Haliba trumps Glenda

Since my last instalment, I can tell you that we haven't used much sunscreen. That isn't because we are not trying to get out and do fun stuff. It is because of the effects of the second cyclone we have encountered in as many weeks on our trip. Tropical Cyclone Glenda was pretty well finished by the time we got settled on the island just over 10 days ago and as she was sputtering out, mother nature was spawning another bit of nastiness just off the east coast of Madagascar. Last night, the meteorologists determined that the new storm was worthy of a name and Haliba was christened.

Haliba is being felt more on Madagascar where we understand there has been severe flooding. It is also going to run over La Reunion Island (part of Mauritius) before it heads off to the south and southeast across the open waters of the southern Indian Ocean. At least that is the plan. I feel sorry for the people of La Reunion but better them, than us. Meanwhile, we have been socked in for the better part of three days now and we have been forced to talk to each other for much of that time. In our re-discovery of each other we have come to the conclusion that everything is good in the world, except for the weather.

Yesterday at lunch, a Red Fody nipped in out of the rain, to dine with us. He looked like he had just gotten out of the shower. His nice red plumage was soaked and disheveled and he didn't seem to care at all about it. In fact, the bold little bird came closer than any sparrow or mynah bird had ever dared to come and so, I rewarded him with a big piece of breadstick. Now the normal practise is to take the offering, break it into pieces and then consume it with all the other patrons in the restaurant. But oh no, the Fody had always intended this to be a take-out meal. He did not want to linger when his plumage was in such a state and he picked it up and lugged it away to his perch where he could eat in private and not have to listen to what the sparrows were saying behind his back.

All I can do is keep my sense of humour because I wanted to go snorkelling today.

On a positive note it is still very warm here and we are not getting the winds that the other side of the island has been getting. In addition, we understand there has been some flooding in the capital of Port Louis.

We went over to Ile aux Cerfs today. You can see this island across the bay from our villa and there is a free ferry that you can take there from the Four Seasons. The highlights of this little tour included the discovery of a really neat little golf course on the island and catching two monster snails having sex on the practice tee. We may have been the only ones to take the ferry today because it was so wet but we wanted to check it out so we would know what to expect on our next trip to Mauritius. Speaking about our next trip, tomorrow we leave here to fly to Dubai for two nights. My next posting will probably be from the U.A.E.

Stay tuned!

This is cool, the room service delivery carts have
a Dodo bird with a knife and fork

Leaving the Four Seasons dock to go to Ile aux Cerfs

the beach on Ile aux Cerfs

there is some kind of fitness trail up in the treetops on the island

these ruins are built right into the golf course design

you can see a ruined heritage building behind the trap
and in front of the green

gym will get back to you on this, it may be an important find

a cool par-5

what else can this be but snail porn?

lush praactise green with 9th fairway in background

very cool practise area

Slipping down to the South

I like Chicken Congee in the morning. I understand billions of people eat this simple rice dish for breakfast every day. At our breakfast spot, it comes with a whole poached egg, some soy sauce and hot chili peppers on the side. I cut the egg up and mix in half the soy and all of the nasty little chili pepper pieces. Then, I savor each spoonful, being mindful of the ones that contain the bits of green and red heat. Having a kleenex is a good idea during this process but you don’t suffer, you leave feeling satiated and at peace with the world.

Yesterday, we left our home here at the Four Seasons and ventured out into the rest of Mauritius. We booked a Four Seasons driver/guide for this all-day trip and we are glad we did. Aswan showed us great hospitality on this exploration of the southern half of the island and we got along so famously that at the end of the trip, he invited us into both his home and the home of his parents, to meet the whole family. We had a great day, with some great sightseeing and the bonus of an inside look at Mauritian society.

Although Mauritius is a small island, most of the roads wind around and up and down the remnants of old volcanoes that are the backbone of the island and therefore it is not like driving in Saskatchewan. On most roads the posted speed limits are either 60 or 80 kilometers per hour. There is one exception and that is the only four-lane highway on the island, a pretty straight route that connects the airport to the capital city of Port Louis. Unfortunately, our travels transected that “freeway” and our exploration of the island was mainly on the slower roads.

We were worried when we started the tour that because it had just finished raining that morning, the peaks and view-points that we were going to see, would be shrouded in mist.  We got lucky though and our photos turned out pretty well. The day turned out to be pretty clear and very hot because of the high humidity.

Our first stop was the a viewpoint called the Trou aux Cerfs, a near perfect little dormant volcanic cone that had a great viewpoint at about 600 meters above sea level.  You could look back to the north and see the capital’s skyline in the distance, framed by the other “mountains” to the north and the Indian Ocean. You could also go look down into the very symmetrical cone of the cute little volcano you were standing on that was about 350 meters in diameter and 80 meters deep. It would make a spectacular par-three golf hole.

view of the capital, Port Louis, from Trou aux Cerfs

looking down into the cone of the volcano

Not far away, we got away from nature, for a brief visit to a toy-ship building factory. Neither of us had ever seen anything quite like this place and even Mrs. Gym thought the ship models were pretty cool. The problem was, of course, we didn’t have a nautically themed room in our smallish bungalow back home.

Man-o-war circa 1800 which would fill our living room

another massive model clipper ship that would fill a room

building a smaller model using teak imported from Myanmar

adding the rigging which looks like a very finicky job

a cool model motor boat

Next on the agenda was a visit to the holiest Hindu place in Mauritius located at a place called the Grand Bassin and also Ganga Talao. We’d been to Hindu holy areas in India but this time with Aswan our Hindu guide, we got a really got a good feel for a Hindu temple. Aswan showed us around a little bit and then we were blessed by a Hindu priest who took us through an elaborate ceremony in some ancient but appropriate language and then when we were done, reminded me in perfect English, to remember my golf cap that I’d removed for the blessing. Hopefully that blessing will see us safely through our travels for years to come. Later, Aswan told us that when Hindus buy a new car they have it blessed at Ganga Talao. He also told us that once a year, in February, up to 500,000 Hindus from all over the island make a pilgrimage by foot to this holy place and it gets pretty crowded up there.

This is Lord Shiva, the ruler or king of Hindu gods.
The statue stands 33 meters tall and stands at the entrance
to the area containing the Shiva Temple

The Shiva Temple sits on the shores of a beautiful crater lake
which is elaborately landscaped and populated by an incredible number of fish.
You can not swim in or catch fish from this lake.

Inside the temple we participate in the blessing ceremony
with the Hindu priest canting in the backgroud. Here we water the
plants on for Shiva.

Mrs. Gym in front of some of Shiva's friends.

Statues of lesser Hindu gods line the shores of the crater lake 

Another 33-meter statue of Durga Maa Bhavani is currently
under construction across the road from the Shiva statue.

Our next two stops were at some breathtaking viewpoints in the Black River Gorges National Park. The national park was set up to protect most of the island’s remaining rainforest and a number of endangered endemic birds. We hiked up to two places where we had specular views of a couple of waterfalls that flow over into the Gorge.

Our first stop took us to the trailhead of a path that lead to this view
which looked over the edge of the Gorge.

Another view from the edge of the Gorge

Chamarel Falls cascades over two distinct layers of rock which are
two different lava flows

By Chamarel Falls there was also a very cool outcrop of the Seven Colored Earths. I know some geologists that would have got a woody looking at this outcrop. It is a masterpiece of color in volcanic sands layered in surrealistic fashion by forces of volcanism and chemistry that create a masterpiece that does not erode. It is like a place where geologists should have to make a pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime.

iron and aluminum are the main elements that colour these sands
 which have eroded off of the volcanic basalt. These elemenst naturally
repel each other. The most amazing thing about these sands "dunes" is
 that they do not erode very easily.

Seven Coloured Sands

Then we broke for lunch. We had arrived at La Rhumerie du Chamarel.  I ordered the “catch of the day” and Mrs. Gym had a Caesar Salad that had been kicked up “too many notches”. Mrs. Gym gave me the stuff that did not belong in the salad.

A beautiful restaurant at La Rhumerie Du Chamarel. It was extremely
hot up there.

After lunch we toured the Rhumerie with a nice couple from Florida. We all learned that this beautiful double-distilled rum was not exported to North America. We all secretly made plans to start a new business.

This is  a working Rum Factory but it sits idle for 6 months while the
sugarcane is maturing

This factory is only one of three in the world that double-distills its Rum

This is where the raw cane is brought in from the field, cut up
and crushed to extract all the cane juice.

It is really a nice looking factory but it is apparently unbearably hot
 when the factory is producing rum. They burn the by-product
of the sugarcane to heat the distilleries.

It was steaming hot at La Rhumerie and we had reached the highest point that we would on the tour at about 700 meters above sea level. We were now going to look down over the southwest corner of the island. And then we would be descending down onto the coastal plain and driving back past the airport to the District of Flacq, and our home at the Four Seasons.  However, we had one more stop so we could see the only spot where the island had no fringing reef and at the same time visit a place where our driver could have a rest stop before the final 2-hour drive back to Flacq.

Looking down from the highlands to the coastal plain

You can see the fringing reef in this picture

There are some nice resorts in this area including the Oberoi
 which is highly rated

Mrs. Gym now posing down on the coastal plain in front of the
area where there is no fringing reef. Note the massive waves

The author attempting to fly to Antarctica

Just before we arrived back at the hotel, Aswan invited us to his village, not far from the hotel, to meet his family. How could we say no? He took us to his parents home first where we met the folks, the mother-in-law and his beautiful daughter who stayed with her grandparents until her parents got home from work. Then we toured Aswan’s house. He and his parents were so proud of the fact that he had taken the plunge and bought some real estate. We have yet to meet Aswan’s wife but we know that she is also a Four Season’s employee and we will try to locate her in the days ahead.

Aswan's father's house - we had a beer with him and he is quite a character

Aswan's daughter is still in her school uniform

Aswan gave us a tour of his brand new house

Aswan

Antics in Anahita

We have been busy doing nothing, punctuated by some sort of daily workout and some kayaking, hiking and bike-riding. Things are definitely different than our normal "busy" vacation. Today we even slept in and missed breakfast (which is included). It is a steady 25-30C and I know that doesn't sound hot but the humidity is always 80% minimum, making it very sticky. Yesterday, we walked down a few fairways on the golf course and I think there was only one group out golfing.

The Four Seasons Resort that we are staying at is located near the village of Anahita, in the District of Flacq, one of nine districts on the island. Flacq District is on the easternmost part of the island. Since our villa is on the easternmost part of the resort which is on the easternmost part of the island, we should have seen some great sunrises since we got here. However, because of Cyclone Glenda which skirted by here just after we arrived, it has been pretty cloudy out towards the east. Don't worry, I think Cyclone Glenda has now fizzled out because the winds have died down and the sea was dead calm today.

Yesterday, we took out a 2-man kayak (we won't be doing that again). It was a pretty good workout though and I think we need one for the lake. They have an excellent fitness area here and we have been there almost every day. You pick up your bikes at the fitness club and just about everybody uses them to get around the resort. There are three restaurants here and everybody rides their bikes to the dining venues and other areas of the resort, where bike racks are always somewhere near the entrance of every building. They attach a little license plate to your bike that shows which villa it belongs to, so there is no grand theft bicycle.

The gardens here are the most impressive I have ever seen on any resort property. We've been told that there are 100 gardeners working the grounds full time. My mother would have loved it here.

We have been doing a little bird-watching. It is pretty easy since the gardens here attract all kinds of indigenous and introduced species of birds. We want to see the Pink Pigeon and/or the Mauritius Kestrel which are rare indigenous birds but no luck, so far. To our dismay, the most numerous sightings of birds have been of the common House sparrow and the common Myna, since they tend to dine with us at every meal, in these open-air restaurants. But Mrs. Gym gets top award so far, for spotting a Red Fody which she failed to capture on film but if you google it you will see what a cool red bird it is.

We both have seen another larger, winged creature which initially, looked to us like a significant bird of prey. However, there was something different about that first one we saw, so we watched it until it got close and we realized it was not a bird at all. To Mrs. Gym's dismay, this area of Mauritius is blessed with a healthy population of Flying Foxes. These are native animals to this island and they are related to the giant flying foxes of Australia. These animals put the bats at the lake to shame. Some specimens have wingspans of 2/3's of a meter and can weigh up to 2 pounds (twice the weight of a crow).

Just at the end of our yard there are often crabs that
hang out on the rocks. This one is Frank.

We share our backyard with Pete. He loves the sun as
much as Mrs. Gym

On the left is one of the open-air restaurants on the resort
and on the right is the main lobby and the bar.

This fisherman is standing on a baby mangrove
island about 75 meters of our backyard. I think he
is using a hand-line.

Linda had to go to the bathroom but this Mauritian kept me
company while she was gone. It is a Myna that was probably mad at me
for finishing my toast.

We will try to get a picture of a flying fox tonight.

Ambitious to go to Mauritius

Yes, we are in Mauritius and it is beautiful here.

Mauritius? It is an island nation and independent republic. It is also a democracy that became independent from Britain in 1968. Britain claimed the island from France in 1810 after losing a naval engagement and later winning a land battle against the French. Britain allowed the inhabitants to retain their french language and continue to settle criminal and civil cases in accordance with the laws of France (that sounds familiar). The French held the island for about 95 years and before them, the Dutch held dominion over the area but it was too hot and none of the trees were suitable for making wooden shoes. Today, the locals seem to be comfortable in both French and English but they speak a french-african creole among themselves.

The nation is about 700-800 kilometres east of Madagascar, Africa. It is on the southern end of a ridge that runs from the the Seychelles in the north, down through the islands that make up the country of Mauritius. That ridge is called the Mascaren Plateau and it is shaped like the eastern edge of Madagascar. The largest land mass in the country is the island of Mauritius but there are other smaller islands such as Reunion and Rodrigues. The country is about the same size as the island of Maui in Hawaii, at about 2000 square kilometres. It is a popular vacation spot for both the French and the English as well as significant numbers of wealthy Chinese and Arabs. Americans are rare in these parts which is somewhat refreshing for Mrs. Gym and I. The Maui comparison ends at the size of the country, as I have not seen a Walmart, a 7-11 or even a billboard since I got here and we are an hour from the airport. More surprising to me was that I have not seen any trash on the side of the road. It is a very green island surrounded by the third largest continuous reef on earth and the water inside the reef is bright azure-blue.

What inspired a trip to Mauritius? Well, my orders were to find a place with a beach where we could have a restful vacation and not have to tour any historic sites, compare architectural themes or wander ancient ruins, so I started with that. I guess the Boss was tired after a couple of years of vacations where we were on the go almost 24/7 from the start of our vacations to the end of them. I have to agree that  after the last few trips it felt like it was a rest, getting back to work. So, I thought about the beach venues that I wanted to try out and I think we nailed it with this gem here in Mauritius.

The first time I remember hearing of Mauritius was when I read the 4th book in the 22-book Aubrey-Maturin Series written by Patrick O'Brian. This particular instalment of the series is entitled, "The Mauritius Command". To be honest, many of my travels have been inspired by these novels. However, there is another draw to this island that everyone can relate to. Mauritius is the island where the Dodo bird lived. Who wouldn't have the island of the Dodo on their bucket list?

One of the most noteworthy things related to our arrival here was our delightful transit through the airport. Now, Mrs. Gym and I have been through a lot of airports in the world and I am honestly telling you that this one ranks for us as number one in every category. It had dual level air bridges for the big two-deck planes (Calgary doesn't have this yet). It has a beautifully designed interior with tons of space and a feature wall that is strikingly impressive. Then, most importantly, customs and immigration was quick and efficient and before we knew it we were in the massive hall containing several of the largest and most modern luggage carousels that I have ever seen.  Our luggage was already there when we came into the hall. I will swear we were off the plane and in a taxi within 15 minutes. And I am not the only one who was impressed by this airport. The following article was posted from February 27, 2015 just after we were there:

Mauritius’ main international airport, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport won or came second in three award categories at the ASI Air Service Quality (ASQ) awards for 2014.

The airport won the category for ‘Best Airport in Africa’, ‘Best Improved Airport in Africa’ and won second place for ‘Best Airport by Size: 2-5 Million Passengers’.

Pretty cool, eh?

More, on the resort and what we have been up to in my next installment. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what it is like.

Mrs. Gym on the path to our villa

Mrs. Gym on our free bikes

the view from our backyard

our front yard

the back yard from the villa

hotel pool

quiet beach

Ernie Els' design

kitchen garden

Other guests of the hotel

Bonjour!