A couple of years ago someone welded the liberated man's chains together ...Here are some views on the matter of Liberation Day:
- a blog post by Sandra Benoiton Hanks
- a blog post by Another View of Seychelles Politics. Tagline: "The aim of this blog is to provide an analysis of the Seychelles Politics but an analysis which is not what a political party would like you to believe. I do not claim that I have the absolute truth on everything and I am only giving my opinions or reactions to things that happen. I am not making party propaganda (like other "independent" medias do)"
- a blog post by Cuhnelbald who writes a political blog on Seychelles, where he looks at some important issues
Free "Zonm Libre"!
ReplyDeleteThis is a concise history lesson:
http://seychellesweekly.com/June%2029,%202007/Page%207%20-%20Coup%20D'etat.html
Does anyone celebrate November 25th;
Counter-coup Attempt Day just 27 years ago?
Do you know the fate of my hero, Guy Pool?
RichA.
Hope you had a good, restful day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the other blogs. The second one is particularly interesting. Never knew there was so much activity in blog world re: Sesel.
(That means spending more time on the net - been trying to wean myself off) :) :)
How did we spend out time before we had internet?
Have a great weekend.
Seselwaz.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI read your Expat Interview. Thanks.
If the dollar gets any worse we will have to leave our Greek island.
Maybe the Seychelles.
Cheers,
RichA. - The link doesn't work:; its shows up as a 404 Not Found. And I have no idea what happened to Guy Pool. Did he go off to Australia? Anybody?
ReplyDeleteSeselwaz - It is too late to wean yourself off the internet... our doom is all sealed...
Paroshep - The Seychelles is getting more and more expensive every day. The rupee is in even worse shape than the dollar. I'll be posting some living costs soon.
Hey L,
ReplyDeleteDoes this link work? (homepage)
http://seychellesweekly.com/
If not, your probably being blocked.
I just order a book from Amazon;
"Seychelles Affair"
Col. Mike Hoare's version of the events that took place during the abortive Seychelles coup attempt of November 1981.
I was working at the Tracking Station the night the fire-fight broke out back in the day.
The book should be very interesting even if it is ancient history. :)
RichA - This link works, thanks. The days of overt actions such as blocking websites are over. :-)
ReplyDeleteI "missed" the action by about two years, but I read the book. Excellent read due to the subject matter, although Mike Hoare himself is extremely annoying. But I'll let you be the judge of that ...
Tracking station? Were you still around in 83/84?
I married and left Seychelles in '83. From the Seychelles, I was assigned to the Guam Station for a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteYes, Mad Mike the mercenary can't be too enlighten...
RichA.
Louise,
ReplyDeleteIf can find an copies of "Seychelles Affair" hold on to them for they are very valuable. The paperback edition sells for $65 on Amazon.com.
RichA.
Rich,
ReplyDeleteNow I wish I hadn't lost mine... I even had a copy of Forgotten Eden, wonder if that is available anywhere. I'll certainly snap up any copies if I find any.
I must have just missed you then. My first stay was in 83 I think. There was actually a guy from Guam here, Ed I think his name was. And Big Lee?
I just ordered "Forgotten Eden" for $20.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.antiqbook.co.uk/boox/yes/026777.shtml
A nice addition to my Seychelles book collection, thanks!
I'm sure we have mutual friends and may even be related. lol
RichA.
L,
ReplyDeleteBy "Big Lee" do you mean the old guy, Lee Pertel? His nick name with the Americans was "re-run" because he told the same story, over and over.
Granted it was a good story; driving off a La Misere cliff in a Mini Moke. This was way back, before the airport was built. Poor guy was in full traction, air-lifted to Joeburg on the PanAm flying boat. We worked together as antenna drivers, he had a saying I still use to this day. If anyone wondered into our area to hang out, Lee would say "If you have nothing to do, don't do it here!"
Maybe you had to be there...
Cheers,
RichA.
RichA- The very man! And I thought I was privileged to hear the story...
ReplyDeleteWe must have mutual friends/relatives; in Seychelles it's not six degrees of separation, more like one or two..
L,
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool we can connect half way around the world!
The sea plane got me wondering about the history of Seychelles, pre-airport construction in 1971.
I think you have an "inquiring mind"
and will enjoy this link:
http://www.rpsl.org.uk/displays/early_seychelles.html
I dated Franklin (a girl) Pool from Petit Paris. Her single mom had several young children, none looked alike. Rumor had it she was one of Rene's mistresses.
Are you related to the Confait family?
RichA.
RichA,
ReplyDeleteIt IS cool; I'm really enjoying our conversations.
Thanks for the link. I had no idea that anyone had flown here at all before the opening of the airport. I was actually here for that historic occasion. We were living in Japan at the time and travelled via Bombay to Nairobi, then took the last voyage of the SS Kampala to Victoria. Then we took the first plane (BOAC in those days) out. It was my first visit to Seychelles and pretty memorable...
I'm not related (closely at any rate) to the Confaits. I married a Pool, but my family is Gontier (the "royal" ones if you know that story) and Parcou. Ultimately, though, a lot of these families are related somehow. I know I did discover mutual relatives with my ex...
You seem to have dated a few girls here. Spirit of the islands :-)...
Cheers,
Louise
L,
ReplyDeleteRegarding Seychelles history, I would love to get a copy of this book:
http://mc1litvip.jstor.org/pss/718768
I am working on tracking down a copy the public can access.
You certainly have been witness to he transformation of the Seychelles into the modern times. What could possibly be next?
I arrived in the Seychelles from an 18 month tour at Thule Tracking Station (North Pole). I was lily white and horny as hell! Dating both locals and tourist, I did the "butterfly" thing until I landed on that one special island flower.
A most enjoyable courtship ensued and a loving extended family took me in. Many home cooked meals, large table full of laughing family and interesting conversation on the veranda. Nescafe, condensed milk and sugar with a Benson and Hedges bought singularly from the little Indian shop. Simply Nirvana!
RichA.
RichA,
ReplyDeleteYes, what could possibly be next?...
I had forgotten about the dreaded outpost in Greenland. At least you came here from there. I remember some poor guys who were heading there after here. Single B&H are still available, Nescafe, too, although there is local coffee nowadays.
Have you been back on a visit since leaving?
L,
ReplyDeleteFrom Heaven to Hell, I pity those poor souls leaving the Seychelles for Thule.
My first assignment was a 3 year tour at Vandenberg Tracking Station, 75 km North of Santa Barbara. I was just a kid in the Air Force, eager to learn it all. Spent the next 10 years off the grid; surfaced again when I saw Ford Aerospace advertising for
Range Rats. They promised me the Seychelles but I had to pay my dues in Thule first. I was on Mahe for 3 years then to Guam for 2 years. Moved back to where I grew up, Silicon Valley and got a real job with NASA.
I have only been back once, many years ago, for our Catholic Church wedding. We just had a civil ceremony with red headed "Marrin' Sam" before we left the Seychelles.
Our second honeymoon was on Praslin at our Uncle's guest house. Every day we would hike to Anse Laizo.
She would get so pissed because I would not never want to go back.
Just wanted to play on my boogie board until dark! :)
Sorry to mention B&H; As if smoking was a good thing. I saw in your blog you quit smoking, That is GREAT! I quit too, but my Father-in-law would get very offended if I did not accept his offer.
Plus I enjoyed the buzz!
Take Care- I'm off to the Sierras on a camping holiday by the River...
RichA.
RichA,
ReplyDeleteSmoking is not a good thing, but it certainly is a pleasurable thing ...
Have a great time in the Sierras!
Cheers,
Louise
PS What on earth is a Range Rat?
Hey Y'all,
ReplyDeleteI was a 'Range Rat' and lived with RichA in '81. Was some of the most memorable times of my life.
Rich, if you read this, give me a shout back. Would love to reminisce and see where some of the old crew are these days.
I am still in the Valley doing tech stuff. I talked to Hagman(of the 1230). Wonder where Bernie and Stan are these days. you can email me at dane_boberg@yahoo.com
LMK.
Dane
The 5th of June is Liberation Day, this year the 30th anniversary of Liberation Day, the occasion on which in 1977 the country was 'liberated' from the government installed by the Brits not quite one year before.
ReplyDeleteSeychelles airport
I'm sorry to have no time to read this blog thoroughly right now (I'll be back, though) but just wanted to comment that my 3 months in Seychelles is still one of the most memorable times of my life.
ReplyDeleteI was there during Liberation Day 1980, TDY from Ford Aerospace - we were advised as Americans to lie low and stay home if we could that day. Since it's also my birthday, and I'd found an island friend by then, it was a most pleasurable confinement.
Haven't been back since those days, but think of Seychelles quite often and wish you all the best.
Looking forward to catching up by reading this blow.
- Jim