La Digue - Flycatchers, Grand Anse, Petite Anse

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July 24, 2017 - This morning I woke up around 6 am, finished packing, internetted, had the remainder of my boring cereal with a mandarin, and chatted a bit with Angelique before I left. It was nice that she woke up early to exchange emails and say good-bye. I had a good day with her yesterday, and it was nice to have the company.

I wasn't sure what time to leave for the ferry, since the bus schedule is a mystery. I didn't have to be there so early this time, but I did need to get a boarding pass from my electronic ticket.I left around 8:40 am and it only took about ten minutes for the bus to come. I got to sit in the seat next to the driver, which was pretty cool, and we were already at the jetty by 9am. I was just in time to see the 9 am ferry leave; mine was the next at 10 am. I went to the office to get my boarding pass, but first I was in the wrong office. I went to Cat Cocos but needed Interisland ferry, which is more relaxed, as it is only a 15 minute ride. I got there and told her I needed a boarding pass and the woman looked at me like I had two heads. She asked for my eticket and I told her I couldn't print it, but I gave her my reference number. It seemed like such a big deal, yet she already had it there and she never checked my ID, so I'm not sure what the issue was. I got a comically large plastic boarding pass and a ticket for my return journey on Friday. There were some people waiting and I couldn't decide which area to stand in, so I just kind of stood by myself. Eventually I moved forward, in hopes of getting an outside seat on the ferry. But when the ship docked, it was in a no one predicted, so I had to hustle over. I got a seat upstairs, but not outside. The ride was short, and I didn't feel sick.

As I got off the boat, I saw the couple from Reunion. We said hi and then they were meeting their hotel person. I told them I had to rent a bicycle and a guy found me immediately to rent me a bike. They are 10 euros a day. There are very few cars here and the road is nice, so a bike is great. I got a mountain bike, but I think I would have preferred a lady bike. Those things are all over. The guy told me I could put my big bag in the basket and cycle with the one on my back, but no. They would have hit each other and made it difficult. So I rode the bike and he had a friend drive my big bag there in a golf cart-like car. That worked well. It didn't take long to get there and then I was checking in to my hotel.

The guy who runs the place knew me right away - presumably I'm the only person in the Seychelles traveling alone. He told me to take a seat at the outside restaurant and brought me a cold melon drink. He told me a bit about the island when I asked, and had me wait a few minutes before my room was ready, but by 11 am I was already taking pictures of it. I wasn't sure about this place when I booked, but it's lovely. I think they only have 6 or 8 rooms, and all of them face the ocean and have a balcony. The bed is huge, the bathroom is big, there is air conditioning (!) and a ceiling fan, and it's just a nice place. I even get breakfast, which I didn't expect. In my last place the floor fan was so loud, but at least it made the traffic sounds a little quieter. I think I can overlook no wifi. I'm glad La Digue is my last island, and that this is the last place I will sleep.

After I got unpacked and settled in, I got on my bike and went looking for some lunch. I am staying at the very north of the island, and cycled down the west coast, where most things are. I went to a place that seemed quite popular and it was the cheapest I'd come across at 50 rupees. I got a fish curry and ate it ate their outside tables.

From there, I went across the street to the a small reserve for the Paradise Flycatcher. It's a beautiful bird, and of course they are low in number these days. They are only found in the Seychelles. The reserve is free to walk around, and they have about 20 birds who nest there. They are territorial, and that's all that area can support, but there are about 200 on the island. I eventually spotted one and sat on a nearby bench to watch him. The males have bright blue on them and long tails and then female have black, white and a rust color. It was quite overcast today, so it made it harder to see them well and get good photos, but I plan to go back again. As I was getting on my bike to leave, a woman who worked there told me they found a tree frog and did I want to see it? It has been very dry here, and there is a water shortage. They have put out some basins with water for the birds, and one of them had a green tree frog who had also come looking for water. She said they are rare to see, and that you usually only come across them 3 or 4 times a year. I had looked in Vallee de Mai with no luck, and am really glad she showed him to me today.

From there I followed the shockingly steep uphill road to the east coast where it ended at Grand Anse. This is a beautiful beach, with rocks on both sides, but the overcast skies along with the severe wave action made it look not that nice today. There was also a haze of water in the air, from the crashing of the waves, and despite not going in the water, I was salty pretty quickly. With the sun out, it would look pretty spectacular. From Grande Anse I followed a trail to Petite Anse, another beautiful beach, this one with less people. It had a very similar look. From there, I walked on to Anse Cocos, yet another gorgeous beach with even fewer people. By the time I got there it was maybe 3:30 pm, and the tide was really starting to come in. The beach was disappearing. I had a look around but didn't stay long, since there were not many places to sit anymore. From there, I followed my route back to the bike. It's weird not locking your bike, but everyone has one and no one seems to take any.

I stopped back at the bird reserve and had another look at the birds and the frog. Some of the birds were using the water basin, but I couldn't tell if they were dipping down to drink or to bathe. Then I stopped at the grocery store to get some water. In Mahe, I drank the water. In Praslin, they had a water cooler in the house for us. Here, the maid said it would be better to buy water. So I bought two liters, one to keep with me and one to keep in the fridge, as well as 5 liter bottle for refills. I also bought some yogurt for a snack and a ridiculous looking popcorn that comes in a container reminiscent of Pringles. It's called Omypop and comes in the silliest flavors. I bought honey butter, and I'm already addicted. Next time - there might be a next time - I think I'll go for Belgian chocolate.

I cycled home, which was harder on the uphill bits with my water, and met a cat. He is quite small, maybe just big enough for his mom to have kicked him out, and he is very needy, with a lot of long, so sad meows. Of course we became friends immediately. I pet him on my way back out to get dinner. I tried another take-away this time, which was 60 rupees ($5). I got chicken curry and brought it home. It was still completely overcast, and though there would be no sunset, I found a place on the rocks across the street and sat there to watch the ocean while I ate. The chicken had a lot of bones, so I think I might stick to fish from now on. It also had bones, but fewer, and they felt less gross.

Back at the hotel, I went on the balcony and then my cat friend came a 'callin. I sat outside and pet him for a while, and then came in to shower and write. No internet, so may ditch Hawking to start a new book tonight.

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Photos

Coco de mer nut
The people I stayed with had this one in their house. Angelique took some pics before I left.

Maybe Anse Cocos?
They all look alike