Luckily everything was solved in a short time but who was present on Saturday that one of the islands affected if the view is very bad ...
Apart from this exception, the Seychelles have a tropical climate divided into two seasons: the monsoon in the southeast, from May to October, with dry and windy weather causing rough seas and bathroom advised on some beaches, and the monsoon in the north West, with more wet weather and frequent rains but the sea calmer. The average temperature is 29 ° C throughout the year and during the monsoon of south-east is good both day and night, the thermal gap being almost nothing. The trade winds also offer a beautiful spectacle: the clouds are moving continuously creating strange foamy forms that also allow you to shelter a little 'from the sun very strong ...
There are 3 time zones with respect to Italy, you drive on the left, no need for vaccinations, and it seems that the Seychelles there is no poisonous animals or insects! E 'proprio un paradiso then ...
Try now to tell our journey, although this was much more quiet than those that we usually do ... This time, there we had to worry about looking for a room every night! But the fact remains that I think the Seychelles offer a lot of landscapes, fauna and flora, and should not be viewed as a beach like any other tropical location ... Have a soul ...
Our choice has been addressed on three granite islands: Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, ideal starting point for hiking in the nearby islands.

Mahé

The first 5 days we spend on them wider, Mahé, where it concentrates 90% of the population of Seychelles. Victoria, the capital, will visit in no time. The strangest thing to check is the clock tower, an exact reproduction in miniature of Big Ben in London, at the main in the middle of town, in memory of the past under British rule. The colorful marketplace, even if not very lively compared to those in Asia, enables us to observe closely the population ... There are also two modern sculptures placed at the center of round, works by Lorenzo Appiani - tell me: Who is this? ... well, is an Italian immigrant artist in the Seychelles, who created the flag of the Seychelles, and is the father of a school companion of my husband! -. One of the sculptures is 3 dolphins as a symbol of the 3 continents that have helped to populate Seychelles: Asia, Africa and Europe ... Indeed one of the things that struck me most of the Seychelles is the variety of ethnic groups that populate, I do not know why I imagined them all with black leather, there are also Indian, Asian, European, and many racial crossings that give real beauty!
A Mahé are housed at the Plantation Club, Baie Lazare on, south west of the island, on a beach long and very beautiful.
Since our goal is not to star lying on the beach for two weeks before our visit the resort, but much as possible, the second day we are leaving for a trip to Marine Park of Sainte Anne, in front of Victoria, 20 minutes by boat.

Excursion to Moyenne

Our choice is addressed on Moyenne, small, famous for being frequented by pirates who were there a hidden treasure! The island is owned by an Englishman, Brandon Grimshaw who bought years ago for 30 million old lira! Landing, the boat stops on a sandbank at one end of the island, and jumping down, our feet sinking into the wet sand ... I look around: it seems to be in a dream, the landscape is beautiful! ... The lagoon has colors ranging from emerald to turquoise depending on the depth of water, all around us there are other islands in the Park: l'île Ronde, l'île aux Cerfs, Sainte Anne, the Ile Longue and Basically, Mahé ... I have never been in Polynesia, but the vision of the lagoon with the island Sainte-Anne-mountainous and very green in the background reminds me a lot in Bora Bora smaller.
We decide to make the tour of the island, with the help of a very detailed map that indicates where the Treasury would have hidden the Pirates ... but the Treasury is already here, all around us! The island offers great views: Coral Cove, Pirates Cove, 12 islands view point, Elephant Rock view, the small chapel and tombs of three slabs, where they buried two of the pirates and the other where lies the father of the owner who has thought of ending his life in this wonderful place ... Then there's Treasure Peak. This is a huge block of granite close to what they say is the hidden treasure. E 'the highest point of the island, and we climbed over with some difficulty, but the scene definitely is worth the penalty! I have never seen such colors! Click photo for five minutes below! Shades of blue, turquoise, light blue for the sea and the sky, green palm trees and vegetation on the islands, plus the coral that we see in transparency ... is wonderful! Remain there for several minutes, as hypnotized by so much beauty. We no longer want to go ...
After a while ', hunger and calls us the Creole buffet awaiting us at the Jolly Roger Restaurant (a converted house in Creole restaurant) is fabulous! Some dishes in our menu: chicken curry, fried noodles, rice with spices, salad of raw vegetables, various sauces, tropical fruit salad, grated coconut with caramelized orange peel (divine!) In addition, the view from the terrace is spectacular. .. Only when we sign the guestbook, we see that today is September 11 ... that strange feeling ... as a sharp return to reality ...

Tour of the island of Mahé

The next day, rent a jeep for a tour of the island of Mahé ... Contrary to what I read from other travelers, Mahé is absolutely not bad! Those that jump to jump to Praslin wrong in my opinion. The island offers varied landscapes, mountains covered with tropical forests up to an altitude of more than 900 m from where we can enjoy different views on the island, tea plantations, the National Park Morne Seychellois, which with its tall trees laden with magic, immerses us in a strange atmosphere, like in a fantasy film ...
A Mahè, there are also some sixty-five beaches, all more beautiful one another, and usually deserted ...
We realize that most of the tourists stays at Beau Vallon, the most famous beach, with a large number of hotels, but frankly, I do not say nothing special ... It 'a long beach, flat, calm sea with ... too trivial for my liking!
I like a lot of Anse Intendance, wonderful in his "dangerousness", in fact it is almost forbidden to do the bathroom because of the strong currents that push you off the ... but at the same time is so attractive and wild, you will want to bring you its translucent turquoise waves ...
Later, Petit Anse Police also offers a breathtaking spectacle with its huge waves!
And what about Port Launay, a sheltered bay to the north of Mahé ... I had never seen a sea of color so intense: a mixture of emerald and turquoise unique ...
E Baie Lazare, with its granite rocks at the ends, excellent "screens" that offer some 'privacy ...
E Grande Anse ... completely deserted ... will be the sign "no bathing" to discourage swimmers ... Well, in any event, for me is perfect, I can take some beautiful photos.
At the end of the day, we are tired, we did the full tour of the island, took all the roads that cross, we stopped a hundred times to admire the scenery or to take pictures ... but we are definitely satisfied with our excursion.
The same night, because we still have the machine, cancel the dinner at our hotel and we go to a restaurant that I had indicated when I was in the Seychelles 13 years ago: it is called "Chez Plume", for those who were found to be those shares, is Anse Boileau. We enjoy a spectacular dinner: gratin of seafood, eggplant fritters, grilled prawns with fragrant rice, Creole fish, with the Grand Finale: pie "Coconut Flan with vanilla ice cream (because I have not made the recipe? ?!!)... The portfolio will suffer a bit but now no more badiamo costs!
Advantage of this pause to say that cooking the cuisine of the Seychelles is very good, we ate fish every day, cooked in all ways and was always divine! I remember the tuna, which usually do not eat here for his gusto un po 'forte, an incredible finesse! You can enjoy many varieties of curry meat, crab, shrimp ... I also noticed a good dose of creativity in local cooking, which I was impressed!

Praslin

After Mahé, spend five days in Praslin ... Cross the gap that runs between Mahé and Praslin with a small propeller plane to a Twin-Otter 20 seats. We are all quite crushed like sardines but it's fun and then the flight is short, only 15 minutes, and the view from oblivion kidnapping me! Over several islands, many of which are inhabited ... We shall also above the marine park of Sainte Anne, which is beautiful from above ... I can also see on Treasure Peak Moyenne ...
Praslin Airport is very nice and newer than that of Mahé. The first impression you get off the plane is to be in a huge tropical garden, full of bright colors. Along the road that leads us to the resort, across the Vallée de Mai, an ancient tropical forest grows where the famous Coco de Mer, however, we note that many trees and coconut trees are broken, others were killed, is a pretty impressive show!. .. These losses are due to tropical storm of September 7 ...
We give the first day (which is actually only an afternoon) to relax in front of our resort (Paradise Sun) on the beautiful beach Anse Volbert, on the Côte d'Or.

Excursion on Aride

The second day's start at the turn of the wild Aride island, the northernmost island of the granitic group of Inner islands, inhabited only by thousands of seabirds, three cute Seychelles Rasta, and for six months by three other British Biondissima biologie .. . mah, is a coincidence ?!... The name reflects the appearance of which it had when it was discovered, but today is very different, it's covered with thick vegetation.
Landing on the island is not very sporting one was expecting ... When we arrive in front of our boat fishing offshore, stop the engines, and begin to "dance" ... There are substantial waves and I was already seasick! ... Then we start to see a red dot that comes at full speed from the beach towards us ... This red dot that appears and disappears between the waves is in fact a rubber boat, guided by one of the three rasta, standing, has long braids and dark glasses, it seems very sure of himself ... The scene is pretty fun and we relax all ... When we turn to board the dinghy we feel less safe and in danger of ending up in the sea by jumping from the boat to the raft! Fortunately, the path to the beach is short, probably just two minutes, we see almost no waves, we are all sitting on the bottom of the inflatable boat with our backpacks and cameras sheltered under plastic bags ... The landing, however you feel when violently hit the sand, and in two seconds we have to jump down and reach the dry sand before us filled by a wave! Wow! What emotions!
The excursion with our guide rasta is very interesting, we are divided into two groups: one French and one English. At the head of the group of French speakers is Jeff, nice guy with a Creole accent that makes me die with laughter, makes a lot of jokes! We discover with him the fauna and flora of the island. We can observe the Bronze Jeck (a lizard that takes the color of the trees), the green Jeck, hundreds of lizards and slimy stink you walk between the legs, the white tern (a white bird the appearance very elegant traveling always couple, is another symbol of the Seychelles, incorporated in the logo of Air Seychelles), the petit Phaeton (bird with white feathers shiny as silk, makes its nest in holes dug at the foot of trees and palms!), l ' Frégate bird, the Noddi Brun, then a lovely red bird of which I do not remember the name, and many other species of seabirds. Jeff goes on to note there that all the plants and trees have medicinal properties! Then he launches on a vine like Tarzan! We also try a fruit unknown green, juicy but acidic, only that I feel and my husband, but others do not trust!
The visit ends with a nice buffet in the sand and a barbecue chicken and fish, followed by an hour free to do more laps on the island or relax on the beach, which is absolutely beautiful and very wild ... I choose the second option and decide to brave the waves, which alas, are huge! Since the coral a few meters from the shore I decided to be prudent and I will only play in the waves that are better than a whirlpool ... Finally, we must return to the boat, and we expect to experience again in a rubber boat: this time we all completely wet! The boat goes on a tour around the island, so we can admire the thousands of Frégate (birds very noisy blacks) that populate the other side of the island. E 'impressionante! The blue sky is studded with dots blacks ...
During this remains for me one of the best experiences of this trip ...

Tour of Praslin

The next day, rent a jeep for a tour of Praslin. The jeep is definitely Scassa and without setting the canvas roof above our heads, the attacks are broken ... Then we put our beautiful hat and there coated with sunscreen index 20!
First stop: the Vallée de Mai, natural park protected by UNESCO, the legendary home of the coco de mer, unique in the world and unfortunately in danger of extinction ... With a young guide, we are in this dense jungle with huge trees that obscure the sun and make a disturbing noise when you move with the wind, as if a storm were to come ...
The coco de mer, until the Portuguese discovered not Asia, was known only by the inhabitants of India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. They believed that the huge walnut shaped female, arrived on their shores by the currents, was the result of a large tree submarine, hence the name coco de mer. And legends began to circulate around the nut that was even considered aphrodisiac ...
In fact, the coco de mer is a coconut palm with a trunk with huge rigid leaves arranged in a fan, which produces fruits and nuts a little 'details. Indeed, this palm can be "sex" female or male and puts us 25 years to yield its first fruits ...
The female plant has fruit that enclose huge double nuts in the form of very suggestive female pubis, which is why they are called coco fesses! It takes 7 years for the complete maturation of the walnut, which can reach 60 cm and weigh 20 kg! Coast buy a lot, so it is better to leave them where they are, in the jungle ... The female palm may reach 25 m with the palm male grows up to 30 m. For the latter, the flower he has an unmistakable ... Nature has its own fluffy ... Our guide tells us a legend that during the nights of storm, the coco de mer is male coupling with the female coco de mer ... But that seems to bring bad luck attend these events!

After visiting the Vallée de Mai, continue the island tour, that being reduced to Mahé allows us to make more stops on some beautiful beaches, not before he had threatened to make an unusual! Fortunately, everything is solved with plenty of water and shade for one quarter of an hour! This damned roof!
There is a beach where we absolutely go: Anse Georgette. I had been described by some travelers as the wildest and most beautiful. To get there we must pass through the Lémuria Resort, the most luxurious resort of the Seychelles ... After a while 'resistance by the guardian can pass the entrance and parking in front of the beautiful Golf. We are told that to reach the beach, we go in the middle of the golf, walk for about 20 minutes, then turn to the 11th hole, down the hill and finally we should get ... Ehm ... Proviamoci ... But I have the nerve and when I see a machine golfing get to us, led by an employee of the resort, ask him: "We move here for Anse Georgette?" and him: "You must go to the beach?" Me: "Yes .. but we do not know if this is the right path" (note: there was one!), He looks at the clock and says: "Come on, climb, I bring home seeing .. . well, if you really insists ... in two seconds we are on the machine and begin to travel all the roads of golf, it's really fun ... Definitely on foot, we would be lost after the 7th hole!
We arrive finally at the end of the trail, and he kindly offers to come and take between an hour and a half ... Fantastico! The spectacle we are about to see is incredible! Walk a few meters on a small sandy path among the trees, probably the Takamaka ... and in the end, we see ...
The beach is deserted and I feel just like the star of Cast Away (only that we have a passage for the return). The color of the sea is an intense turquoise and transparent but the rest hypnotized by huge waves that break on the white sand and blinding ... The beach, which is not very long, there are large blocks of granite, and some palm trees Takamaka are the framework for this jewel of nature ... Shoot out the SLR and start shooting feverishly! It 'so beautiful and unreal that I want to capture every inch of this beach ... After the film, I decided to throw in the water, I realize that I was delaying the time to enjoy their vision of this place, it seems incredible that I am here ... My husband, who usually lies in the shade to read some books and not much love to swim, it's already in the water ... The reach! We remain long in the midst of these waves scary but attractive, we dive, we are bringing to shore, the fish surrounding us, let us not suck currents, which are also quite strong, we must be careful because we have already 'water to under the arms, but we seem to be two boys, agitatissimi playing among the waves ... The water is warm but not too much. It 'a fantastic time, we seem to be alone in the world ...
After the bath, I decided to climb on the granite rocks that are laid on the sand as to observe everything from above ... Rest well for a while ', until we realize that perhaps the time has passed and our "driver" will stay there waiting ... Since I do not we want to redo the road by foot reversed, because in theory it would be forbidden to walk on the streets of golf, running toward the place of the, still in costume and bare feet ... He is already waiting, in the shadow ... I tell him to wait even one minute time to collect our stuff. Salute the beach, so that I will remember forever and that my many pictures can never bring them justice ... And we arrive at the machine again.
At this point, elect as Anse Georgette most beautiful beach of the World, yes, yes, the World! ;)
We end the day at Anse Lazio, the beach "officially" the most beautiful of Praslin, but we both know that it's another ...

Excursion in Curieuse, interrupted because of the rain

The next day, our thirst for discovery allows us to choose a trip to Curieuse, an island in front of Praslin is famous for hosting the giant tortoises. The first stage of movement allows us to make snorkelling around all'isolotto St Pierre, in front of Anse Volbert. Unfortunately, the sky was cloud, the waves are always larger under there and I see no likelihood of going to slam his head against the rocks. I decided then to go back on the boat not before he saw a beautiful flock of squid to pass ...
We continue therefore to Curieuse, the sky is always black, but fascinating at the same time ... It 'the first time we find that bad weather since we arrived but we do not care that much. Our optimism with us until they landed on the island and gathered around the barbecue, it starts pouring! Do not stop until 15 more about! We only had time to visit the small museum on the island. Carers agree to return back to the resort, being dangerous to travel by boat when there is a storm and rough sea ... We are obviously all delusissimi and ready to visit the island in the rain, but our escorts do not want to risk and return all ... that sad! Spend the afternoon at the resort, including readings, tea and cooking classes Creole ...
La sera stessa, chiediamo il rimborso dell'escursione, se possibile, ma ci propongono di iscriverci di nuovo alla stessa escursione per il giorno successivo. Accettiamo ovviamente! Siamo tenaci, dobbiamo assolutamente vederla quest'isola, e poi si chiama Curieuse, lo sto diventando sempre di più (curiosa)!...

Escursione a Curieuse, ci riproviamo!

Il giorno successivo, siamo già svegli alle 7.00. Guardiamo fiduciosi l'orizzonte, che si è nettamente schiarito... Forse ce la facciamo oggi! Dopo la colazione, partiamo con una jeep fino ad un punto più avanti della Côte d'Or. Ritroviamo le stesse tre coppie della vigilia, che sono riuscite a iscriversi di nuovo all'escursione. Capiamo che l'hanno organizzata esclusivamente per noi! Carini vero?... Andiamo direttamente a Curieuse. Al nostro arrivo, a Anse Possession, ci aspetta una guida in stile Ranger: Mary Diana, una ragazza nera rotondetta dal sorriso malizioso. Ci fa subito vedere alcuni esemplari di coco fesses e frutti del coco de mer maschile facendo alcune battutine! Ci mostra poi le tartarughe terrestri giganti che girano libere sul prato intorno a noi... Sono davvero enormi! Queste hanno soltanto 50 anni, dico soltanto perché raggiungono anche 200 anni! Le tartarughe terrestri giganti sono una specie endemica delle Seychelles, come lo sono anche alle Galapagos (tutte quelle viste in altri posti, come Zanzibar, sono state importate). Sull'isola di Curieuse sono state portate dall'atollo di Aldabra, il più grosso atollo corallino del mondo, che si trova a circa 1000 km a sud ovest di Mahé. Nel secolo scorso, i coloni francesi e inglesi le mangiavano (!) ma ora sono una specie protetta... Ad Aldabra credo che ce ne siano circa 200.000 in totale libertà e sotto osservazione dai biologi... Queste strane creature si lasciano avvicinare e gli possiamo anche dare alcune foglie da mangiare. Quando poi le accarezziamo sul collo si alzano lentamente e tirano fuori la testa il più possibile, sembrano E.T.! E' pazzesco!...
Rimarrei qui delle ore ad osservarle, ma Mary Diana ci chiama per iniziare il giro dell'isola, che si rivela interessantissimo, alla scoperta della fauna e della flora di questo posto: granchi giganti, gecki, mangrovie, paludi, piante di ananas, albero della vaniglia, "il frutto dalla pazienza" (sembra una pallina con una grossa buccia verde, che si apre facilmente in 4 quando si preme con le mani, e all'interno c'è una specie di frutto asciutto di colore marrone diviso in tanti pezzettini di forme diverse. Il gioco consiste nel cercare di ricomporre la forma originale del frutto come se fosse un puzzle... ci abbiamo provato, è quasi impossibile! Da cui il nome "frutto della pazienza")... Finito il giro torniamo sulla spiaggia per riprendere la barca che ci porta a Praslin, davanti al nostro resort. Dimenticavo, il tempo è stato stupendo e l'escursione davvero interessante e piacevole!...

Finiamo la giornata tornando alla spiaggia di Anse Lazio con un'altra coppia. Le onde sono come l'altra volta, gigantesche, e ci divertiamo un mondo, con anche qualche brivido quando mi ritrovo sott'acqua stile centrifuga della lavatrice!... Torniamo al Paradise Sun con il pullman locale, un'esperienza molto simpatica e un po' rischiosa visto che le strade sono strettissime a volte a strapiombo sul mare senza nessuna protezione!

Era l'ultimo giorno a Praslin. Il giorno dopo partiamo per La Digue, ultima tappa del nostro viaggio. La Digue è un'isola incantevole, che sognavo da tempo, grazie alle pubblicità e ai cataloghi che mostrano sempre la famosa Anse Source d'Argent con i suoi enormi massi di granito rosa...

Arrival in La Digue

We are housed in Patatran Village, situated at Anse Patates on the north, in front of several islands: île Coco, Félicité, Grande Soeur, Petite Soeur and Marianne. E 'consisting of small white bungalows perched on the hill, this is the left end with an amazing view on the islands. After a fruit cocktail of welcome, we discover that our bungalow was literally filled with red hibiscus! Eh eh eh, couples in honeymoon ...
Unfortunately the first two days to spend on them because Patatran rain and fog is also ... Incredible ... We can not even see the islands in the face! For two days, for breakfast, we all have our eyes turned towards the east, to see what will happen, and every time there is a chink of light yellow on the horizon, we continue to hope for a sunny day ... and then half an hour after it rains again until the afternoon ... The waitresses do not understand why we are so stressed by the weather, which are nonexistent in the Seychelles because the weather is unpredictable and can change in an hour without notice ... They do not matter to bad weather and we take a little 'fun ...
Fortunately, at about 4 pm the rain stopped and we can go out and do the walks, the first day Patates at Anse Anse Fourmi along the east coast, the second day, to La Passe, the main village of ' island, along the west coast, where the small port ...

Bike tour of La Digue

We put the bag in the trash and starting in the direction of the Union Estate, a kind of open-air museum with a $ 3 entrance that brings together: a beautiful Creole house surrounded by a green lawn that was used in 70 years for the shooting of the famous erotic film "Emmanuelle, a very old cemetery with the tomb stone of the first settlers, very charming, a tiny factory coprah, a fence with giant tortoises (they were much more beautiful on the island of Curieuse because free!), and finally. .. after all, the famous Anse Source d'Argent ...
In fact, the beach is our first stop of the day, early in the morning, before the invasion of tourists, although invasion is a relative term when we go away there are about 15 people, but I prefer to see wild, free towels, free costumini colored scattered in low ... To get there, let the bike and walk for 5 minutes between the thick vegetation, the palm of spiders (they are of enormous canvases among the palms, but are not dangerous to humans), the huge granite rocks, typical of La Digue ... and then you see, this beach so much dreamed, beautiful, empty, quiet, fotografatissima ... and you seem real to be here ... the sun is so strong now that the colors of the sea are almost faded, unfortunately ...
Incidentally, I discovered that in Seychelles, strangely, the best time to do the photos, as well as the sun sets, it's time to lunch: the colors are switched on and you may well see many shades of blue in the sea, as opposed to what is happening to our world.
Anyway click the pictures the same, who knows if it ever come back here ... The tide is low and you can clearly see the coral and fish underwater ... Let's go all the way to the beach hoping to go even further towards Anse Pierrot and the south of ... But large blocks of granite prevent us from passing. Maybe we should walk for a piece in water for leaving out the rocks ... Unfortunately, the time is short, we must still make the rounds of the island and the sun sets here soon ...
With the bike, then take the path which crosses the island to the east coast and arrive in Grand Anse, a beach bar by the waves and wind, dangerous for swimming. The two days of rain have formed large puddles on the dirt road and the bike will soon become brown from the mud ... On the beach and water, are practicing the "Baywatch" local ... The sea here has taken a color a little 'brown earth because of the storm brought with us so do not stop to take a bath. We continue on foot after leaving the bike to the restaurant near the beach, to reach Petite Anse.
Even after 10 minutes of easy walking between the rocks and vegetation, the glimpse through the trees, is beautiful ... The sand is blinding white, turquoise and the waves are endless ... I can not stand to walk barefoot in the fine sand with the wind in your face, and admire the strength of the ... Petite Anse name actually does not do justice to this long beach, which I find much more beautiful Grand Anse ... But our curiosity leads us to still go forward, towards Anse Cocos ...
Crossed a couple of Germans who want to go on that beach, and we decide to make the journey together as due to the large puddles of thick vegetation and we have some 'difficult to understand where to go ... After several vain attempts, we find a small passage at the bottom of Petite Anse, which leads us on the path to Anse Cocos. The trail then rises on a hill, we are immersed in the jungle, sometimes we can glimpse a view of the sea, looks like a frame in the middle of the vegetation, it is great! The trail after a while 'starts to fall and we are in the midst of a kind of lawn dotted with coconut palms. On the right, a natural barrier of trees prevents us from seeing the sea and access, but we hear the sound of the waves, who knows what will find behind there !?... Let us go forward, there are brick houses abandoned, appear the ruins of a resort, started but never finished ... it would be better to kill all of these buildings ... Still no trace of the path that will lead us to the beach ... The Germans no longer remember where (they were here a few years ago) ... There are some puddles' everywhere ... But finally we see a trail! We just need to skip a couple of times over small streams created by the rain and we ... Here it is!
Anse Cocos! The white sand of me to just wear the sunglasses! It 'a wonderful beach! The beach is framed with granite rocks, like the previous two, and goes slightly downhill towards the sea, which is very moved by this because there is no part of the reef. Two couples playing in the waves and I want to dive too soon, I have hot and this walk I was tired! Basically we are only 10 on this beach ... I am happy that so few people had wanted to do the mini trekking so we can enjoy a 'quiet and admire the breathtaking scenery. The water is warm and the waves are tremendous, I try not to drag me off by the strong current! The fact that there are 4 more people in water a little 'reassures me!
Unfortunately, it is already late and we must go back to the bike and then the other side of ... In return, the path between the trees, we have the great fortune of seeing the "Veuve Noire", a bird endemic of the Seychelles, black tail with a double, long, very special ... We were told that it was almost impossible to see it! What luck ...
With bikes, we return slowly to Patatran Village. The road is beautiful, small, among the trees, there are some houses of Seychelles, with people busy doing gardening, cutting trees, collecting fruit, or simply chatting, kids playing in the middle of the road, it is pleasant. ..
Let me pause a moment to Anse Source d'Argent to admire the sunset but my maritini is tired, has too much sun and wants to return to the bungalow ... Sin ... Immaginerò me the only ... amber reflections on the granite rock as the sun dives into the lagoon ... Who knows that the show had to be beautiful ...
Tomorrow is the last day in La Digue ... As we passed in a hurry! We have already booked a half day, the ILO Coco, just in front of Anse Patates, to recover those two days of rain; promise a wonderful time ...
We enjoy the last dinner with a beautiful Creole buffet and let's go to bed, exhausted from the day's cycling, hiking and swimming and even some 'cooked by the sun ...

Snorkeling at Coco island

We start at 9.00 from the bungalow and we reach the other pier, the village of La Passe, a quarter of an hour walk. La Digue is fantastic for this: it's a human, there are no cars (only about twenty vehicles, mainly of service), people running on foot or by bicycle, taxis are the wagons pulled by oxen (also if today is a tourist attraction), it seems to be back in time ...
By boat and reach quickly the île Coco, which is difficult to describe it is so beautiful and special. E 'tiny island, with only clusters of large blocks of granite, with some palm trees, a strip of white sand that surrounds and a fantastic coral reef ... Some blocks of stone form what is called the "gate", suggesting the arrival of a secret temple, the Nature has carved the rock beyond belief ... E 'photogenic really an island, it seems almost fake! Fortunately, ours is the first boat to bring the island and therefore can sbizzarirci in photographs, I shot many, from all angles, are agitatissima is beautiful !!!... I feel incredible to be here (yet again!) Everything is perfect: the sun shines, the sky is blue and there is no wind .. Optimal conditions, never had so far, and they promise an unforgettable snorkelling!
We all dived into the water soon, and we have our towels and backpacks dry, sull'isolotto on blocks of stone, forming a maze fun and even if the space is really small, we can derive corners of privacy!
Wear a mask, snorkel and fins, I take the disposable camera underwater (which after all makes decent photos if there is a beautiful light at the surface) and begin to explore the coral reef. E 'uno spettacolo ... I have never seen so many fish together, even in the Maldives ... We are surrounded! There are all colors: purple, blue, yellow, greens, blacks, multicolored, and all kinds of parrots, clown, I do not know where to turn your head ...
After a while ', when I go back to the Island, I see a round shape slightly' darker surface, surrounded by the Seychelles we play together is a beautiful sea turtle ... E 'small and seems docile. One of the guys I like and presents in hand for a few seconds, it's heavy ... I do not know if it is pleasant, and then leave the water. E 'davvero carinissima and formed a small group of people all around to admire ...
After a while ', dating on the boat and leave the island for Félicité Coco, an island thickest in front, where we say that we will see other turtles, we must not go ashore, however, because the landing is prohibited for walkers. I would have remained forever in the small lagoon of Coco ...
When I dive from the boat, I am now faced with another turtle, as if we had waited ... After a while 'I do also a beautiful breed, black with white dots! The chase for a while ', in the hope of taking a picture, but goes too fast, it is prudent to be chased and speed! E 'crazy after a while' there is water that comes into my mouthpiece and I can not breathe, I have to take breath on the surface, but just leave the nose under water, no more trace of the race ... E 'completely disappeared ... what a pity ... But it was fun!
After a while ', dating on the boat and eating pieces of fresh coconut, we still enjoy the view and Félicité sull'île Coco ... What wonder! ... It 'a perfect day! I could not wish for more. While we return to La Digue, a trust Bibiana (Creole simpaticissimo a lady who arranges trips from Patatran, but also serves lunch, dinner, fa un po 'da pr, does everything short!) That must be wonderful to see Anse Source d 'Argent by the sea ...
Wish granted! The boat, instead of turning left towards the port, continue for a while ', for alongside the beautiful beach from offshore ... What kindness! I would have hoped more beautiful conclusion of our stay in the Seychelles! We can see well the granite boulders surrounded by greenery and beaten by the waves at the beach ... E 'fantastico!
Now we can return to port, they are all obviously very happy for this small deviation and thank Bibiana accomplice with a smile ...
Back at the pier, after a quick lunch, we take a shower to Patatran, using the shower of a bungalow free (I must say that the staff at this small hotel was very nice and disponibilissimo). After a while ', a pick-up we are taking to bring us to the pier, where we expect the boat to Praslin. The farewell to La Digue is very difficult. The colors of the harbor are very cheerful yellow, red, fuchsia, green ...
The sea is very calm today, the crossing is likely to be less eventful journey ... In fact it was almost tragic, there were some very big waves and the boat moved continuously from left to right, it seemed that we had to tip over at any moment ...
Fortunately, today is much more quiet. At our arrival at the pier of Praslin us a taxi to take us to the airport, that luxury ... The flight from Praslin to Mahé is very amusing as they are sitting close to an old gentleman Seychelles probably drunk, taking the plane for the first time ... And to help him get the belt because there can not! We do the big laughs with the two pilots, because this man says that they do not serve anything that does everything on autopilot! Slowly, we are returning to 'modernity', I see the case of Victoria, the port, factories ... What a contrast with La Digue, which we left a little over two hours ... Already I am missing!
That night sleep again Mahé, always at the Plantation (where were the first days), there was an off night, combining this with the other 4. The evening is a 'melancholic, a little' because tonight there is no band, a little 'because the atmosphere of the restaurant is much less intimate that Praslin and La Digue, and especially because it is the last night at Seychelles ... After dinner, take a walk on the beach, I still see the moon reflected on the sea and hear the noise of the waves ...

Coming back home....

The alarm clock rings at 5.00, after a quick breakfast, we collect our luggage before arriving at the airport to the bus. Remain stuck to the glass all the way to look good every palm, every house, every beach again...
The plane part at 9:00, smell again Frangipane flower that I have kept in his pocket, and while flying over the mountains Mahé, still wrapped in morning mist, wonderful salute This archipelago, which will remain forever in my heart...