It was a three-course meal eaten next to the only person in the world standing at the bottom of the Door to Hell in Turkmenistan, around-the-world private jet cruise with a person sitting in a zodiac sign, And a sunset cocktail to drink next to a traveler who can tell me what Tibet was like in the 70s. I could not find the locations referenced from each conversation on a map, but were immediately added to my bucket list. So friends, book cheap flights with your United Airlines Reservations.
Learning Life-Changing Lessons
There is nothing like an expedition cruise that makes you feel above millions of stars and humble towards the endless expanse of sea and sky – but it is also powerful and important that you get every minute of every day I can make it as per your choice.
Before the trip, I knew that plastics were bad for the environment. But a naturalist with a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution, Dr. To sit in Merle Delabout’s lecture, and learn that a million plastic water bottles are sold every minute around the world, and then to swim with the magnificent creatures that swallow and die of these plastics, and then to watch Plastic bottles and flip-flops are decently washed away on remote shores, making me realize how powerful my everyday choices are, and I vowed to become a more conscious consumer when I return home.
“Le Hard” on La Diggy
In this untouched part of the world, there are no local populations pressuring the ecosystem, and you can see what nature likes when it is wild and oblivious to humans. After two glorious days in Aldabra, we continued exploring the far corners and secret sections of Seychelles, before finishing our journey on La Digue.
You may have previously seen the picture-perfect island of La Dig on a generic, satisfying screen. The island is the embodiment of the word paradise: huge, granite boulders that cover the white sand surrounded by green white palm trees. Magnificent turquoise waves crest in white foam and pound on the edges in a white-noise-worthy soundtrack.
Fortune and jaw-dropping scenery is full of bravery … and cheese. At La Digue, a fleet of the island’s finest bikes awaited us. Slightly ocean-rusty and crumbling, these beach cruisers make us stretch our legs and fly over the dirt roads of the islands. We passed through local villages and forests, which I felt was the most beautiful beach ever. It was as if I had been dropped into a screensaver that I had imagined.
We trekked to the beach and climbed a rocky trail that confirmed the history of the granular island of La Digue. The boulder stairs formed, and at the top of the natural granite staircase, a wind and sparkling ocean view indicated that this hike would be more than worth it. We landed on Anse Cocoa Beach.
Accessible by boat or rent only, crowds were minimal. Desperate to cool down after our expedition, we shed our sweaty clothes to our sweaty waters and drowned in water. Cooler than many other places in Seychelles, the water gave sweet relief, at a cost. Dido made the power of the ocean very clear. Aggressive waves staggered one after the other, knocking us off our feet as it enhanced the beauty of the island.
We fainted in the shining turquoise waters, came out of the waves, and swung with glee, feeling like explorers who stumbled upon a secret paradise. At the end of the day, we return to the ship and our pampered existence as a cruiser. But here in the water, we were wild adventurers.
From Start to the Ocean Floor
Every night on the ship, we traveled from the stars to the ocean floor. The boat lights were switched off at 9 pm. The top deck was empty and still, with only the hum of engines and the rush of waves as we cut through the water. There was no light to compete with the stars, their brightness I had never seen – a naturally dark sky reserve. The Milky Way sliced a lively sword through the sky, and for me, many other stars lit up the sky.
After hours staring and tracing constellations, which I had never seen before, I distanced myself and took the lift in six flights emerging underwater. Four holes are cut in the hull and tied in 18 layers of glass which keep us under the sea every night. The blue underwater light lit up the ocean around us, causing us to peer into life below the waterline. I felt that a spy was suspended in space, like a needy fish surrounded by windows.
Cheers erupted as the sea turtle in the room exploded, and a flying fish danced to our scene. The bioluminescence, which looked like precious gems in the blue light, gave one of the ship’s marine experts a closer look at such a rare scene, dry, and with a drink in hand.
We spent our nights in wonder pressed against the glass and our eyes rose up towards the sky. Back in Boston, I look up to the light-polluted sky in search of that same glow. It doesn’t matter that I can’t see them anymore – I know that the stars are there just as I know that there is a sense of adventurer within me.
