A Thousand Miles From Nowhere: Republic of Seychelles

The absolute most remote place I have ever visited is the Republic of Seychelles.  Seychelles is located on the East Coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, 1,000 miles away from the next closest land mass.  A true gem in the Indian Ocean, and a "off the beaten path" tourism location for Europe, Africa, and Asia.

 

The best way I can describe Seychelles is to compare it to Hawaii (think Jurassic Park).  Large mountains and valleys enveloped in low hanging fog and mist. I had never heard of this nation until I set foot there.  The economy is largely based on tourism and fishing. The food had a very American and French influence, which allowed for a nice taste of home, but still maintained the exotic feel of a far away place.  My visit kept me in the capital island of Victoria for 4 days, and this allowed me to get a glimpse of what the future holds for Seychelles and what they strive for.  

The center of town had a really cool 4-way intersection with a clock in the middle.  Plenty of open air markets, store fronts, restaurants, and places of worship.

The main attraction for visitors to Victoria Island is the Berjaya Resort.  A very beautiful resort that has prime real estate on the coast.  Beautiful beaches, towering mountains, and unbeatable views.  Open bar(s), a pool, live music, all on the beach.  

The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean I have ever swam in.  When I wasn't in the surf, I was kicking back on a beach chair with a local hand-rolled cigar, just taking in the sights and sounds of the beach.  A wedding took place and I really enjoyed watching that.  That resort beach is a great place to have a wedding.  I wouldn't mind renewing my vows there myself.  

  

 To end my last day on the island, I was blessed to see the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen before.  The clouds cleared out in the late afternoon, giving way to a stunning sunset.  I took about 10 pictures of this sunset, but this one is my favorite.  I would certainly return to Victoria Island, Seychelles.  More specifically, the Berjaya Resort.  It is certainly a costly venture, but one I would highly recommend if given the opportunity.

-J

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain, lies the Balearic Islands.  The island chain is comprised of Mallorca (or Majorca), Minorca, Ibiza, and Formentera.

Palma is the capital city of the province on the island of Mallorca.  The city was originally founded in 123 BC by the Roman Empire and was a major shipping port for Carthage and Hispania. Today, Palma de Mallorca is a huge tourist destination for mainland Europe, more specifically Germany, Ireland, Poland, Netherlands, & United Kingdom. Being a tourist destination, there are many cruise ships and ferry's that visit the island. In fact, the Costa Concordia was pierside during my visit.  Quite spooky, actually.  Not long after leaving Palma, the Costa Concordia tragically sank and took lives with her.

The largest visible structure from downtown Palma is the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma.  A very beautiful Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral that was built between 1229-1601.  Renovation and restoration was between 1901-1914.

The city of Palma is very beautifully maintained.  Fall was also in the air, so the crisp, cool temperatures and clear blue sky really added to the magic of Palma de Mallorca.  I don't use the expression "magic" lightly.  I've been all around Europe Africa, and the Middle East, but Palma de Mallorca truly was magical.  I loved it!  I could not get over the wonderful people, the food, the Sangria (oh my God, the Sangria was life changing), and just the overall setting and vibe of the city.  I could live in Palma.  I'd love to live in Palma.

I had a great couple of days hanging with good friends, taking in the sights and sounds of Palma de Mallorca. I can see why this is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Europe.  Great beaches, great food, great night life, great culture, great history.  Palma de Mallorca is in my top 5 favorite places that I've visited. 

I'll end this post with a picture of me enjoying an amazing glass of Sangria and a good smoke, proudly representing Manchester United.  I'd revisit in a heartbeat.

-J

Rota, Spain

When we picture Europe, what comes to mind? Cobblestone streets, houses and apartment buildings crammed closely together with thousands of people on scooters and tiny cars zooming past each other with no regard to traffic laws. I was fortunate to find a great city that doesn't have all of that crazy hustle and bustle that we associate with mainstream Europe.  

As of 2012, Rota has a population of 29,094 & is located near the Straits of Gibraltar (Atlantic side).  With such a low population, it would seem obvious why Rota doesn't have the overcrowded streets.  However, Rota is also the home of a joint U.S./Spanish Navy base.  The first thing I noticed was the city not being defined by the military base. Unlike other military-based cities like Naples, Rota has been able to maintain its independence and rich cultural history. Castillo de Luna is a beautiful ancient fortress which currently houses the local municipality. 

O'Grady's Irish Bar was the local hotspot for visiting Sailors.  They have an excellent setting, and the coolest bar I have ever seen.  The walls are completely covered with $1 bills written on by visiting service members. Aircraft squadrons and ships (some long since decommissioned) gives you a window to the past.  Some were dedicated to family and girlfriends, others were disgruntled messages regarding a specific deployment or cheating lovers back home, but the majority had the name of ships or squadrons and the Sailors that wrote them. I really enjoyed reading what people wrote on these bills.  The oldest dollar I found was from the 60's.  The drinks were great, as was the staff and setting.  I highly recommend stopping by!

Stay tuned for a future posting about Palma de Mallorca! 

-J

Egypt: Like You've Never Seen Before

While my esteemed colleague, Crankbait, had the pleasure of living in Egypt and was able to experience first hand the daily ins and outs of Egyptian life, I was given a twelve hour express tour of Egypt via the Suez Canal.  My warship passed through the canal transiting to and from the Persian Gulf during my 2011 deployment.

Standing six-hour watch rotations, I really didn't have much time to enjoy the sites. But what I was able to see was quite enjoyable. One thing I noticed immediately was the Egyptian army. There was a soldier standing at attention every 25 yards the entire length of the canal. Some were in pairs, but most of them stood solo out in the heat in full gear, with an AK-47 across their chest. They did have a little shack, but I never saw the soldiers use them. A very well trained force indeed. What they were guarding against was never completely made clear. Perhaps it was to prevent ships from stopping in the canal to offload people or materials. Makes sense. We passed through just before the Muslim Brotherhood debacle. 

At one point, the Suez Canal widened and there was a resort on the shore. I never caught the name, but people were sun bathing and swimming in the canal. There was a barrier net to protect from the shipping lanes. The locals would wave to us as we passed by. Pretty awesome to see some people still like us in that region.  We also passed under the Egyptian-Japanese friendship bridge, which was cool to see. 

The differences between the two sides of the canal was pretty drastic. The west side was populated from beginning to end, while the east was mostly barren desert, with the occasional pipeline or army HQ. Small fishing docks dotted both sides of the canal, but the boats were empty.

I don't post many pictures of myself.  Back when I was pushing 200 lbs and used SH-60 sonar buoys as weights.

The Suez Canal in all of its glory.  This waterway is the most vital transit system of any in the world.

These guys were dedicated.  It was easily over 100 degrees, but they had a job to do.

The Japan-Egypt Friendship Bridge. 

While the Eastern bank was dotted with soldiers every 25 yards, the Western bank had snipers.  I was lucky enough to catch a sniper and his spotter making their way to their post.  

This bridge was pretty awesome.

The resort. I would have loved to spend some time there!

Mt. 508.  One of the two SCAT (Small Caliber Action Team) positions I commanded while on Anzio.  Twin .50 caliber MG's.

Behind the Fallen Iron Curtain: Estonia

For the final installment of my "Behind the Fallen Iron Curtain" Series, I've saved the best for last.  The Republic of Estonia.

Estonia was THE BEST country I visited during my naval service.  No other country ever came close to Estonia's economic and social standings.  It would be easy to categorize Estonia as the typical post-Soviet control nation trying to find its own identity much like Ukraine or Bulgaria.  However, following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Estonia wasted no time setting itself apart from the rest of Eastern Europe.  For inspiration, Estonia turned to the United States as an example of how to establish an economy, but they took it one step further.  The fledgling nation asked Milton Friedman to "design" their economy.  The results speak for themselves.  As an "export before import" nation, Estonia has the highest GDP of any former Soviet country. They rank third in the world in economic freedoms, civil liberties, and education (All children are required to be fluent in English, Estonian, and Russian).  Estonia is also among the highest GDP per-capita for EU and NATO nations.  The government debt to GDP ratio for Estonia, 6.7%, is the lowest in the EU!  Unfortunately, Estonia's history hasn't been as spectacular as its economy.  Estonian independence was officially recognized in 1920, but the young nation would only have until 1940 to exercise its rights as a sovereign nation.  From 1940-1944, Estonia was caught in a game of "Tug O' War" between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.  Concentration Camps were built through out the country, and those who survived the Nazis found themselves sent to Soviet Gulags.  From 1944 until 1991, Estonia was considered territory of the USSR, even though the country tried to maintain its sovereignty.  Despite being at the mercy of two ruthless empires for over 50 years, and experiencing a "rebirth" in 1991, Estonians still maintain February 24, 1918 as their official Independence Day.  A glass cross and plaque honors those killed and tells the story of how their nation was born.  Truly incredible.   From an historical perspective, Estonia has a rich story to tell, but to the average citizen living through those times,  I'm sure it was Hell on Earth.  As a result, Estonian resentment towards Russia is quite high, and only 3% of Estonian exports go to Russia.  

The people truly love Americans.  I did not meet anyone who didn't have anything nice to say regarding the United States. I know this blog post isn't really telling you much about my personal experience in Estonia, but just being able to visit a country that is so economically "perfect", I really don't feel a need to drone on about my daily routine there.  The food was incredible, the weather was great, the sites were beautiful, the history of Estonia was phenomenal.  I would return without hesitation if given the opportunity.  

FUN FACT: Skype was designed and created by Estonians.  At 27.12 Mbts/s, Estonia has the fasted internet download speeds in Europe!