The Main Island
of Mahe...
of Mahe...
A boat docked on the beach in Beau Vallon.
Capital of Seychelles - Victoria.
Another view of Beau Vallon.
August 6, 2006
New revelation of the day: I get seasick.
Cause: One-hour ferry ride from Praslin to Mahe in windy conditions.
Effect: Head hovering into a barf bag during the last half of the ride (which I can say with certainty was the longest half-hour of
my life).
I was honestly nervous that the boat wasn’t going to make it. I also want to use this opportunity to say that whoever designed
‘boats’ is a sheer genius. How do they always manage to never just tip over in the water? If that could have happened to any
boat, it would have happened to our boat today. Side-to-side motions the whole way. There were even a couple of times where
I swear our boat was in mid-air for a split second before crashing down onto the water. I was reminded of those inflatable
punching bags that were around when I was a kid. I don’t think I ever had one but I loved playing with the one at the end of
the aisle in the Toys ‘R Us that we would go to. No matter how hard you punched the clown (I think that’s what it was made to
look like), he never tipped over. He always popped right back up to his upright position. That was my ferry today.
The important thing is that I made it. I am now in Mahe.
While most people ‘vacation’ in Seychelles, I am somewhat hooked on being a ‘traveler’. For example, most people would take
a taxi to their hotel once the ferry has docked. But not I. I have principles these days. Principles that say ‘No way am I paying
$40 for a ride!’ Instead, I walked about 25 minutes to the bus station and waited at the bus station for about another 20 or so
minutes. I asked around to find out which bus to take and people were more than helpful. Gotta love the Seychellois. Then a
woman motioned across the street to me that the bus I needed was over there. I hopped on and spent another hour on the
bus. Final cost? About sixty cents. I actually did the math today and by using the local buses instead of taxis in just two days, I
have saved over $100. Incredible.
August 7, 2006
I woke up today before the time that breakfast is served so I decided to make my squishy self (believe me…after eating barely
anything but bread products for the last week, ‘squishy’ is an understatement) go for a run along the beach. As I read this, I
realize that on paper it looks quite impressive. In reality, it really wasn’t. I can not even explain how out of shape I am. The
most I have ever been in my life. To put it in perspective, when I used the gym in Johannesburg at my hotel, I did five minutes
of sit-ups (enough to take me through one song on my ipod). Keep in mind that I never get sore after a workout unless it is
really intense. Five minutes of sit-ups is not intense. Well…for the two days that followed, my abs were feeling it. In a word, I
would like to sum this up as ‘pathetic’. Now to my run this morning... I think it took me less than ten minutes before my ‘run
on the beach’ turned into a ‘walk on the beach’. I have to say that my intentions were good though.
During breakfast it proved to be another rainy morning. That did not matter to me. I was determined to go to Beau Vallon –
one of the most popular beaches on Mahe. After riding on two different bus lines, I arrived. I must say that Beau Vallon is
beau-tiful. I can never tire of seeing the granite rocks on the beaches here in Seychelles. To be honest, I have no interest in
seeing beaches here that don’t have the granite rocks. I picked up a spicy fish samosa and made my way out to stroll along the
beach. I forgot to point out the most important thing regarding when I got there…there was blue sky. Okay, the whole sky
wasn’t blue…but at this point beggars can’t be choosers and if I’m given a sliver of blue, I will take it. I parked myself
underneath a palm tree and took in what would be my last day in Seychelles.
I didn’t realize until I was buying my samosa that I had about 180 rupees left (about $35). I decided some of this would be
used to spoil myself and eat lunch at a restaurant on the beach. Considering the $5 shopping spree on bread products I did in
La Digue has fueled me for lunch and dinner for the past few days, I see this as my reward. Now it’s actually time for me to do
a bit of bragging… Yesterday I spent a whopping $3 ($2 on Internet, $0.50 for the bus ride to the ferry and $0.50 for the bus
ride to my hotel) for the entire day and the day before I spent $2.50 ($0.50 for the bus ride to Anse Lazio and $2 for the soda
I had at the beach restaurant) for the entire day. My ‘traveler’s’ mindset obviously isn’t escaping me even in a place like this.
Another miraculous thing would happen yesterday. As I was checking out of my hotel, I decided to ask (knowing it was
hopeless) if they could waive my first night that I was a no-show (due to my snafu about not having transportation to the
island). And they did it! With no problem! So now I see it as an extra $100 in my pocket – that is sure to provide me at least
ten nights of a nice place to stay in India. Hooray!
Soon it would begin to pour and I decided I would start making the long trip home to my hotel. I stopped in Victoria. Helpful bit
of advice for anybody planning to come out to Seychelles – there is really no reason at all to make a special visit to this city.
Then I hopped on my next bus and stopped off at a pretty beach with (can you guess?) pretty granite rocks. Then it poured
and I had to wait for twenty minutes until the next bus. It was worth it in the name of my last day of granite rock beaches. I
hopped on the bus being more than happy to have the shelter. After paying, I decided to look at my ticket receipt. Crap. I just
assumed that only one bus line went by that stop. I did not even think of asking what bus it was when I got on. Since my
assumptions are always wrong, this time would be no different. I got off at the next bus stop and waited and eventually got
home.
I am now sitting listening to the ocean from my veranda for the last time in this wonderful country. I am thinking that I was
given six days of cruddy weather for a reason. It is so that I will come back to experience just how much more beautiful this
place is with bright blue waters and sky. And I will gladly do so.
But next time it is going to be with a dude…
New revelation of the day: I get seasick.
Cause: One-hour ferry ride from Praslin to Mahe in windy conditions.
Effect: Head hovering into a barf bag during the last half of the ride (which I can say with certainty was the longest half-hour of
my life).
I was honestly nervous that the boat wasn’t going to make it. I also want to use this opportunity to say that whoever designed
‘boats’ is a sheer genius. How do they always manage to never just tip over in the water? If that could have happened to any
boat, it would have happened to our boat today. Side-to-side motions the whole way. There were even a couple of times where
I swear our boat was in mid-air for a split second before crashing down onto the water. I was reminded of those inflatable
punching bags that were around when I was a kid. I don’t think I ever had one but I loved playing with the one at the end of
the aisle in the Toys ‘R Us that we would go to. No matter how hard you punched the clown (I think that’s what it was made to
look like), he never tipped over. He always popped right back up to his upright position. That was my ferry today.
The important thing is that I made it. I am now in Mahe.
While most people ‘vacation’ in Seychelles, I am somewhat hooked on being a ‘traveler’. For example, most people would take
a taxi to their hotel once the ferry has docked. But not I. I have principles these days. Principles that say ‘No way am I paying
$40 for a ride!’ Instead, I walked about 25 minutes to the bus station and waited at the bus station for about another 20 or so
minutes. I asked around to find out which bus to take and people were more than helpful. Gotta love the Seychellois. Then a
woman motioned across the street to me that the bus I needed was over there. I hopped on and spent another hour on the
bus. Final cost? About sixty cents. I actually did the math today and by using the local buses instead of taxis in just two days, I
have saved over $100. Incredible.
August 7, 2006
I woke up today before the time that breakfast is served so I decided to make my squishy self (believe me…after eating barely
anything but bread products for the last week, ‘squishy’ is an understatement) go for a run along the beach. As I read this, I
realize that on paper it looks quite impressive. In reality, it really wasn’t. I can not even explain how out of shape I am. The
most I have ever been in my life. To put it in perspective, when I used the gym in Johannesburg at my hotel, I did five minutes
of sit-ups (enough to take me through one song on my ipod). Keep in mind that I never get sore after a workout unless it is
really intense. Five minutes of sit-ups is not intense. Well…for the two days that followed, my abs were feeling it. In a word, I
would like to sum this up as ‘pathetic’. Now to my run this morning... I think it took me less than ten minutes before my ‘run
on the beach’ turned into a ‘walk on the beach’. I have to say that my intentions were good though.
During breakfast it proved to be another rainy morning. That did not matter to me. I was determined to go to Beau Vallon –
one of the most popular beaches on Mahe. After riding on two different bus lines, I arrived. I must say that Beau Vallon is
beau-tiful. I can never tire of seeing the granite rocks on the beaches here in Seychelles. To be honest, I have no interest in
seeing beaches here that don’t have the granite rocks. I picked up a spicy fish samosa and made my way out to stroll along the
beach. I forgot to point out the most important thing regarding when I got there…there was blue sky. Okay, the whole sky
wasn’t blue…but at this point beggars can’t be choosers and if I’m given a sliver of blue, I will take it. I parked myself
underneath a palm tree and took in what would be my last day in Seychelles.
I didn’t realize until I was buying my samosa that I had about 180 rupees left (about $35). I decided some of this would be
used to spoil myself and eat lunch at a restaurant on the beach. Considering the $5 shopping spree on bread products I did in
La Digue has fueled me for lunch and dinner for the past few days, I see this as my reward. Now it’s actually time for me to do
a bit of bragging… Yesterday I spent a whopping $3 ($2 on Internet, $0.50 for the bus ride to the ferry and $0.50 for the bus
ride to my hotel) for the entire day and the day before I spent $2.50 ($0.50 for the bus ride to Anse Lazio and $2 for the soda
I had at the beach restaurant) for the entire day. My ‘traveler’s’ mindset obviously isn’t escaping me even in a place like this.
Another miraculous thing would happen yesterday. As I was checking out of my hotel, I decided to ask (knowing it was
hopeless) if they could waive my first night that I was a no-show (due to my snafu about not having transportation to the
island). And they did it! With no problem! So now I see it as an extra $100 in my pocket – that is sure to provide me at least
ten nights of a nice place to stay in India. Hooray!
Soon it would begin to pour and I decided I would start making the long trip home to my hotel. I stopped in Victoria. Helpful bit
of advice for anybody planning to come out to Seychelles – there is really no reason at all to make a special visit to this city.
Then I hopped on my next bus and stopped off at a pretty beach with (can you guess?) pretty granite rocks. Then it poured
and I had to wait for twenty minutes until the next bus. It was worth it in the name of my last day of granite rock beaches. I
hopped on the bus being more than happy to have the shelter. After paying, I decided to look at my ticket receipt. Crap. I just
assumed that only one bus line went by that stop. I did not even think of asking what bus it was when I got on. Since my
assumptions are always wrong, this time would be no different. I got off at the next bus stop and waited and eventually got
home.
I am now sitting listening to the ocean from my veranda for the last time in this wonderful country. I am thinking that I was
given six days of cruddy weather for a reason. It is so that I will come back to experience just how much more beautiful this
place is with bright blue waters and sky. And I will gladly do so.
But next time it is going to be with a dude…
