A long time ago I sat through a forgettable movie resisting the temptation to get up and leave, solely because I was so taken with the beautiful scenery. There were panoramas of tropical islands with white sand beaches outlined with thick palms and large granite rocks. The islands dotted the horizon, some just large enough for a beach and a few palm trees. It was the stuff that only existed in the movies. At the end of the movie I was rewarded with a small acknowledgment, "Filmed on location in the Seychelles". I had no idea where the Seychelles were, but I promised myself that someday I would find them.

This is one case where the movies did not exaggerate reality. The Seychelles lie about 1,000 miles east of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The country is made up of 115 named islands and many others too numerous and small to count. The country's peoples are a mixture of the former French and British colonist who fought for control of the islands, and the African, Indian and Asian slaves they imported to do their bidding. The native language is a Creole, not dissimilar from that spoken by Cajuns in Louisiana.

We spent a few days on the main island of Mahe, then moved to one of the smaller ones called Praslin. Here the vegetation is lush, beaches pristine, and the sunsets spectacular. The island is home to giant palm trees called Coco De Mer that have fauns that are six feet in diameter. Each walk along the beach and over some granite boulders reveals another secluded cove with its own small beach and paradise. We have really gotten into the slow pace of the island life and have been seduced by the lifestyle. If we don't watch out, we'll soon be checking out real estate and the schools.

We've been scuba diving and enjoying the gigantic granite rock formations, the abundant choral, fish and a ship wreck. The Indian Ocean is a beautiful body of water, clear and very warm. We spend our days dipping in the ocean complete with snorkel and fins then seeking the shade of a giant palm tree. The lush vegetation grows right to the edge of the beach so shade is never too far away. We have been trying different beaches and discovering the unique characteristics of each.

It is hot and humid and the last couple of days we have been treated to brief monsoon type rains. They leave as quick as they come but do nothing to change the temperature. It is warm, warm, warm. We love it.

Tomorrow (Thursday) we embark on a chartered sailboat which will carry us over the next four days to other island adventures. After that we will say good-bye to our island paradise and catch a plane for Singapore and the far east.

- Ken, Sherry, Piper and Skyler

              
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