Isle des Emeraudes
Cote des Emeraudes
Exile Island
In late January/early February 2009, the M.S. Elegante was damaged! Oh no! But while she was undergoing repairs, the passengers got a little vacation at the scenic Isle des Emeraudes~
The isle of Emeraudes is quite small - only about 3 miles long. You could walk around it in a day, if you'd like to. The only civilization is the town, although there's a small collection of abandoned shanties.
Isle des Emeraudes[]
Shanty town[]
HAVE SOME ICE CREAM OK
Abandoned shanties lean this way and that, scattered about. They seem pretty old. A wooden chime sounds softly, but otherwise it's quiet. No one appears to be living here anymore...
Beach proper[]
Well, everything is essentially beach, but this part of it has a few shops. A surf shop, complete with "DUUUUUUDE" cashier, small boat rental, changing rooms, and a cute little ice cream stand run by these guys (right). Aren't they cute?
Watch out, though - that ice cream might just do something to you! Turning into a murloc for thirty seconds? Well, it is really good ice cream.
Cannon[]
It's a cannon. An old, outdated, nonfunctional cannon, but it's sort of interesting anyway.
Exile Island[]
You do naughty things, you get stuck here. (No, not THAT sort of naughty.) No, you can't get off or on, and no, there's nothing other than the tree. It's a very nice tree, though.
Erol and Karis got put here. Are we surprised? No.
Lighthouse[]
The lighthouse at the tip of Emeraudes stands, solid and imposing. It looks old, but well taken care of, and the inside is relatively clean. There's a trick step - watch out!
There's no light at the top - just a firepit and a gigantic glass. The firepit's not lighting, though...
Caves[]
Yes, we like caves okay. This cave might be a bit more interesting, though - it's got jewels growing in it. Emeralds are the most common, but you can see rubies, crystals, garnet and amethyst - everything.
Animals[]
Trying to swim or fly out too far results in a visit from these guys. They're over-sized and eager to taste your fluids. Other than that, there don't appear to be any animals on the island.
Cote des Emeraudes[]
Cote des Emeraudes is a small town, but it's pleasant, with many fun activities. Sidewalk cafes, cheerful pedestrians, a distinct lack of cars, a lot of palm trees. It's hot and balmy.
Townsfolk[]
Your stereotypical Caribbean tourist-trap folk. They're quite helpful and friendly, and when you buy things, they "put it on your tab". If you were to ask about the Elegante, they'll say vague sorts of things, like, 'oh, the Captain's a great mon', 'we've always been very friendly with your boat, yes we have', et cetera.
Yay hats!
Similarly, they just smile and nod when asked about red boxes, the crew, discs, herons, bears that turn into bats, and so forth. Do they know something? Probably, but they're not going to tell you.
Attacking a townsfolk does count as punishable, yes, so don't do it. (Or do, and get stuck on the island with one palm tree~)
There are two townsfolk of interest - The Philosopher, who wanders through the streets, talking to anyone who will listen. She might catch you - and if she does, you'll have to pay her in seashells before she'll leave. The other is this cheery fellow (right), who's making hats and animals out of folded palm tree leaves. How cute!
Hotels[]
The Hero Hotel[]
The savepoint hotel. It's nice enough, but it seems to have annoyingly cheerful music playing all the time. But, hey, the beds are kinda bouncy.
If you'd like, you can try to book a room at one of the other hotels in the town:
The Lynched Pig[]
A bit more homey, like an inn, and a bit more infested. With roaches. And some spiders. But there's no music!
The Main Street Hotel[]
A bit more upper class. The rooms are nice and...well, roomy. But you might find a lobster or two trying to join you in the tub, or some lizards in the drawers. Oh well!
Other Attractions[]
Mme. Fortuna's
Madame Fortuna's[]
A quaint little smokey shop. Inside are hanging bones, exotic rugs, and maybe a pig head or two. Okay, so it's a little creepy. Madame Fortuna, a large dark-skinned woman with a long pipe, eyes you as you browse.
There are several interesting charms here...love potions, good luck charms, evil spirit wards, charms for wealth, protection, fertility, healing...
Tropical Delights[]
A whorehouse. Yeah. The brown section of town is a bit more...seedy than the rest.
Lao Tzu's Ashes[]
Lao Tzu's Ashes is a very seedy looking place. No, scratch that, it's a place that was once very refined and elegant, but it hasn't been kept up in recent years. There are dust motes in the air and the scent of opium and tobacco hangs heavy in the air. Cushions are arranged around many different gaming tables, and the patrons give you slow, sleepy nods as you enter.
Servers have a variety of refreshing drinks available, and anyone who enters will be offered sweetened, chilled tea as a break from the tropical heat. Chaise lounges, roman couches and nesting chairs are here and there and silk curtains hang from the rafters. Looking up into the rafters reveals kites of every description hanging from the rooftop.
There's drugs, gambling, and creepy guys with eyepatches. Unlike the rest of the town, they'll want to bet real things, so be careful.
Shopping[]
The Open-Air Market[]
Just what the name implies - an open-air market. The vendors are cheerful, and you can even buy heron keychains! A lot of things can be found here, but if you're looking for something a little ritzier, try...
The High-Rise[]
It's the only skyscraper in the town, and looks a little out of place. Inside is the shopping mall; it's pretty fancy, but there seems to be...well, giant electronics walking around. Camcorders, gameboys, iPods - they strut around, exclaiming over prices and taking pictures of themselves.
The Ocelot Shop[]
Looks fairly new. Yes, there are ocelots. No, you cannot actually buy one.
Etcetera[]
The Park[]
Which is. A park. Look, it's got swings. And a fountain. Awesome.
Super Splash[]
An indoor water park. Hell yeah. It's also got an arcade and laser tag! WOOOOO.
There are plenty of other restaurants, cafes, sidewalk vendors and little novelty shops spread around the town. It's the perfect little island resort. Of course, it has it's secrets, and the Captain's still watching over you.