Magnificent Mauritius

The Beach at Grand Baie

Mauritian women enjoying the shade on a Sunday afternoon along the north coast

Black rock beach

View of Mauritius from the Volcano Crater

Grand Bassin Temple

View from Temple at Grand Bassin

Monkey at the Black River Gorge - after he charged me! Thank goodness for the rabies shots!

Mauritian children en route home from school

Some Happy Feet at Sunset

I couldn't resist - I had to share my Speedo-siting in Mauritius

Just another Tuesday afternoon in Mauritius :)

View of Le Morne Brabant from the Boat

I've decided to bestow the second "Becky Must-see" award upon Mauritius. Honestly, it's worth every hour of the flight(s) it would require to make it here from the US. This island is absolutely stunning, complete with beaches, mountains, forests, sugar cane fields, gorges, and the friendliest people you'll come across. Did you know that approximately 60% of Mauritians are of Indian heritage? The other 40% are comprised of Asians, Africans, and a very small percentage of Europeans (around 2%). The official language is English, but everyone speaks French, and most speak Creole, which I've been told is quite confusing. So, image a paradise island where all of the inhabitants can seemlessly switch from French to English, where everyone is friendly, and where culture abounds. Service is impeccable, panaromas are breathtaking, and it's all remniscient of Hawaii with a whole lot of Indian and Hinduism mixed in. I love this place.

I arrived on Sunday afternoon and was ecstatic when I reached the hotel. The Le Meridien is beautiful, located on the northwest part of the pear-shaped island, and it has something for everyone. Also, I was upgraded to the "VIP" area (although not sure why, given that I wasn't paying at all for my room), given a fruit punch at reception, and a personal guided tour of the building in which I was staying. I also had a bottle of champagne waiting for me, which was to be partially consumed later in the evening - someone had to drink it :) The benefits of the VIP area include our own dining room and our own infinity pool, both of which peer out into the blue ocean and are prime locations for sunset-watching. I also had to admit I was thrilled to have free internet access, as I'd been dying for the ability to read some messages from home and chat online with my family.

I had a peaceful dinner at one of the hotel restaurants, sitting a few inches from the sand and watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean. I also had very big plans for my time here - given that I felt I had caught up on some rest in Zanzibar, I intended to see a lot of the island and what it had to offer. So, on Monday morning, I hired a taxi here to take me around the north coast. Apparently there aren't a lot of formal tours here, so hiring a taxi is the recommended mode of sightseeing. I was happy to have been paired with Samy (yes, with one "m" but pronounced like "Sammy"), an older Indian gentleman who was a third generation Mauritian. Samy had worked for Club Med in Tahiti and the Bahamas several years ago, has visited the US, and was well-educated in current events. In addition to engaging me in an in-depth discussion of Hillary vs. Barack, he also could tick off Sarkozy's schedule and ETA in Mauritius next month. He took me through little towns and beaches that line the north and east coast and provided detailed history and explanations along the way. He also helped direct me to the local Grand Bay Bazaar, where I was in search of a tank top. However, for some unfortunate reason, all of the local shops are a bit obsessed with brand names and have printed "Dior" and "Dolce & Gabanna" on all of the locally-made thin shirts, but I managed to scrounge up a couple of tops that will at least see me to Australia, at which time I can resume my search for a proper tank top.

Anyway, I digress...had a beautiful Sunday afternoon cruising the north and half of the east coast of Mauritius. I took a dip in the pool when I returned to the hotel to recover from the sticky humidity and then enjoyed dinner at our VIP dining area. For some reason, there are a ton of stray cats that are running around the beach here ( and did I ever mention some kind of duck-roosters that roamed in Zanzibar??), which kept me slightly distracted when trying to protect my meal. I also had the pleasure of having Skype chats with my parents, Emily/ Chris/Christopher, and Jillian and Matt on Monday, in addition to a long phone chat with Ben, and I went to sleep feeling on top of the world.

On Tuesday, I had asked Samy if he would take me to the south part of the island, and we had a very long day of sightseeing. It almost felt like we were running down a checklist of all of the big sites, as we stopped every few kilometers for a different temple, waterfall, or event notated on my island map. I saw a volcano crater, an AMAZING Hindu temple, complete with a huge Shiva statue looming over the perimeter, stunning views, two waterfalls, seven colors of earth meeting (this was a little too touristy for even me), and kite boarding at the southern tip of the island. I'm so glad I took the trip around the south part, but I have to admit I was happy to be back at my hotel and have the opportunity to hang out and read by the pool during the sunset. The day finished off with some much-needed laundry (in the sink) and a late night call from my husband, who's working entirely too much these days.

Today I woke up just wishing for a day with no plans, but I had already booked a boat trip on the south part of the island. After sitting in about an hour's worth of traffic - yes, even in paradise there is a downtown with traffic - I arrived at a Mauritian boat club and was happy to see some other tourists waiting for the same tour - until I was struck with fear that they would all speak only French! I had this awful image of me sitting on the side while everyone spoke beautifully in a language where all I recall are the numbers (just up to 5) and the basic phrases (thank you, good morning, good evening, and I would like... a croissant??). Fortunately, I overhead a British couple talking early into the trip and started chatting with them. They were so much fun! Heather and Richard live outside London and met back in the '70s when working in South Africa. They continued to work in various south African countries until deciding, after two children, to return to the U.K. Their children are now grown and living close by, but Heather and Richard continue to take fabulous vacations around the world. We had a wonderful time during the day, and I will forever remember Heather's use of the term "sluffy" to describe our afternoon on the sea with cocktails. Our boat took us to see dolphins swimming in a local bay, snorkeling around a large coral reef, eating a lunch of grilled fish prepared on the boat, and swimming offshore. I was so happy that I had booked the trip and returned to the hotel feeling revived from my new-found friends and an offshore look at the island.

I am supposed to leave Mauritius tomorrow for Johannesburg, where I intended to beg and plead my way onto an 11 hour flight to Sydney. However, Tropical Storm Gula, known as a cyclone here to the Mauritians, is lurking a few hundred miles away and is expected to land here tomorrow. I am not optimistic that my flight will leave, and the next flight isn't scheduled until Saturday. I bordered on concern this afternoon and then decided that there were many worse places for me to be stranded! Tomorrow morning will be telling for my travel plans, but I may end up staying here for a few days if my flight is, in fact, cancelled. Then hopefully on to Oz!