When you decide to stay longer.

Scuba diving is so much more than a skill set, exploration and discovery. It makes people want to go places! If you read my blog from the start you will know that my solo dive trip started as a volunteer plan which did not materialise but I decided to travel anyway. I knew there would be challenges as I have not done this in several decades and have mobility issues. I love talking and being surrounded by people and I am a girl! 

The biggest challenge at the start of the trip was being alone in a one room apartment while it was pouring with rain for days. I was back in a lockdown situation and went as far as considering joining a nearby gym just to get out of the room! So yes, solo travel can be stressful when you are not used to being alone.

Luckily the rain stopped and I was able to start exploring my area. I started walking long distances, taking photographs, thinking I would sit down and write this blog and many amazing poems and essays. I did not anticipate that having to be extra careful not to injure myself on these walks (I have a weak leg and balance issues) and having to stay home at night, for personal safety considerations, would cause stress. I am here on a survival budget and tried not to use taxis, rather keeping my funds for diving, so going out by myself at night to visit a restaurant was out of the question.

Before I left home I announced on my rather active Facebook page that I would not be sharing my trip there, but in my blog. So here I was, feeling lonely. To talk, I started making videos. At first to share with my husband and family, but very soon everything was on Facebook! Videos of me sharing experiences walking in pouring rain or with a sweaty red face after a long walk and always without any make up as the humidity and heat made that an impossibility. I took selfies and photos to post and got connected with my friends in that way. You have to find a way to stay or get connected! The gym idea was not such a bad one initially, but I was waiting to start diving and was convinced I would be socialising and connected there.

When the diving started I was so chatting-deprived that I was talking more than usual (If you knew me you would realise that that would drive any balanced semi-normal person nuts!) I was over-sharing and desperate to connect. I found that service providers at dive centres do not appreciate an exhausting client, they have enough to deal with already. Fellow divers are there for the dive and then move on.

Then it happened. The social side of diving! I dived Purple Cave and there were two girls diving with me and the dive guide. There is a separate blog on the dive, so I will not go into that detail again. Suffice it to say that upon surfacing I was beyond myself with excitement of what I saw and experienced and I had a captive audience! Back at the dive centre I was still babbling. I just couldn’t shut up! Then Charlotte sat down opposite me and we talked. The girls and I shared cell numbers to exchange video and photographic footage of the dive and the next thing I knew, I had a dinner invite.

This connection changed everything. I was comfortable to change my flight, allowing me to stay longer. I was going places and meeting more people. I was out at night and could use my French which was one of the reasons I came. The girls have been in Mahebourg and the area for many months and being in their company got me connected with the local community allowing me to learn so much from them all.

I advise girls travelling solo to rather book at a hotel or bed-and-breakfast if you do not like being alone. Make sure you share your plans with family and friends and check in with them for safety reasons as well as staying connected. If you are planning a long stay, make sure you find a place to connect with and meet local people before you start your journey. Make friends with your service providers, starting with your host, housekeeping staff and others. Not only do they provide security and emergency back-up, but they have family members who can help with other things. It is also a great way to get to know the local culture and community. Make sure you have the peace of mind that medical travel insurance offers and keep your valuable documents safe. I carry a copy of my passport, local address, my landlord’s cell number and proof of my medical insurance in my purse at all times. Choose a safe destination, but do not allow that the sense of safety lead to recklessness. Stay safe.  

In my personal journey there is little I would have changed. Even the time alone served a purpose. I also realised that I should not try to over plan my days, but let them flow and lead me to meet new people and see new things that I may have missed otherwise. A random conversation on a street corner or with a taxi driver could change a life. If not my own, then perhaps that of someone else.

This journey has however changed me and I will cherish the experience forever.

Lynette Gerber-Lochenkov June 2023