Location: Moyenne Island, Seyshells
Im not one to fluff stories up. I dont enjoy making them seem grander than they actually are. This act of fluffing, I feel, muddles the truly wonderful stories and can cause all sorts of issues along the border that separates captivating stories and dull stories.
This being said, day 49 does not require any fluffage
We awoke ate breakfast and got the cleaning squared away.
As we gathered for our briefing this morning, Seychellean mountain peaks jutting up from sea level looked down on us. Their heads are usually smothered in clouds, while their bases are speckled with colorful buildings and deep green tropical forest. We were told that although today was a holiday, making it impossible for us to be cleared from our quarantine completely, we were granted special access to a nearby nature reserve. Many of us quickly packed up our day packs, lathered on the sunscreen, and hopped onto the dinghies.
We splashed our way across the port to a small piece of land called Moyenne Island. Only ever inhabited by three groups of people, the island is home to a wide array of life. Previous owners introduced giant tortoises, peacocks, and fauna from across the world to the little piece of land. We got as close to the beach as we could and waded past the sand to a stone staircase that led to the entrance and the sign-in sheet. A friendly dog named Yallow greeted us along with a number of massive tortoises. I couldnt tell you how many full-grown, adolescent, and baby tortoises there are on Moyenne, but the oldest is 95 years old! A winding jungle path weaves along the edge of the island, dropping down to pristine beaches and climbing in some places to massive rocky views.
At this point, everyone split into small groups and set off to explore our first taste of real land since the trip began. I subconsciously decided to move from one group to another as I often do and was amazed at how beautiful the place was. Moyenne is about a 45-minute walk around its circumference. It can be walked barefoot (for the brave of heart and strong of foot), and best of all I didnt see any mosquitos. Sun shining, cool breeze blowing, ancient tortoises, and kind island caretakers. We swam in the clear ocean, drank coconut water fresh off the tree, made friends with Yallow, and scrambled all over the coastal rocks. It was a beautiful island.
As we gathered back on the beach, we said our goodbyes to the caretakers and the pup.
Once on the dinghies, we watched the island get smaller behind. Instead of going straight back to our floating home, however, we motored over to another island, in sight of vela, that had a closed resort on it. The security guard gave us permission to relax on the beach for a while as a cool down from our adventures on Moyenne. Beach time doesnt need a definition. Its just wonderful.
A few hours later, we got back to Vela and washed off the fun from the day. The dirt may be gone, but the memories will last a lifetime. Giant tortoises, tropical islands, clear waters, and another fluffy day on vela
– Noah
Photos
1. The main attraction, a beautiful tortoise
2.Seth
3. Zac
4. Emily, Cate Trey, Fin, Ian, Gillian, Sierra
5. Zac, Yallo, Fin, Trey