Last night we enjoyed an absolutely lovely homecooked meal on Praslin. Nicole outdid herself and made tuna belly, papaya salad, mango salad, rice and Seychelles sauce, banana fritters and coconut cream plantains and bananas for 11. We sat upstairs on the veranda of one of her rentals and dined to the sound of the waves crashing on Praslin’s southern shore. Nicole has become our person on the ground here, and any question, recommendation or other thing we have needed, I have messaged her on whatsapp for guidance. She’s one of those people that SwimVacation loves to connect with and hang on to - someone with a wealth of local knowledge that makes us feel like are are really living in a place. Reciprocally, we love to support local businesses and efforts whenever possible. If you come to Praslin, you should stay with her at SeaSplash Self Catering. Say yes when she offers to cook you dinner. Thank you again, Nicole!

This morning brought the news that Caroline needed to get home sooner than expected. She has a very demanding job, the reach of which she could not escape. She hasn’t slept well, and that just makes everything harder. We were all surprised and sad to see her go, and I think it shook us all a little. I know it shook me, as I’ve grown so close to each of these ladies, and I’ve put all of myself into this experience with them. I’ll say again that I admire Caroline so much for taking this leap of faith with us. She is brand new to open water swimming and traveled half way around the world with strangers to do it. She swam strong and confidently, and I hope she will go home with an additional appreciation for herself as an open water swimmer.

Just before 9 am we ventured out for a land excursion - a guided tour through the Vallee de Mai, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s an ancient forest that has never been disrupted since these islands were wrenched away from the Gondwana supercontinent that broke up about 180 million years ago. It is also home to the Coco de Mer palm, endemic to the Seychelles. I won’t get into the absolutely fascinating facts about the lifecycle and reproductive systems of these amazing trees - I had no idea - but suffice it to say these things are wise and old and nature is amazing. Google it. You won’t be sorry.

We also saw three different endemic birds found here and nowhere else. Two I was able to photograph (not well): The black parrot, Coracopsis barklyi and the blue pigeon, Alectroenas pulcherrimus. Ok ok I photographed another one of those spiders too. Our guide called it the Palm Spider. Not because of the palm trees, but because it’s the size of the palm of your hand.

I still don’t want to talk about it.

If you are so lucky to travel, I cannot stress enough the importance of finding a good guide. Our tour guide, Josephine Ernesta, made our visit to Vallee de Mai utterly compelling. She is remarkably knowledgeable about all of the creatures - flora and fauna - of these islands and in particular, this park. What really makes the day though, is her passion for the information she is sharing, and her love of Seychelles and all of the species and features that make it unique. I wish I could tell you everything we learned. I’m not a forest person, but I could have stayed in that majestic place with her all day.

When you understand how everything - everything - in this forest is interconnected and in balance with each other, as it is on the coral reef or any other ecosystem, it becomes even more clear how truly interconnected we ALL are. How these spaces really do matter to us all. Island nations understand this better than communities on big land masses. And it only takes spending a little time here, listening and exploring, to really feel the truth of it.

Here’s another truth Josephine shared with us: What we witnessed with the Giant Tortoises the other day was not ACTUAL mating! The bellowing sound the male made from on top of the female was actually him requesting, not actually…doing. The actual act is silent. But our guy never got past the ask. Thank you Josephine for setting us straight!

If you are ever in Prasline, you must call Josephine for a passionate, knowledgeable and fascinating tour of Vallee de Mai. You can reach her by email at lasourcedesseychelles@gmail.com, or on whatsapp at 00248 2520767. Her website is www.lasourcedesseychelles.com. You won’t regret it.

The forrest walk stuck with us all for hours I think.Through a fantastic lunch of salads and honestly I don’t even know what else because I was busy editing all through it. But it was fantastic as usual, and fueled us for an advenurous ride east to some new islands.

The winds are big and persistent this week. It is what it is and it’s not for the faint of heart. More than any of our other locations, the Seychelles is wild and on the edge. So so far in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Everything here is wild, and moving around on and in the water drives home the point that the Ocean is Big and we are small and not in charge.

I am not uncomfortable being small. I actually find great solace in a big sea where I have little control. It forces one to be fully present, in the moment, open to potential and possibility. The only thing we can control is our own response to what IS. This is one of the gifts of open water swimming. But when we sailed up along the western shore of La Digue and found nowhere to hide from this southern wind - found that it was wrapping around even the northern most shore, I started to worry about my ladies. Not that they couldn’t swim in rough seas, but that they wouldn’t want to.

Why would I think that?

What I love most about the swimmers on this particular trip with me is that they are all seasoned, confident women who identify as water people. They all want to be in the water. They all understand their place in it and believe in their ability to work with it. They all have come here for something different than our usual fare. They have come here for adventure. They have come here to find something more in the water and in themselves.

As we rounded the north shore of Felicite, the sea was pulsing into the granitic boulders with force and rhythm. I looked to the stern to see my ladies there, all suited up, ready to jump in. Giddy, was the phrase Celine used. They were giddy.

We plunged in and together explored this unknown shore. We investigated swim throughs, we took turns scouting passages between boulders. We were tossed playfully, and that’s how we did this swim - playfully. In between the splashing swells I heard laughter and wows and joy. I saw smiles. These women are so strong. They healed me of my own doubts on this swim, with their confidence and trust in what we are doing. They are truly exploring this wild and wonderful place with me, and I could not be happier about it.

Celine spotted a baby spotted eagle ray! Myssie plunged down deeper than I have ever seen her go to get a good look!

At dinner it occured to me to share that they have each become 4x the swimmer they were when I met them. I’ve been so fortunate to have covered so many miles with each of them. And I am humbled by the true water people they have become. Today, it actually moved me to tears among the tossing waves.