WEATHER: Overcast days and cooler nights
HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY: Doing nothing
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Paying 14EUR for a crap Club sandwich
BUYS OF THE DAY: The 375ml bottle of Diet Coke for 4.50EUR – they are .80EUR at the supermarket
WORD OF THE DAY: Lazy
Well things have been that ‘restful’ I am going to have to combine 3 days into one entry. It has been that busy –not.
I have now been in Reunion for 3 days and I haven’t made breakfast once.
I have now been in Reunion for the last 3 days and I haven’t done dinner once.
Don’t worry I have been eating, just not as much as I have been over the last 2.5 months its just food bought from the supermarket. The reason I haven’t made breakfast isn’t because I have slept past 10am. I’m up, I’ve either just been on the computer or I can’t be bothered walking the 10 minutes to the restaurant to get there. I had all intentions of going this morning, having showered and deliberately not switching on the computer, as I had all intentions of going, and then I laid down and thought was I really that hungry? So I didn’t go. Dinner has been pretty much the same. They have a buffet here every night and it is only 35EUR, which I think the price isn’t too bad, but I just couldn’t be bothered going, I am not sure what is wrong with me. I have eaten out once and it was for lunch on the 1st day. I ate at the pool bar that has sandwiches, salads and pizza’s. I ordered the club sandwich and it was the worst CS that I have ever had and all for the grand cost of 14EUR!! I know hotel prices are steep, but you would expect to at least get a good sandwich for that. The upside is there is free Wi-Fi over the whole resort, so that eased the pain a little.
Wi-Fi. IT has been my pal the last 3 days. I have finally loaded my 44, yes people you have been looking through FORTY FOUR albums of Africa in the past 3 weeks. Let me tell you with the internet connections I have had at some places it has been a stella effort in patience, but I finally loaded the last album yesterday. I have also loaded 10 albums of Madagascar with only one left to go I feel great that I am now up to date with my pictures. The internet even improved enough for me load up 6 videos that we prepared on our second last day of the trip and I am so so so so glad that we did that. Sometimes photos and blog entries just don’t do any justice too some things and it was the BEST idea I have had all trip. Watching the videos is just like have the crew right there and they are pretty DAMN funny! I am also loving the contact I still have with everyone on-line. We have live chats and real time comments on photos and messages and advice all there at the push of a button. I’m going to miss that when they go back to their jobs and when I lose my 24/7 connection again.
So with my computer and my TV on the music channel, which is the only channel beside CNN that is in English, they are the only 2 things that have kept me company. Even the music channel runs on a loop and I have heard the same songs for the last 3 days. They have some French/English songs as well which I have to say I am a fan, so I have written them down in the hope I will be able to download them at some stage. I have no idea on what they are about but French pop seems to be pretty cool. CNN is currently all over the Michael Jackson trial and I watched the Prosecutor’s opening statement in full and live, so that was pretty riveting – sad isn’t it.
The most exciting thing that has happened is a problem with my Travelex card. I used it for my duty free purchase in Tanna and then when I arrived into Reunion 4 hours later I used it at an ATM at the airport. Well getting out 70EUR wasn’t going to cut the mustard when I did my supermarket shop and it cost me 33EUR, so I went to use the ATM again and the machine said I had to contact my bank. Weird, I know there is money on it. Anyway I didn’t think too much of it, I have other cards purely for this reason, so I still got my cash and preceded home. When I logged into my Hotmail there was a message from Travelex saying that have temporally stopped my card as they think there may be some fraudulent transactions happening and to call them. So I phoned and it flagged because there was no way I could have gotten from Madagascar to France in 4 hours. But really I was in Reunion, but it was a French bank I used, not a bad system they have there, it’s all about protecting your moula, so he unlocked it within 10 minutes and problem solvered. Thanks Travelex for looking after me.
I do need to take a walk around the resort; I haven’t even made it to the beach yet. Hold that.
Okay I’m back. I felt so bad I hadn’t gone to the beach; I grabbed my camera and IPod and went for a wonderful stroll along the beach. It isn’t the best beach on the island, but the water is so warm and as it was late in the afternoon, I decided to have dinner, I know first time, and watch a beautiful Reunion sunset with a cold Mojito in my hand. Even though that wonderfully strong Mojito was 11EUR I was getting some bang for my buck, so I couldn’t complain. So now I am back and I feel better that I have left my room and my balcony that I seem to have been hibernating on the last 3 days. I did feel bad that I had done nothing, but I need to have some down time somewhere right! I tried to book a day tour to the volcano, I met with my representative last night and he said he would call if there was a tour I could join tomorrow (today) and he would call. Well I got no message and then my phone rings at 7am this morning there was some-one here to collect me. WTF – I said I could be there in 15 minutes and the guide said he couldn’t wait and left. So I contacted Cedric back this afternoon and there is no volcano tour tomorrow – so I have missed the boat all together now on getting out there. I am a bit bummed about that as it was really the only thing I wanted to do while I was here. Oh well, I did try.
Oh I did get something productive done yesterday. I got my haircut. Jean-Louis David salon sounds reputable right. So the reception chick didn’t speak English but the hairdresser did a little. So I was just trying to explain I wanted to keep it long I just wanted a trim and to keep the same style. So doing the right thing she pulled out a book that had my cut in it but shorter and I said yes like that but keep it long. Well after about the 3rd snip, I knew that it was going to be shorter than first anticipated. Actually she has chopped off a lot and I am back to my pre-trip length I got done just before leaving! Oh well I guess there is just 3 weeks between a good haircut and a bad one and if nothing else I got French cut right!? It did need a cut, I was looking all bushy, so I can’t get too upset about it. Nothing like getting something lost in translation!
So that has pretty much been my last 3 days in Reunion Island, not very exciting but I’m okay with that. Tomorrow is my last day and I might actually go and spend some time on the beach tomorrow with my book and leave the realms of my balcony. I’m looking forward to the Seychelles, I think the weather is going to be improved there and really excited about Ethiopia and getting back to a group atmosphere. I miss talking to people and having a laugh.
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