More from the beach

I don't think I mentioned the purple and yellow coral yet. Today, as for many days I've been out snorkeling. At first I had thought that Flic en Flac bay had only dead coral, but then discovered some live stag horn coral. Today's discovery was quite unexpected.
On the sea bed lies, amongst much else, large boulders, naturally enough. Some boulders are of rock, smoothed over the years by the sea, but others are of dead, white calcium carbonate coral exoskeleton. I had got used to seeing these. Then I noticed that one of them was sort of glowing. It was as if it had been fitted up to a purple neon light, the sort you sometimes see at night in shop windows. It was a faint glow, but a gloriously living glow. It was a wow glow.
Of course then you notice more of them, not as spectacular, but definitely there. There are also yellow and blue bolder corals.
Another new fish today was one with a blotchy camouflage, like on a Giraffe, but on this fish's back. One moment it was there, then disappeared, then back again.
Back on the beach I hear someone call 'Hey Rasta man'. I turn round and he's talking to me. He is in fact a bit of a Rasta man himself, in fact more of one than me. I know I haven't shaven, must look at bit wild, but coming from him I take it as a compliment. He proceeds to talk to me in slow Creole which I mainly understand. He seems thrilled to discover that I'm Mauritian and that I can make sense of what he's saying. He notices my necklace and says he can make me one from coral. I ask if he can make one in Mauritian colours. Of course he can. He says it's difficult to find coral that is 'zaune' - creole for yellow. OK, I agree, but how much? He asks me to make him an offer. 400. He laughs and comes up with all sorts of reasons for it being more. We settle on 1,000 RS, twenty pounds. I know he's ripping me off, but he's been entertaining and fun. He runs off and in a suitable while, so he can say he make it from scratch, he comes back with the finished article.
It's not really in Mauritian colours and it's made of plastic beads, not really coral but I accept it. Hey Ho. It's cool man.