Victoria is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Seychelles. It was a sunny late Sunday afternoon when we disembarked. Floral sundresses and beach cover-ups fluttered in the makeshift shops next to the quay while taxi drivers and tour guides proclaimed their expertise. We decided to do the twenty-minute walk to the center of town. Along the road, wintry Christmas decorations fluttered out of place in the bright summer sun. We zig-zagged through a busy street market selling merchandise made in China. The local population, intent on hunting for Christmas bargains, ignored us tourists.

Being Sunday, almost all the tourist attractions, shops and restaurants were closed. We passed the National Museum of Historywhich houses exhibits of the islands’ story. Seychelles describes its people as a Seychellois Creole nation. Its ethnic diversity stems from the period when, as a British colony, black slaves were freed, and other nationalities such as Mozambique, Malagasies (people from Madagascar), and Indians, resided on the island. The Creole language developed in an effort to communicate. The first recorded landing in Seychelles was of the English ship Ascension in 1609. In 1756, France claimed the islands but the first settlers, 15 white men, eight Africans, and five Indians, only arrived in 1770. In 1794, the French surrendered Seychelles to the British and in 1811, the islands officially became a British colony.  

At the end of the street, we saw the silver-painted clocktower modeled on Little Ben, situated outside Victoria Station in London. The town erected this replica in 1903 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. Next to the Museum, we found Lansiv Café, an outdoor restaurant, the only one open to the public on that day. It was amusing to see beer served in a glass engraved with a Seychelles Giant Tortoise image. We were hoping to see these big reptiles the following day.