Granite Islands Rock...
August 5, 2006
Waves crashing. A cool breeze. An ocean the color of Daiquiri Ice from Baskin Robbins. A cruise liner in the distance.
This is my view as I sit at a restaurant at Anse Lazio – said to be one of the most beautiful beaches on Praslin. The only thing
that could improve this scene would be a blue sky. But I will just have to settle for gray.
But I am not complaining as this was a vast improvement from the rain I was watching this morning at breakfast. I sought
refuge in my hotel room while CNN was being aired (there is only a one-hour window every morning before it turns to French
cartoons). I listened to the current news (still no signs at all of things letting up in the Middle East) while going through my
stuff and throwing out things I no longer needed (receipts, ticket stubs, old maps, etc.). I figured I could at least be a bit
productive while my day was being delayed, right?
On a day like this, I almost feel like my mom. This would be exactly what she would be doing right now if she were here.
Except she would be writing letters to people instead of journaling. And she would have spent $25-30 on a taxi instead of
$0.50 on the local Seychellois bus. And she might have opted for food but with the average price for a meal being $50, I am
settling for a soda. But other than that, everything else would have been the same. They are times that like that I really miss
her. She might have had no interest in hearing about the coco-de-mer palms but she would have enjoyed listening to me
describe these beaches.
*********************
After sitting at the restaurant and reading for a bit, I walked the length of the beach. Just when it looked like it ended I would
climb over a few granite rocks and…voila…there would be more beach with even more spectacular views.
It’s weird because there are times while I have been here that I have seriously forgotten where I am. I know this sounds weird
but it’s true. I know I am in some sort of paradise but I have to rack my brain to remember exactly where in the world that I
am.
When it was time to leave I got another dose of how friendly the Seychellois are. I was heading up the hill to do the twenty
minute walk to get to the bus stop. A car stop and the couple asked if I would like a ride up the hill. Who would turn this offer
down? It turned out the couple was in Praslin for the weekend but live on Mahe. Instead of dropping me off at the bus stop,
they ended up dropping me off at my hotel since it wasn’t far from where they were going. This not only saved me from a 45-
minute bus ride, it also gave me the opportunity to talk to more Seychellois’. They told me about the current presidential
elections and the celebrations taking place this weekend (the person they voted for didn’t win). They told me about the fact
that it takes them three months to have all of the paperwork processed in order to get an Australian visa. They told me that
they don’t need visas for Europe, with the exception of Italy and France. They told me that they get shows like Jerry Springer,
Oprah and Tyra Banks out here (though Tyra is on a station they have to pay for). They told me that people here embrace
American culture. They also told me that people out here have no problems with Americans. The guy had friends in Florida
and New York – he had visited there as well as Los Angeles and San Francisco and enjoyed both America and Americans.
Even if it was information as insignificant as which American television shows are aired out here, it was great to chat with locals
and hear what they had to say…
Waves crashing. A cool breeze. An ocean the color of Daiquiri Ice from Baskin Robbins. A cruise liner in the distance.
This is my view as I sit at a restaurant at Anse Lazio – said to be one of the most beautiful beaches on Praslin. The only thing
that could improve this scene would be a blue sky. But I will just have to settle for gray.
But I am not complaining as this was a vast improvement from the rain I was watching this morning at breakfast. I sought
refuge in my hotel room while CNN was being aired (there is only a one-hour window every morning before it turns to French
cartoons). I listened to the current news (still no signs at all of things letting up in the Middle East) while going through my
stuff and throwing out things I no longer needed (receipts, ticket stubs, old maps, etc.). I figured I could at least be a bit
productive while my day was being delayed, right?
On a day like this, I almost feel like my mom. This would be exactly what she would be doing right now if she were here.
Except she would be writing letters to people instead of journaling. And she would have spent $25-30 on a taxi instead of
$0.50 on the local Seychellois bus. And she might have opted for food but with the average price for a meal being $50, I am
settling for a soda. But other than that, everything else would have been the same. They are times that like that I really miss
her. She might have had no interest in hearing about the coco-de-mer palms but she would have enjoyed listening to me
describe these beaches.
*********************
After sitting at the restaurant and reading for a bit, I walked the length of the beach. Just when it looked like it ended I would
climb over a few granite rocks and…voila…there would be more beach with even more spectacular views.
It’s weird because there are times while I have been here that I have seriously forgotten where I am. I know this sounds weird
but it’s true. I know I am in some sort of paradise but I have to rack my brain to remember exactly where in the world that I
am.
When it was time to leave I got another dose of how friendly the Seychellois are. I was heading up the hill to do the twenty
minute walk to get to the bus stop. A car stop and the couple asked if I would like a ride up the hill. Who would turn this offer
down? It turned out the couple was in Praslin for the weekend but live on Mahe. Instead of dropping me off at the bus stop,
they ended up dropping me off at my hotel since it wasn’t far from where they were going. This not only saved me from a 45-
minute bus ride, it also gave me the opportunity to talk to more Seychellois’. They told me about the current presidential
elections and the celebrations taking place this weekend (the person they voted for didn’t win). They told me about the fact
that it takes them three months to have all of the paperwork processed in order to get an Australian visa. They told me that
they don’t need visas for Europe, with the exception of Italy and France. They told me that they get shows like Jerry Springer,
Oprah and Tyra Banks out here (though Tyra is on a station they have to pay for). They told me that people here embrace
American culture. They also told me that people out here have no problems with Americans. The guy had friends in Florida
and New York – he had visited there as well as Los Angeles and San Francisco and enjoyed both America and Americans.
Even if it was information as insignificant as which American television shows are aired out here, it was great to chat with locals
and hear what they had to say…
One end of Anse Lazio on Praslin.
The other end of Anse Lazio on Praslin.