July 2, 2008
June 28, 2008
Night Lights of Cities around the World
I got this in my email today. Enjoy.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Singapore
London, England
London, England
Niagra Falls, U.S.A.
Paris, France
Victoria, Seychelles
Too often true, thanks to all the power cuts ...
June 25, 2008
June 22, 2008
The Tourist Police Strike Again!
Once again, the recently formed Tourist Police were able to prevent a major crime from occurring in the Seychelles...
A friend of mine was on the beach at Beau Vallon earlier today. She has two daughters under the age of ten who were playing, as children are wont to do, with a small ball. They were stopped from their harmless tossing the ball to each other by two ladies from the new Tourist Police. Granted, they apologized for having to stop the children from playing. They were only doing their duty and were being watched by another Tourist Police Officer who cruises around in a car making sure the cops are doing their duty. (Sound familiar? Shades of 1939? 1984? Or, more locally, 1983?) It seems it's now against the law to play any kind of ball on the beach. The officers were a little unsure upon being questioned if it was allowed to play frisbee. One said yes, the other said no. But then again, neither of them knew what a frisbee was.
This incident didn't even occur in front of a hotel, but a good kilometer down the beach on the "local side" by the pizzeria.
A couple of other kids I know were stopped from kicking a football around on the beach, and the local evening football games which are a Seychellois tradition have been stopped. Even tourists aren't allowed to play ball anymore. I haven't really seen any tourist being stopped, but there aren't many tourists here now. Let's see what happens when the "hordes" arrive with their children in July.
This tourist certainly wasn't stopped from camping even though she describes two Tourist Police Officers being around. "The funniest part about the whole trip was the
strange reactions we received when telling the local people we were
camping. Apparently people don't really camp in the Seychelles." That's because they aren't allowed to. Camping is, and has been for a long time, illegal in the Seychelles.
Well-behaved dogs with collars and in company of their owners are no longer allowed on the beach without a leash. The owners are told to leave the beach or face penalties. (I was with a friend a couple of months ago, when we were very rudely told off by a couple of officers puffed up with self-importance.) The beach dogs that hang around the hotels and actually harass tourists are left to their own devices. They, it would seem, are not a problem.
Basically, the idea of a tourist police patrolling the beaches is not a bad idea. Seychelles is not as free of crime as it once was and there have been a few incidents of bags being stolen off the beach and even a couple of muggings. Here's a happy story where the criminal was caught and the bag returned to the tourist a day later.
I just wish they'd concentrate on turning Seychelles into a crime-free haven and not a fun-free haven.
June 19, 2008
National Day Came and Went Without a Boom
According to the Nation: A large crowd attended a military parade yesterday at Stad Linite that was part of activities to mark the 15th National Day celebrations.
I wasn't part of that large crowd. I abhor the pomp of military parades and brass band music, which were the major offerings of the day. Even deep down inside, I feel no atavistic urges to start twirling a baton to the tune of a trumpet.
I didn't attend the street party the evening before either. Drunken roisterers spoiling for a fight and pissing all over the place without paying any attention to passersby are not my thang at all. I worry about their aim in their intoxicated state and have no wish to be anywhere near.
The weather was so miserable that I stayed at home for most of the day anyway. I did venture out in the late afternoon for a drive around town to view the new monument to commemorate the 15th National Day.
Ohmigod, it's a flagpole. I am suitably impressed ...
June 18, 2008
June 13, 2008
Vroom, Vroom. Let the Friday Night Games Begin
On Friday nights the danger-loving intrepid young men of Seychelles meet up at Docklands for some seriously dangerous street racing. Young ladies between the ages of 18 and 20 are cordially invited to watch the daredevils as they race all of 500m from Docklands to the Supersave roundabout.
Do these young ladies get invited for a pizza at Docklands after having to watch the young guns race up and down the street all evening? Nope. It's straight home after the evening's entertainment and off to bed (usually alone) for the testosterone-driven lads.
Here's a little video so you can join in the fun and games...
Evo - Click here for more amazing videos
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