Seychelles--Week 2

The routine has set in. We're all awaking on our own just before 6:00 a.m. in time for 6:15 brekkie, though some people are now happy with brekkie because there is no porridge to be found on the island. Wonder why that is? Who would want porridge in 100 degree weather? Al, the boat skipper for one. Actually, it is filling, though with lunch at 11:00 a.m. who would be hungry anyway?

These past two weeks have been fun, yet we've had to work to pass our advanced diver certification course. We then had to pass an Emergency Medical Reponse course, so now I'm considering taking a Rescue Diver course. I still have to pass an exam on fishes--both on paper and in the water. Then I'll be eligible to do what I came here to do--spot fish. Actually we have to count some too, within a specified area, for certain lengths of time, so more to get used to. It is fun being in the water and realizing how I have improved as a diver. I can hover pretty well now, so maybe I should have been placed in the "coral" group. Then I could hover inches from corals and observe how they've come back from a bleaching in the area back in 1998.

There are about 16 volunteers on this GVI project. Most are young, from the UK, and taking a break before the attend "uni". I have the "position" of being the eldest of everyone here. That makes me feel old to say, but luckily I'm keeping up with the young-uns. I was snorkeling last weekend with a fellow American who is only 48 and also fit. He couldn't keep up with me!!!

Our days seem to be getting shorter, or is it longer now that some of our work is completed. That will be filled in in the coming weeks with the fish and coral research. I'm hoping to get to see how this research is actually entered and used for the long term statistics, but then that might seem to much of what I used to do for work. Maybe I'll just put together some presentations to help others learn theis fishes, but then that used powerpoint, so maybe that will remind me too much of work too. Oh well, I'll find my niche here and elsewhere sometime (soon I hope).

I'm just starting to get out to explore the Seychelles. The hour long bus ride to town today showed some picturesque seashores. The beach by the GVI base has little in the way of a beach, especially at high tide. We wad to the boats in bath hot water. No need for wetsuits of any kind if you're from Minnesota. I do wear mine more for protection from the sun than anything else. You should see my tan lines. It looks like I wear socks all the time, though these are bootie lines.

Sleepiing can be an issue here. Reading in bed after lights are out isn't fun because the small flying bugs penetrate the mesquito net so I spend more time batting them than reading. Then there are the blister bugs. They don't like to be disturbed once they're on you, so they respond with something that causes a blister. You don't feel it but sure see it. The objective is not to pop them so there's no scar, but you try that when on a diving trip. Oh well, just another travel story to talk about.

GVI's head of Operations is here for the next week. Quite a young fellow who travels from one base to another. I think there are about 11 or 12--here, in Africa, South America, and Mexico. Maybe this is the opportunity I've been waiting for. I still have to figure out what I'm going to do when I grow up!

As far as the immediate future, opportunities abound. The GVI program includes a week on Curious. I'm hoping to sail my way to LaDigue, another island that's sail to be the most traditional one here, only a few automobiles on the whole island. If not sailing, I'll travel by ferry. If that fails, I'll take the Rescue Diver course--though I've heard they throw you around in that one, which may not be too much fund with all that dive hear on, but then you are in water so that should help.

Decisions, decisions. For now, I'm going to get back on a bus back to base and enjoy a gin and tonic sans ice.