Sesel Sa! January - March 2015 Jan - March 2015 | Page 59

amount of visitors to the islands. He explains that
because of how much he has interacted with so many
different types of people, he feels that he has gained
so much knowledge. He proudly recounts how he
has successfully picked up Italian, then a working
knowledge of German, and he might not be fluent in
other languages but he knows enough words here
and there to make himself understood. He also likes
how he has been able to experience so many other
cultures. The comparison between the Seychellois
culture and others has been the source of Mr Bijoux’s
interest for all his years of service.

alternating stops along the way. There is a schedule
that needs to be followed to ensure that all the
stops are visited and Mr Bijoux makes sure that his
passengers get where they need to be on time. In all
his years at Mason’s Travel he is proud to say that he
has never had any issues at the company.
The tours are also held on the other islands of the
Seychelles and with Mr Bijoux on duty, the passengers
make it to and from the main island of Mahé. There
have never been any complaints in all his years of
service.

3. Know thy job

The most important thing to Mr Bijoux is that there is
a youth to take his place. His advice is that the young
should be taught how to follow the rules and not
complain. He believes that companies have already
put in place guidelines that allow a person to work
and grow within the industry as long as one adheres
to the rules, he has his own personal experience as an
example of how one can lead a happy life when one
works hard and efficiently.

Mr Bijoux most enjoys taking tourists on excursions
around Mahé and he has done them for so long that
he is as knowledgeable as the guides. He recounts
how because he knows the routes so well he is able
to identify “extras” that the tourists might like. It is not
traditional for the bus drivers to leave their vehicle, but
after locking down his bus, Mr Bijoux will join the tour
guide and point out other interesting facts about the
places along the route that he has gleaned over the
years. He explains how because of that, the tourists
enjoy the little things about the Seychelles more. He
can point out simple shapes made from leaves, ask
them to feel the texture of a petal or point them in the
direction of a succulent fruit that they can sample. He
is repaid for his efforts with the joy he sees in the faces
of the visitors.
He is one of the premier bus drivers and this is
exemplified by the fact that he is the driver that is
most trusted to drive VIP guests. He recounts how he
gets pulled from his regular service at a moment’s
notice for as long as two weeks and kept on standby
for the use of only one or one group of VIP guests.

4. Take care of your charges

Because of the increase in visitors, the driving
schedule is a much more hectic one from previous
years. When he makes the comparison, Mr Bijoux
admits that he finds the tourists of today to be more
demanding than their counterparts from yesteryears.
He remembers how tourists used to be in such awe
of the beauty of the Seychelles and how they would
exclaim about everything that was new to them, of
which there where many. Nowadays the tourists have
much higher expectations and many have lost the
childlike wonder at Mr Bijoux’s little treasures. The
main thing he focuses on despite this is how he can
cater to the wishes of the visitors in his care. He meets
every request with a willing smile and tries his best
to accommodate them. When he is charged with a
troupe to drive, he does not just consider them as
p