The Colours and Shadows
of Exotic
towns in the Indian Ocean
Charming islands still echoing the past years of colonisation. Walking down
their shabby and mysterious streets, a very unique experience as
most of their inhabitants are still living in the times of the colonisation era. It feels like a time travel as
almost nothing has changed ever since.
What is overwhelming about these
towns though, is the astonishment one experiences at the unexpected contrast of style and décor when
walking into some of the houses or boutique hotels.
Bedrooms dominated by 4 poster beds,
solid wood carved headboards some of which depicting scenes from the dark ages
of the slave trade, beautifully muted coloured walls, some engraved with glass,
multi coloured glass bead curtains, not to mention the antique brass baths.
Typical Arabic style houses with
recessed courtyards, shaded by the leaves of very long plants. Hidden balconies
decorated with lattice work.
Modest dwellings, yet very rich due to their
intricate interiors. Here, new world material possessions become irrelevant.
Style and luxury is created not by expensive ornaments or technological
equipment, but by long accumulated style and taste.
Restored to the smallest details the
luxury of some of the boutique hotels, is captured in the romantic history of the place. Although they seem a
bit historical they do not lack any kind of comfort and are set up to the
standards of the modern traveller.
I had finally arrived at our boutique hotel. As soon as I walked in one of the
rooms and opened the window to look on the view in front of me, smells and
voices from the spices and honey merchants came flowing softly through the
curtains. A complete detachment, these places and corners of the Slave Trade Route have now changed to become jewels of the coral roads where you may step into the past to be transported into a sophisticated dream.
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