MAURITIUS!

MAURITIUS

DAY 1

So, originally I would have been writing about Kenya, however those of you who read my last blog/email will recall that Kenya became a no go, so instead I am currently in Mauritius. Mauritius is an island east of Madagascar. It is, technically part of Africa, although the island is comprised of a variety of ethnicities. Indians make up the majority with 70%. There are also Creole, Sino-Mauritians (Asian decent), Africans, and French. The two official languages are French and English. However, Creole is mostly (a broken French with African influence) spoken.

Sounds like a pretty cool place, huh? Well, I’m sure it is and perhaps I will discover that tomorrow. “What? You didn’t discover that today, Lauren?” you ask. Well, no. No, I didn’t. The description of the field trip I went on today was not very accurate at all. We were supposed to visit Chinese temples, Hindu temples and other sacred places. Instead we drove by them and saw glances behind trees. We went to one Hindu temple and that was it. We also went to a mall on the waterfront, but all its stores were closed because it was Sunday. Then, we had lunch at a very Westernized restaurant where we ate chicken and fries while listening to a Shania Twain CD on the restaurant’s speakers. Fortunately, the last third of the trip was a success. We went to a SOS Children’s Village. There are SOS Children’s Villages all over the world. They provide homes and a family atmosphere for orphans and other children with domestic problems. Many children come to the village with psychological damage and some with physical damages such as physical (including sexual) abuse and some have been badly burned. The kids were great. I got to bring back some of my high school French, play with paper airplanes, draw a hopscotch grid, and one little boy gave me flowers. Sure, he ripped them off the village bordering bushes, but it was the thought that counted.

For dinner we went to this restaurant called KEG. It’s an English restaurant and pub. Then I got tired and headed back to the ship. I know boring night, but whatev. Tomorrow we are going to check out something that’s supposed to be cool, so read on to find out what that is…

DAY 2

Alright, so the second day in Mauritius was definitely A LOT better than the first. We started off by renting a van and driver for the day, so we could be taken all over the island to different must see sites. I won’t go into a whole lot of detail but we saw a crater formed by a volcano (not too exciting, just a big hole), a couple of waterfalls (very beautiful), the Mauritius Glass Gallery (pretty cool), and a place where they have seven different colors of sand (I got a small souvenir and plenty of pictures so all of you can see). We ate lunch at a nearby Mauritian restaurant outside on their patio. The food was excellent, although by the end the flies were pretty annoying.

We got back to the ship in time to take showers and go out to dinner. The nightlife in Mauritius leaves a lot to be desired, so there’s nothing too exciting to write about. Tomorrow we are going to try to check out a beach, so I’ll let you know how that goes.

I know this wasn’t a lengthy summary, but I promise to show you the pictures once I’m home.

DAY 3

Day 3 in Mauritius went well. We headed to the bus station in Port Louis and caught the express bus to Grande Baie to spend some time at the beach before leaving for India. It took about 30 minutes to get to there. There were some nearby shops, so we browsed around them for a bit before making our way to the beach area.

The beach was absolutely beautiful. Clear blue water and clear skies. It was quite relaxing. We made friends with a stray dog (don’t worry, we didn’t touch her or anything). She came and laid out with us, and we eventually gave her the name of Mauritius (I know, creative right?).

The last bus left Grande Baie at around 5:00, so we boarded then and headed back to Port Louis. We had a cheap dinner and hung around the waterfront before going back to the ship.

So, all in all, Mauritius was a very interesting place consisting of a unique grouping of peoples and cultures. I think it will be a good initial introduction to India, although I know the culture shock I experience in India will be totally overwhelming. I’ll be spending the next 6 days preparing myself.

Since this email is short I feel like ranting, so here goes…

Rant #1: Okay, so there is this set of twins on the ship: the Lundy Twins. And to use a quote from another of my shipmates, “Oh my gosh, they are so entertaining!” How are they entertaining you might be asking right now. Well, they, despite being around 20 years old, still dress exactly alike. No, seriously, they coordinate their outfits down to the most minute detail. It really can’t be healthy. Everyday I pray that I’ll see two different personalities, and everyday I’m disappointed. I feel more pity for them than anything. Okay, so I’m actually completely weirded out by the situation, but who wouldn’t be? If only I could show y’all pictures!

Rant #2: Alright, so apparently we will not be able to refill our water supply from India to Vietnam. This mean rationing our water, so less laundry and maybe limited showers. I’m really not looking forward to this.

Rant #3: Okay, so what’s the deal. I’m getting no emails. I’m really not feeling the love, guys. Thanks to the few of you that have replied even with a short note. As for the rest…pick up the pace, people. How did I not get any emails about Nick and Jessica’s breakup, Katie’s pregnancy, or the earthquake in India!? So, tisk tisk. I’m expecting emails, please don’t disappoint me. If I have to I’ll bribe with souvenirs. Don’t think I won’t sink that low.

Okay, I’m done. I hope everyone is doing wonderfully. I send all my best hugs and smiles to those less affectionate types. ;o)

Love,

Lauren

PS-I’m serious about those emails. I’m just going to say that many of them got lost in the internet mail world. That had to have been what happened b/c I know I’m loved much more than that, right?