Return to Victoria
Perhaps from still being a little jet-lagged, or perhaps from the bittersweet excitement that comes at the end of a serious journey, the crew was up early on our final morning together. While we set about packing and cleaning and generally getting ready to check the boat back in, we got word from The Moorings that we had an extra hour to return the boat. This news was met with some last few jubilant cannon balls (Robbi informed us that they are called “ass bombs” in German) off the port gunwale.
Photos courtesy of Alisa
Photo courtesy of Robbi
Some consideration was given to going around the southern end of Mahé Island on our way back to Victoria, but our ever-sensible first mate did some calculating and determined that we would arrive three hours late going that way, so we retraced our route from the day before and set off in a northeasterly direction to make our way around the north end of the island and return to Victoria.
North Islet
North Islet with Silhouette Island in the distance
North Point, Mahé Island
We arrived back at the exact same spot at which we’d abandoned and then retrieved Alisa eight days earlier. Crew from The Moorings came aboard and did an inspection of the galley, cabins and heads. We received 5 Stars for the condition of the boat. The last remaining garbage and all of our luggage was transferred to the electric carts and whisked to shore. Having chartered boats with The Moorings in both Tahiti and the Bahamas, Irina said it was by far the most well-run location she’d been to yet. As icing on the cake, they said they would allow Alisa to stay aboard the boat in shore-powered air-conditioned bliss until her flight home later that evening. She planned on giving all of our remaining provisions to Beryl, who would be taking her to the airport.
We had a lovely lunch together in an airy restaurant looking out over the marina and the granite hills to the west, then gave each other hugs and said our goodbyes. Our flight back home via Dubai and Newark didn’t leave until the following morning, so I’d booked us a two-bedroom apartment in the heart of Victoria for the night. It turned out to be on the fourth floor of a new building, with deliciously cool rooms and a great view of the city. I stared out the window for a while, watching a local soccer match in a grassless field and the occasional fruit bat flying by at eye-level.
After we’d settled in, I went out for one last walkabout through the nearby streets and alleys. I found a few last-minute souvenirs, but virtually everything was closed by 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I spent some remaining Seychellois Rupees on a couple Seybrews at an empty bar-restaurant overlooking the town square, as sweaty as the chilled bottles. Back at the apartment I took a shower, did some final repacking, then retired early for a good night’s sleep in the cool cotton sheets.
James arrived at 6:15 on Sunday morning and drove us to the airport. The four hour flight from Victoria to Dubai felt like it was going to be a mere hop compared to the 13 hours it would take to get back to U.S. soil, and being on an Emirates plane made it downright pleasant.
