I am sat in a car park alongside the King of Ghana and the princess of Swaziland. Calypso music blasts as the smell of spicy barbequed chicken permeates the air. Forget Rio or New Orleans, this is the Victoria international carnival in the Seychelles.
Once a premium tourist destination, the Seychelles has struggled to compete with the Maldives and Mauritius, while Somalian piracy and drug trafficking has left it marooned in negative headlines.
In 2011 it hit back with what is now dubbed the “Olympics of Carnivals” – and this, the fifth annual event, features more than 20 countries.
The capital is in gridlock as over half the island’s 90,000 people line a mile-long route. The South Korean delegation showcase martial arts, a Swedish tribal leader sings and Notting Hill’s samba queen and fan-tailed costumes put even Rio’s offering to shame. The armies of street performers and a cacophony of music make it hard for even the steeliest not to be enthused.
Sitting under the VIP enclosure is the Russian ambassador. Russia is notably absent from this parade. Why, I ask? This is surely not the year to withdraw from the world? “I don’t know,” he says. “But give me your number and I’ll call you if we’re coming next year. I really hope we will.”
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