La Digue Island and the legends about turtles (continuous)
Indigenous people believe that the island was created and has been protected by the turtles which help them overcome the waves of the ocean sometimes benign but sometimes unpredictably furious. Legend also reminds people to protect the marine ecological environment better so that the amount of green turtles living here is more and more.
With a cornucopia of sea fish, the natives have many ways to prepare for the dishes with many different flavors. My favorite fish dish is the fish marinated with hoisin and skewered by sugar cane, then grilled on the charcoal fire. When grilled, the sugar cane will saturate into the fish and make it more delicious. Nibbling grilled fish with the local wine is the perfect combination. This wine is fermented in coconut that can find nowhere but in this beautiful island country.
The exotic coconut named Coco de Mer
Entering into Seychelles, I saw customs stamp on the passport having the shape of two coconuts. At the time, I thought that the Seychelles was the country of coconut trees, so coconut is a symbol of the island and it is created by putting two coconuts together.
Wandering in the capital Victoria on Mahé Island, I saw that symbol which was painted everywhere. That symbol looked sexy! During a chat with the natives, I knew that it was a type of coconut only found in the Seychelles and called Coco de mer (in French) or Double Coconut (in English). It can be translated into "double coconut". They are also the symbol of this island.
The scientists of the Seychelles said that these "sexy" coconuts were derived from the Maldives Islands and drifted into the Indian Ocean to here. Coco de Mer was found in the Seychelles in 1743 on Chauve Souris and lle Ronde Island, near Praslin Island. However, they are now extinct in its homeland. The surviving plants are relocated on Praslin Island and planted in the national park Valle de Mai. I wanted to see the true shape of the coconut and it took me about 30 minutes sitting on a boat to get to Praslin Island.
They are wild plants (also called sea coconut); they are only pollinated by the wind, and; therefore, they could be extinct if there were no man coming to Seychelles. When pollinated, they need 6-7 years to grow and 2 years to germinate seedlings. Coco de Mer holds 3 world records in the world plants: the world’s heaviest fruit (42 kilos when being fresh), the world's heaviest nut (17.6 kilos) and the biggest flower.
When splitting a Coco de mer, it looks like two kidneys. It is said that it has many minerals and capability of treating some diseases. Local people said that the price of a Coco de Mer is around $ 1,000.
At night, I saw the moon like the gold dish on the sky, the waves hitting the shore like whispering. I will always remember the sound and colors of this island.
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