Seychelles Regatta and more.

Week seven was a very busy week, as always, and super-busy week eight is just now gearing up. This was GVI Seychelles’s first phase ever to have seven week volunteers, so for the first time, we had to say goodbye to some comrades on Friday. Since several people extended their stays from five or seven weeks to ten, we had fewer leaving than we had thought, but it was still hard to say goodbye to Jules and Alice, and we made sure Friday’s party night was a suitable farewell. We donned our best fancy dress and finished off a very productive week with a small feast and a few late night antics. After a nice lay in on Saturday morning, the rest of the weekend was dedicated to the Seychelles Regatta, which we’ve spent the week preparing for. Ciara, Alice, Jules, Katie L., Wayne, and some others did an amazing job creating a GVI information board and treasure map for our Coco De Mer giveaway. They also painted a brilliant mermaid sponge throwing board with the face cut out—it was hard to tell who enjoyed the game more, the locals throwing the sponges or the GVI folk watching each other get pelted. We also had two GVI entries into the 10k run—Paul and Alice not only made it past the finish line, but placed second and third in the male and female races! We had an amazing time at the Regatta, eating our fill of hamburgers and kebobs, listening to live bands, and watching the locals attack the 10 meter greased pole with a cash prize at the top. Overall, we raised almost 3000 rupees to fight drug problems in Seychelles, not including the 750 rupees raised by Paul’s and Alice’s runs.

Back on base, the weeks are full these days, and data collection is speeding along very well. All the ten week volunteers are surveying on their own and the new five week volunteers are finishing off their in-water tests and doing quadrates with the help of staff. We’ve already finished up five of our 15 contracted sites, and we’re just putting some finishing touches on the others. The base on Curieuse is also running ahead of schedule, having finished most of their sites already by week eight. Work on the house is getting churned out as well and last week Wayne, Claire, Mark, and Sarah were able to get a second week at the satellite camp in order to help Rich and Rosie with some of the house projects. The plot of land in the back is already being planted with some of the veggies-to-be, though it was nothing short of a forest a few weeks ago. They’ve also begun serious work on a roof for the generator house and some polished Takamaka wood beams for the garden. Soon our little Curieuse house will be in competition with the five star resorts! In other Curieuse news, one of our chickens, Genevieve, has begun roosting! If we’re lucky, we’ll have 5-10 more fluffy white chicks on the way soon.

The phase is definitely speeding along, and it’s hard to believe that we’ve only got two and half weeks left. But with four dives a day and perfect weather we should be making the best of the time left, and everyone is looking forward to soaking up these last weeks in the Seychelles.

Seychelles Regatta and more.