SEYCHELLES Blue Haven
La Digue in the Seychelles has
plenty to offer both idyllic and energetic travellers
The boat skimmed along the surface
of the water, going rather swiftly for its size. There was water everywhere and
the motion was rather soporific, enough for peo ple on either side of me inside
the boat's cabin to gen tly nod off to la la-land. But the shimmering water had
me transfixed and I stepped outside to lean against the stern. A gentle,
salt-laden breeze blew across bringing an unusual refreshing quality. Soon the
hori zon was broken by what looked like a tiny green speck, almost lost in the
blue vastness As the boat neared, the speck re solved itself into jagged rocks
sticking out of incredibly ce rulean waters along the beach. The clusters had a
character of their own and contrasted nicely against the white sandy beach with
lush greenery in the background.The boat approached the shore and the clusters
disappeared round a bend; the image was pushed to the background and newer
images vied for attention as I stepped on to the picturesque island of La Digue
in the Seychelles. As soon as I stepped ashore, I saw bicycles everywhere and
therein lay La Digue's charm. One of the most intriguing and lovely islands
belonging to the Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean
near the African Coast, La Digue is one of the handful of inhabited islands of
the group. A granitic island, it is the third largest but is all of 10 sq km.
Heavily eco-conscious, the main form of transport in La Digue is bicycles and
the sight both charmed and warmed my heart. Though the ban on vehicles was
recently relaxed, it was heartwarming to see only a handful of motored vehicles
on the island. I was amused to notice that the cyclists' expressions ranged
from reluctant acceptance to outright annoyance when they had to make way for
one of the vehicles.
Beach Beauties
Leaving the jetty behind, I traced
my way through narrow lanes flanked by shady trees towards the South. A sandy
path led to a wall of trees through which I could catch glimpses of the in
credibly blue sea. But before I could head to the beach, I got sidetracked.
Under the shade of the trees, I spotted a cosy sandy floored restaurant called
Lanbousir. It was an al fresco kind of place with a casual air befitting the
beach theme. Under a high tin roof were scattered rough-hewn tables covered in
bright red-checked table cloths flanked by benches interspersed with potted
plants. On the menu was a range of Creole dishes but I settled for a quick
combo of rice with spicy chicken curry and fried fish.
After the meal, I headed through the
tree cover to the beach. In front of me was the Anse Source d'Argent, a beach
with the most incredible view and supposedly the most photographed in the
world.
The claim seemed a bit over the top
until I saw it for myself.
The sea spread out, calm and serene,
presenting incremental shades of blue with the deepest near the horizon. There
were hardly any waves while the cluster of jagged rocks that I had seen from
the boat rose in surreal splendour, and contrasted nicely with a few moored
boats. I presumed the beach got its name from the powdery white sand; it would
probably gleam like silver under a full moon and I could only fantasize about
it. The sun was overhead but the scene in front was far too compelling and I
settled under the shade of a gigantic rock to absorb everything. A handful of
boys frolicked in the calm waters, but apart from that everything was tranquil
and almost other-worldly. I could have sat there for hours, but my guide
insisted there was much more to see.
We headed inland again and stopped
on the way at a low enclosure protected by deep shadows of massive trees. At
first glance, the enclosure seemed filled with massive oval blobs of greyish
brown but a closer look revealed these to be the highly endangered giant
tortoises found in just two places -Aldabra in the Seychelles and Ecu ador 's
Galapagos Islands. The ones in La Digue had been brought from Aldabra, a
designated Unesco World Heritage Site, to showcase these creatures since
Aldabra is extremely remote and visits to the island highly restricted. I
watched the creatures, which can typically weigh up to 300 kg and live anywhere
between 80 and 120 years, gently meander around with a rather stoic expression
and accept twigs and leaves from my hands.
Rough Side
From here, a few minutes' ride to
the Southeast took me to Anse Grand, a beach that was so fantastic that the
name seemed to sit quite effortlessly. And yet it was very different from the
earlier one I had seen. The sun was playing hide and seek behind a bunch of
fluffy white clouds hanging against a bright blue sky while a gentle breeze
blew across from the water.
The sands were pale blonde and the
beach sloped down rather steeply, where it was met by frothy, giant waves. It
seemed energetic and full of verve where the other one was calming and restful.
It seemed all the more lively as a bunch of young boys rode the waves on
windsurfing and bodysurfing boards. It was a mesmerizing sight and I was
inevitably pulled towards the water. Not being a surfer myself, I felt a twinge
of envy at the unfettered delight that the boys seemed to be drawing from their
activity. But seeing them in action was joy enough. When the sun came out from
behind the clouds, it got a bit uncomfortable and I hurried out of the water to
sit on the sloping beach under the shade of a giant tree from where I continued
to watch the tableau before me.
As the sun began its descent, I
headed back towards the pier. My experience of the island had been far too
idyllic and I would have liked to stay overnight, hire a bicycle and amble
around the island aimlessly. But a tight schedule made no room for it. However,
I still had some time so I strolled along a narrow, concrete path that skirted
the Anse Severe near the pier. Flanked by trees on either side, the path lay
under dappled shadows that made interesting patterns. I hoped to catch a
glimpse of the rare, endangered and extremely pretty Seychelles paradise
flycatch er but it seemed to be a farfetched wish. However, as a consolation I
gawked at some of the beautiful houses bearing pretty names like Villa de
Vanille that sat on one side of the concrete path. On the left, the crashing
waves provided soothing background music and I caught glimpses of the
shimmering water from amidst the thick foliage. This was broken only by sound
of cycles crunching on the concrete path with the occasional short musical peal
of a cycle bell.
A sharp toot from the pier indicated
my time on the island was up and it was time to head back to Mahe, the main
island of the Seychelles, from where I had arrived in the morning.
Unsurprisingly, the island had grown on me, weaving its magic spell and
ensnaring me in its appeal, making it all the more difficult to leave. But as
the boat left La Digue's shores and picked up speed to race to wards Mahe, the
sun sank behind a thick curtain of clouds washing everything in a rich
golden-range hue. Rays streaked across the sky from behind the clouds, tinting
even a slender sickle moon with its colour. A speed boat gracefully cut through
the water, leaving a semi-circular trail of foamy water. It was a surreal
experience, almost poetic. And a gentle reminder that an extraordinary sight or
experience is always round the corner, ready to re place the previous one.
Anita Rao Kashi ETM29MAR15
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