Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Singapore
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London, England
Niagra Falls, U.S.A.
Paris, France
Victoria, Seychelles
Too often true, thanks to all the power cuts ...
Night Lights of Cities around the World
I got this in my email today. Enjoy.
Too often true, thanks to all the power cuts ...
Too often true, thanks to all the power cuts ...
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.
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.
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 ...
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 ...
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
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
And It Ain't Just the Food Prices: Living Costs in Seychelles
Many people have come to this blog looking for the living costs in the Seychelles. You don't really want to know ...But if you must know, read on for some examples. I take no responsibility for any cardiovascular episodes. The first price is the approximate price in June 2006. The second is the price now in June 2008.
Powdered milk, medium size tin was Rs 30, is now between Rs 70 and 90, depending on the brand. (And forget about Nido; everyone here has forgotten what that is.)
Butter, 250 g, salted, was Rs 4.50, is now Rs 18 for a pack of Anchor. Last week I paid Rs 19 for 125 g of Italian butter. And that's when it's available at all...
Rice, 1 kg, good quality, was Rs 6, is now Rs 18.
Meat, fish and chicken are still reasonable. I bought a pork tenderloin at Supersave for approx. Rs 30, local chicken is still under Rs 30 for a packet of drumsticks or thighs and the price of fish depends on the monsoon as it always did in Seychelles.
The petrol prices rose again by Rs 4 /l last week.
Flats or houses are going for around Rs 6-8000 for a three bedroom house. That's if you can find one at all in Rs; everyone wants Forex these days and there are many "executive-style" places cropping up all over the island going for Euros 1200 for two bedrooms.
The official exchange rate is Rs 12 to the Euro and Rs 8 to the Dollar. Two years ago it was Rs 6 to the Euro; I can't remember the Dollar.
And this is what President Michel had to say about it at the recent food summit in Rome...
Happy Liberation Day
A couple of years ago someone welded the liberated man's chains together ...Here are some views on the matter of Liberation Day:
- a blog post by Sandra Benoiton Hanks
- a blog post by Another View of Seychelles Politics. Tagline: "The aim of this blog is to provide an analysis of the Seychelles Politics but an analysis which is not what a political party would like you to believe. I do not claim that I have the absolute truth on everything and I am only giving my opinions or reactions to things that happen. I am not making party propaganda (like other "independent" medias do)"
- a blog post by Cuhnelbald who writes a political blog on Seychelles, where he looks at some important issues
Tequila Boom and My Head is Still Booming
Anyone who says there is no night life in Seychelles hasn't been to the Tequila Boom. The club has been open for a couple of months now and is rapidly becoming THE place to be on a Saturday night. It's supposed to be free for ladies on Saturdays and Wednesdays unless they have a show on. And recently, they have had shows every Saturday ...
Last Saturday was Pous Sa Dife night. The show started after midnight and went on for over an hour. Now, whilst I actually like these guys, an hour of them is too much in one go. Combine the monotony of the music together with too many people smoking and it's no wonder a lot of people were hanging around outside the club where I went to escape.
Still, it was the best show so far. The first one I saw was 4 body building guys prancing around the stage with 4 lifeless girls circling them. The latter were supposed to be sexy, but their pole-dancing was more of an ayo, mon fatige (for non-Seychellois: this is the most used phrase in Seychelles. It means I'm tired, but denotes bone-weary fatigue and fed-upness) than sensual undulating.
The second was supposed to be a Latin Dance show. Another was supposed to be African Dancing. I missed that one, but heard that it consisted of a lot of obscene slithering about on the floor and had very little to do with the Dark Continent, more with island-style fornication.
The Tequila Boom really is the best club on the island now. I just wish they'd scrap the pathetic attempts at live entertainment and let me in for free again...
Last Saturday was Pous Sa Dife night. The show started after midnight and went on for over an hour. Now, whilst I actually like these guys, an hour of them is too much in one go. Combine the monotony of the music together with too many people smoking and it's no wonder a lot of people were hanging around outside the club where I went to escape.Still, it was the best show so far. The first one I saw was 4 body building guys prancing around the stage with 4 lifeless girls circling them. The latter were supposed to be sexy, but their pole-dancing was more of an ayo, mon fatige (for non-Seychellois: this is the most used phrase in Seychelles. It means I'm tired, but denotes bone-weary fatigue and fed-upness) than sensual undulating.
The second was supposed to be a Latin Dance show. Another was supposed to be African Dancing. I missed that one, but heard that it consisted of a lot of obscene slithering about on the floor and had very little to do with the Dark Continent, more with island-style fornication.
The Tequila Boom really is the best club on the island now. I just wish they'd scrap the pathetic attempts at live entertainment and let me in for free again...
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