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nelson mandela bay's family lifestyle
author:
manie & carin steyn
discovering God's garden
photography:
manie & carin steyn
issue:
6, winter 2008
The Seychelles is the perfect holiday destination. Join People Talk Magazine as we discover these islands and share some invaluable advice that will come in handy when you take your next trip. Whether it was the good company or our excitement of seeing the beauty of the islands again, the landing went without a hitch. The transfer from the airport to our accommodation on Cerf Island took only fifteen minutes per boat, from Mahe. We arrived safely, the weather was perfect and brewing excitement held the promise of a perfect holiday. We boarded the Boeing 747-200 with mixed feelings, not quite knowing if we were really looking forward to this trip. We knew from our last trip that the landscape is picture perfect, but we were a bit apprehensive since our landing, on our previous arrival in the Seychelles, was quite horrific. Side winds were playing with the Boeing as if it was a scale model toy and the one hour trip from the airport to our hotel & island was a hair-raising experience. The Seychelles has a population of only 80,000 people. Its people are descended from the original French settlers, their African slaves, liberated slaves and some British settlers. You can imagine – this makes for an interesting people with a very rich culture. The Seychellois are never in a hurry. This is something we discovered quickly. Waiters will only take one order at a time and to avoid frustration we had to remind ourselves often that our pace does not work in the Seychelles environment. This is part of the charm of visiting this magnificent place – within a day your high-speed is tempered and slow relaxation takes priority. The lifestyle is characterized by a warm, happy-go-lucky attitude that we are unable to dampen or disturb. They are also highly educated and the majority of them can speak three languages and have a grade twelve education. We woke the first day of our trip with the singing of birds outside our log cabin. Walking out on the balcony, we noticed that the cabins were built with great skill, in order not to disturb nature. Each cabin is snugly fitted between bush and vegetation. We immediately realized that in these islands nature does not make space for man, but man makes space for nature. This was like a fresh breeze blowing if I compared the reality of this concept to all the other island destinations we have previously visited. The resort manager introduced himself at the breakfast table and after his introductory lecture of the facilities that was available in the resort, did not neglect to inform us that Island Cerf lies on the edge of the Marine Park. Looking from Cerf Island in the direction of Mahe you won't find any high rise buildings. Walking in the capital Victoria you will not find the all familiar fast food outlets. What you will find around the islands is deserted beaches of white sand washed by warm, clear seas and shaded by leafy palms. On recommendation of Peter, Carin and myself, climbed to the highest point of Island Cerf, where normally the helicopter landed to airlift visitors for a tour to neighboring Islands like Praslin, Sillouhette and la Digue. After I managed to retrieve my breath from the steep climb to the top, the sight that greeted me was absolutely awesome; this indeed was God's Garden. What we were looking at exemplifies the Seychelles, islands that are scattered with random perfection, like a neck-lace of topaz, emerald and turquoise in a setting of silver, each one a treasure, a discovery, a secret you will cherish for the rest of your life. When traveling to new places we make a point of getting away from the “tourist” sites, at least once. You cannot get a feel for a destination's authenticity unless you do this. On this trip it was Friday morning at the fish & vegetable market. The abundance is astonishing and the produce comes from the home-gardens of locals - the fish from local fishermen. We were fascinated by the culture, traditions & atmosphere. As is the case in paradise we were reminded by the locals that we need not fear about our health, tropical diseases, dodgy drinking water, crime or corruption. What made our trip even more exciting was that we had perfect weather days for our entire stay, fishing was fruitful, the snorkeling was as only it can be in paradise, the food was succulent with healthy seafood dishes in abundance - and on the sight seeing trips you had to pinch yourself to remember that this is no dream. Indeed the Seychelles is paradise and will never fail to surprise the most discerning traveler with its breathtaking beauty as one of the most un-spoilt holiday destinations in the world; I hope it stays this way, so that future generations can experience how God intended nature to be.
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