A night out

After work I nipped down to the beach for a swim and then returned for the guest house to shower and get ready to go out for cocktails and dinner with Aubs and a friend, Mellissa. I had met Mellissa on a previous trip to the Seychelles at a beach braai.

I was waiting on my balcony when I heard a car arrive and ran down to see if it was Aubs but it was a taxi with a French couple who had booked into the guest house. Needless to say, there were no staff to meet them. So there the two of them were, standing with there suitcases, in the dark, not know what to do. The security guard ask me if I had a cellphone to call the manageress as she had no air time on her phone but there was no chance I was going to allow her to use my SA phone for that. I told her that if they wait a few minutes Aubs will be there and he will help them. Sure enough Aubs arrived and handed over his phone. They got hold of someone to come let them into a room and he arrived as we were leaving. It really is quite sad that the management of Villa de Roses is so bad because the guest house itself is really great. I think that next year I will be asking the WIOFish coordinator in Seychelles to find me alternate accommodation.

Anyway Aubs and I left for our night out and first stop was to pick up Melissa. It was really great to meet up with her again. Our first priority was to find cocktails! We went to a restaurant called Konoba. It really is a beautiful place, tastefully decorated and on the waterfront. The prices did, however, reflect the designer decor. We decided though to have one cocktail there anyway and the rules were set: everyone had to have something different and tasting of the others' drinks was mandatory :-). I ordered a Coco de mer since this is the Seychelles, Mellissa had a Planter's cocktail and I think Aub's was Green Ocean cocktail. Our cocktails arrived and we tasted our own and each others and Mellissa asked to swap hers with one of ours as hers smacked of rum. Of course I am not one to turn down alcohol :-) so I swapped mine with hers.

We were there for a long time just talking and laughing but eventually decided that a bit of dinner was in order. The prices there were a bit steep so we left and went to a place called Moloko but it was in the process of closing up for the night - it was about 9:30pm. So then another place was necessary. We went up the hill so a place called Chilli. The night view over Victoria was lovely and we sat outside having more cocktails - Pina Colada for me, Mojito for Aubs and a virgin Bloody Mary for Melissa. After perusing the menu all three of us decided on burgers for dinner. They were good but not quite as good as the ones at Sun Coco at Beauvalon Bay. It was a really lovely evening with good company, good food and good cocktails. Aubs dropped me off at the guest house just before midnight and I fell into bed immediately.

I woke up to the almost simultaneous crowing of a rooster and swearing and realised that I had been the one doing the swearing almost in my sleep! I am really over these roosters now and will not miss them at all! I looked at the time - it was just after 4am. For the rest of the early morning I managed little scraps of sleep in between the crowing and got up with difficultly when the alarm went off.

I was still getting dressed when I heard a car arrive and peered out the window to see that Pravin was there already to collect me. He said that he had come early as he had to collect people form the airport at 8:30 so he had to drop me off at SFA earlier than normal. This did, however, mean no chance of breakfast as no staff were at the guest house yet. Fortunately I had made myself a cup of tea before I showered and had that to keep me going.

I had hoped that we would finish the work by lunchtime today as I had an invitation to go out to the coral reef on a small boat with some researchers. Unfortunately we didn't finish so I have to hope for the same opportunity to be offered next year.

So now the WIOFish trips are almost over, just a journey home left. Tomorrow I will fly back to Mauritius and then on to Durban on Sunday.

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