Scratch

Here you will find older scratches, musings and other detritus that once were located on the front pages, but have now faded.

Filed away here to collect dust and cobwwwebs in perpetuity, links may break, facts may change and data may corrupt.

On occasion I may come down here to tidy, but for the most, I prefer to leave the past where it lies.

 

Honeymoon

True, I have not been to many remote desert islands, in fact I could count the number on the number of wedding rings I own (and thats one before anyone says anything), yet I would go out on a limb and say that Veligandu must be one of the best. (If someone wants to pay me to stay at them all and prove me wrong then feel free to contact me.)

Imagine an island where, you have a white, sandy beach all to yourself from sunrise to sunset. A place where when you tire of sitting in the sun, you can go to the spa for complimentary massages, or the bar where a you can drink anything you choose. Or if you are feeling peckish you can order complimetary food, this is of course if you are still hungry after the unlimited buffet selection that is supplied morning, noon and night. This formed the basis of our time on Veligandu, and if it had just been this, i wouldn't have been upset. As it was though, there is plenty to do.

Excursions to local islands are available, although unless you are really interested in melon fields, I would avoid the three hour round trip by boat to Thoddoo. Night fishing off of the side of a boat with just a line and some bait is an entertaining way to spend a few hours, and if you're interested in dolphins, these can usually be seen playing about if you're out on a boat. If you're interested, there is always something happening late evening in the bar, but this never really impinges if you just fancy quiet drink.

The diving, albeit in my limited experience, is excellant. The people at Ocean Pro couldn't have been more helpful. During the day dives we saw everything from sharks to shrimps to Moray eels, on the night dives, sleeping turtles, sea cucumbers, stingrays and phospherence.

The staff on the island are fantastic, from the waiters, to the bar, to the housekeepers. All put in the extra effort, from folding bedsheets into origami style patterns adorned with fresh flower petals, to bringing you a drink just as you were thinking about finishing your last. I would have to say there are few more relaxing things than the words, 'Tiger Time' accompanied by a smile and a fresh glass of beer. We regularly spent our mealtimes chatting with our waiter Hassan, who spent a large part of his time teaching us to fold napkins, something I hope to remember long enough to prove. On a side note, the poor man must be paranoid, as more often than not, when he came over we were laughing or giggling to ourselves.

Other things that were worthy of note included the interdepartment football tournament. Here we watched the Front Office, survive the rather iffy sportsmanship of Housekeeping to win the trophy. This was much to our disappointment as we were rooting for the Restaurant/bar team (poor old maintenance only had ten staff to choose their eight players from, what they lacked in skill, the made up for in ability to hoof the ball down the pitch). The fruit bats avoid cameras at every opportunity. Mangosteen is a gorgeous fruit, just so long as you don't think too much about what it looks and feels like when you eat it. You can never consume too much pineapple. Avoid the tomato and banana soup. It is very likely you could find yourself on the Atkin's diet due to the amount of meat, fish and poultry available - this is not a bad thing. Pan pipe music in the restaurant works, even Whiskey in the Jar. Raj the waiter likes Bucks Fizz (the band). Do not jump at the geckos and lizards in your shower room (it is enclosed albeit outdoor) they were there before you. Jump at night when the crabs move through the undergrowth - if you're a man its ok to scream like a girl. Remember to take dollars to tip with.
Remember your credit card pin, it makes settling your bill easier.

Lastly, plant a tree with a little plaque, that way you have a reason to return in the years to come to make sure its being watered, well thats our excuse and were sticking to it.

2 Oct 2005 19:42 | (0) comments | Things

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