Exquisite Lunch in Paradise - Pirogue Restaurant and Bar in Praslin, Seychelles

In the exotic island of Praslin, in luxurious Seychelles, everything is expensive. Believe me there's no hyperbole involved when I say that no meal can be had below $30. The towns are few and far apart, and activity takes the glacial pace.

This so-called island paradise, with its tropical forest shelter, is drop-dead expensive, so much more than the Maldives. Prince William of Britain took her bride Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, here for their honeymoon. Seychelles sits at the southern corridor of mainland Africa, a jewel of the Indian Ocean. The people are a mixture of African and Indian race.

Meals are to be had in hotel and resort restaurants. There are no fast food chains here though there's a take away pizza place near Villa Confort in Amitie in the Grande Anse area. I hired a taxi to take me around the island. At lunch time, I was taken to the Pirogue Restaurant and Bar in beautiful Cote D'Or, Praslin's "Gold Coast". I tried not to be intimidated, but every new place in a strange country is an adventure. What if it were too expensive? I was seated beside the balcony with a pesky Zebra Dove taking the place of a fly. It wouldn't leave and would take fast pecks of my dish, I wanted to swat it away for good. Shooing it wasn't working.

PARROTFISH AND BIOEROSION

I ordered the "Grill of the Day" - the Parrotfish. They are supposedly named as such due to their dentition, numerous teeth arranged in tightly packed mosaic on the external surface of their jaw bone, forming a parrot-like beak to rasp algae from coral and other rocky substrates. As such, they contribute to bioerosion. In the Carribean, their population is controlled to save the islands from hastened erosion. Would I eat something that's multi-dentitioned? Well, consider my meal as contribution to environmental protection... a very satisfying one.

I am not a "fish person" but my expensive parrot fish has since converted me into one. It was so good I didn't mind the price - about 250 SR (Seycheles Rupees). 

MADAGASCAR THEMED

The restaurant itself is a well designed sprawl, themed as a Madagascar restaurant. Its name, Pirogue, refers to a wooden boat used by fishermen all over Madagascar. The restaurant even has a sample of the boat on display. It also has paintings and framed photographs of Madagascar. In my travels around the Seychelles, locals love to dish out what they know and dislike about Madagascar. It's more of a love-hate relationship, but it's obvious that an invisible rope links these two countries together, whether they like it or not.

I spoke to the owner, in a photo below, a silver-haired gentleman who threw easy banters with my taxi driver. He was mild mannered. His eyes filled with mirth and laughter. It's understandable why my taxi driver Clint spoke very highly of the restaurateur. If only the waitresses were half as charming and adorable...

This is the Eye in the Sky! 

A pirogue on display at the restaurant, it's way prettier than the ones I rode in Madagascar.

A pesky Zebra dove wouldn't leave me alone.

Accidentally snapped a photo of the restaurant's owner.

A photograph of the Malagasy coast on display.

From my lunch, I crossed the street. A few strides away was this view of Praslin's Cote D'Or (Gold Coast) with hardly anyone there.

Avoid Mary Grace Cafe at NAIA Terminal 3 - Great Cakes, Horrible Service!

We've covered every nook and cranny of NAIA Terminal 3, but with the opening of the Food Court in this terminal, there's so much more to cover and explore. A few weeks ago, we were there waiting for an arrival. We decided to get a snack and finally settled with Mary Grace Cafe, with its elegant interiors and homey feel. 

NO ONE CAME

We sat outside. After 10 minutes, no one came so we called a waitress, short and plump and joyless, who said she'd "call the server" - what was she, the Queen? Five minutes later, she was getting someone else's order inside. Anyway, 10 minutes passed. No one came. We decided to sit inside. What's wrong with these people? Are they blind? Brain challenged? Do they need to be called to offer us menu or take our orders? We've finally coaxed someone to do this. After giving our choices: Mango Bene and an Apple Pie, we asked for the bill ASAP because we were set back by these long waits already.

The cakes were great actually. Unfortunately, I cannot go on waiting for people who's supposed to do the "waiting". We paid - and the change was given. Guess what? They forgot the other "Mango Bene, we had to call them again. Are these people idiots? The cafe wasn't even full, there were only 3 tables occupied inside so what is taking them forever to do? This, if they need reminding, is an airport. People are in a hurry. They have to factor this is. Just before the last Mango Bene came, we got a text message from my mother who finally arrived. Maybe it's apropos delay: Mary Grace Cafe wants to be in sync with the terminal's frequent delays so everything is as messy in this restaurant as the influx of flights and people arriving belatedly.

Bill for 3 cakes and drinks (coke) - P800+ Now I wouldn't mind this bill if service was not horrible!

AVOID MARY GRACE CAFE

Horrible service! So to the thousands of people who follow our airport updates, take note! Avoid Mary Grace Cafe!

This is the Eye in the Sky! 

Mango Bene

Apple pie

Christmas Trees near Parking Entrance at the NAIA T3 2016.

NAIA Terminal 3 Covered Parking:
http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2014/09/naia-terminal-3-covered-parking.html

NAIA T3 Pre-departure Shops:
http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/02/naia-terminal-3-pre-departure-shops.html

NAIA T3 Shopping and Dining:
http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/02/naia-terminal-3-shopping-complex-dining.html

NAIA T3 Arrival Hall:
http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2011/02/naia-terminal-3-arrival-hall-2011-part.html

NAIA T3 Chapel, Left Luggage and Viewing Gallery:
http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2012/11/naia-terminal-3-part-6-blessed-john.html

NAIA T3 Accommodations and Capsule Rooms:
http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2014/10/naia-terminal-3-takes-in-some-color.html

Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary - Casting a Colorful Spell in Cebu City

He lived his life like one big adventure. Within the confines of his interest as a hobbyist, artist and lepidopterist, i.e. someone who studies and collects moths and butterflies, Mr. Julian Jumalon, a U.P. Fine Arts graduate, devoted his remaining years collecting species from all over the world. In fact, he has one from Madagascar, an island off the African coast that I visited 6 months ago. It felt like an island where flowers refuse to grow. About 90% of its forest cover has disappeared, and along with it, the once richly diverse ecosystem. Why am I insinuating my Malagasy trip in this post? Because I have seen a Madagascar butterfly in Cebu.   

In Jumalon's sanctuary and mini-museum, you'll find paintings using pigments from the decaying butterflies' lanceolate wings. He's gathered specimen with "numbers" and the alphabet written on their wings. There are several trivia we gathered during our visit, which was spur-of-the-moment.

TRIVIA

Butterflies fly in the daytime. Moths, on the other hand, are nocturnal, thus they prefer to be active in the night. But there are day-flying moths too. Male butterflies are smaller than the females; they're also more beautiful. Which other zoological creature has males as the fairer species? 

The Kallima, aka dead leaf (orange oakleaf), is a nymphalid butterfly that resembles a dry leaf with dark veins (when their wings are closed). See below and find that hose aren't leaves, but kallimas. They're living examples of the concept of "camouflage",

 A visit is roughly divided into 3 places: a "Butterfly Collection" on display in the main house; an art gallery, featuring the paintings of Professor Jumalon; and a lush garden where a limited number of live butterflies are found. The sanctuary is housed in a residence, with non-descript facade. If you're not too observant, it's easy to miss. It's located at the back of a public school at the fringes of Cebu City.

LARVAE AND PUPAE

Butterfly farms and sanctuaries, as I observed, are hard to maintain because of the short lifespan of these colorful creatures (2-3 weeks tops). In this sanctuary, a guide will try to explain about the displays, and you'll eventually learn about the life cycle of these creatures, involving caterpillars (larvae) and pupa (chrysalis). At the garden, an enclosure attracts butterflies by placing honey on hanging sponges. We know how they're partial to nectars, right? They play a role in the pollination of plants. 

If you're curious enough, it's easy to lose 1 to 2 hours in this sanctuary, tucked away in a quiet residential area in Cebu City.

The sanctuary is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, and located at the back of Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School, along Jumalon Street. For more information, you may call them at (032-261-6884). No reservations needed unless you're with a large group. Entrance fee is PhP50 ($1) and PhP25 for children. I took a taxi from Fuente Osmena and paid about PhP100 for my fare, it's almost hard to believe because Fuente to SM Cebu usually costs between PhP 80-PhP 90. The sanctuary seemed "far" from the city center. 

If you've visited most of the city's major attractions, this sanctuary will fascinate you. Nothing earth-shattering here, but sure beats malling.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

 

Kallima (dead leaf) displays camouflage.

Caterpillar

Letters of the alphabet on the wings of the butterflies.

Jumalon's collection 

One of Professor Jumalon's paintings. Flash photography not allowed inside the collector's room. 

During the Japanese occupation  (1941-1944), Prof. Jumalon was asked to design the country's legal tender. Cebuano Jose P. Laurel was president of the so-called "puppet government". 

About a block from the sanctuary is this busy highway where it's easy to hail a taxi or a multicab.