Holidays and trips end super-fast. It was one of the craziest, awesome and adventurous outings and I loved writing a travelogue about each day and the different experiences were just as amazing as it could get. From Scuba diving, snorkeling  para sailing  zip lining, under sea walk, hanging bridge, tube ride and going to the next beach each day. And each one is beautiful and gives a different feeling. The worlds beautiful beaches, sandy shores, lagoon, sparkling blue water and greenery could be seen all around. Not to forget the marine life was the best part. I think we covered it all and who says one cannot stay here for 10 days?? You surely need more than a week for the island. Mauritius is one of the prettiest places I have been and if you have not visited make sure you make your next vacation to the island. It surely is one of the paradises on earth. I am actually going to miss the crystal clear water and beaches when I get to K-town midst the mountain and valley.

And with 10 day of fun and adventure events I have got a perfect tan and could somebody send in tips on how to remove them.

The sight from the window is mesmerizing. Clear sky and the clouds in different shapes are the best combination to keep looking at the sunrise for the next 15 minutes. The air is fresh and clean. And trust me I have never seen a rainbow so close. All colors were visible, between the trees I wanted to capture the best. But unfortunately still in need of a DSLR. So I just picked up my iphone and I am sure I did no justice.

We bought mementos and gifts for everyone and mostly what you get as souvenirs is all made of shells.  And as I said you need to be good at trading and it is easy. A special discount for the Indians that’s what they said but I believe we paid a decent one. The best sunset that can be seen is from Flic en flac, the beach towards the west of the island.  It offers pleasant and charming setting with beautiful white sand beaches and beautiful blue lagoons. It was beach volleyball, swimming and snorkeling for the evening. I kept swimming behind the lovely fishes and in no time it was an hour that I was in water hoping to see the sunset. But since the weather was not that clear and the tides were high we missed the most beautiful sunset which we could see. But here is the picture, that I could find of the most beautiful sunset EVER at Flic en flac.

We left really early as we were to reach the departure point by 9 in the morning. We were heading towards Gabriel Island on a Catamaran ride. It was a baby Cruise for 2 hours.  Seven to Eight cruises left one after the other with 40 people on one cruise. Perfect music and a sunny day, it was the perfect time for a sail. The surfs were high and the ride was not smooth at all. The water would come in the ship most of the time. The time was quite long and we were feeling a bit uneasy with the salty water all over us. I guess it was sea-sickness. Above all there was an end which was loose (3 nut bolts were in the air and were about to come out) and I could just imagine the worse. This is how our mind works. I could not see the island till far and when I asked the captain he said we would be sailing for an hour more. My mind started making stories of something happening if that comes out!! How would we reach the island?? The ship go upside down in few minutes, all reminded me of the movie titanic. The movie was one of my best but the difference was there was no Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) with us. And most of us did not know how to swim. I looked after the small lifeboats and life jackets.

I quietly called the other crew member and asked him if this was fine, nothing much could have been done then but he told me it needed some repair, and it would not make a difference. After we reached the island I told my folks about it and they laughed it out. And they told me that it is not connected to the mast of the ship. I was comforted then. It is a great place to enjoy a day of relaxation and fun on one of the picture-postcard beaches or enjoy swimming and snorkeling in the sea. After spending an amazing time at the island, it was time to head back. We sailed through the crystal clear water of the lagoons; head to the open sea having breath taking scenery all around.

The view from the terrace is simply beautiful. Every house has four trees in minimum. As I see the view from here I can see lush green trees all around and bungalows in between them. Traveling here does not take much time as one can reach the north in an hour, south east in an hour and a half and the island is small with one city and 5 districts in all. 

We had gone all over the country, but the north side was left. We were heading north this time, as we left for the beach, we went for some sightseeing and throughout my mind scuba diving was going on! I was confident but at the same time nervous. Despite of knowing swimming, I was really confused on how does it work and what is the exact process. Some people who had been for this water sport told me different experiences. Some said it takes time to adapt to the water and once it’s done, it is time for you to come back. And some come back to the water surface in just 5 minutes. And the others said that the divers leave you for a while once you are adjusted in the water and you can swim by yourself, and they are right there behind us. It is an extended version of snorkelling – just that you cannot come to the surface by yourself. I was thinking about it so much that I dreamt about scuba the previous night 🙂

Finally, the day was there and I was striking off one “TO DO” from my bucket list. I wad super excited. This was one of the things I wanted to do since forever and was sure as I heard about the Mauritius trip. We reached the beach which was the most beautiful one that I had seen so far. The water was shining bright and the blue, clear water felt so good. After snorkeling for a while we were called for the training. We were given instructions about the oxygen cylinder that we had to carry, and what should be done if your ear gets blocked or water comes in the swimming mask. While he was giving so much of training we were wondering what all would we remember?? Would it be the breathing trick, handling the oxygen cylinder, ears being heavy or what if the nose is blocked with water when you are in between? I was just perplexed as the others were.

 We were given training for half an hour and in the shallow water we were trained for the next half and then we were taken on a jet ride I was feeling uneasy for a while and the trainer told me to RELAX and he said that he is going to be around from the start and till the end. And once I heard this I was less worried. Not apprehensive at all. As we were set with our belts and cylinders, we were given a particular position and just did as we were instructed. And I should tell you it was an unforgettable experience – observing colorful tropical fish, searching for rare fish species, exploring spectacular caves and underwater world. It was the most awesome feeling being under the water for 30 minutes straight. There were times when the water went in the mask and doing as the trainer had taught was the best way. The next part is not to panic and trust the divers. That’s the magic and what you do is just believe and do what you are supposed to. Once I was back in land after a wonderful experience – I was standing happily with a new pet of mine and guess what – it’s a starfish.

A vacation is no fun without shopping. So it was a shopping day for us. It’s mostly the same thing that you get everywhere. And usually the clothes and most of the fabrics comes from India and Thailand. If you are good at bargaining,it’s a bonus. So I was remembering some friends of mine who are really awesome at it. You can actually bargain till  less than half the price, it’s just how much you can talk and charm them. It reminded me of the street markets in Mumbai and Thamel in K-town:) Everything gets over really early, the days just starts and it ends here. The residents are an early risers and work starts from 9 but guess what it gets over in 7 hours. The shopping area gets shut  at 3.30 and people just chill at home !!

 

Then it was a safari ride for an hour. Zebras, ostriches and deer all around. And we made them eat bread. The ostrich  has no teeth and the bite felt like a clothespin clamp. And the driver showed them bread and the ostriches started running and came ahead of the bus and as it is the bird with the fastest land speed. The park also had a very beautiful Petting farm. The Petting Farm is a great joyful experience for people where they can meet and pet “Bambi” the deer,cockatoo and the wild boar among other animals.We missed the experience on that.

Mauritius is just beautiful. With each passing day it looks more amazing. And each beach has its own charm. And each coastline is different. Some have lots of people around, and some had the least crowd with kids to teens enjoying at their best in the waters. This cousin of mine was wondering what we would do for ten days at the island but he is in love with the place now. I feel I can surely stay here endlessly (At least that is the thought that came to my mind while writing).

So today we had a late start to our day and we went to Trou Aux Cerfs. Also known as Murr’s Volcano, it is a dormant one with a well-defined cone and crater and gives a great view around the island. We just could not stop taking pictures on the tarred road and then headed to a ship factory. The workshop was closed because of May Day, but we could see varieties of models and each one was made with so much of precision with the finest of materials and I thought it would take a day time to make one model. We got to know there is no time constraint in the creation of any ship model, the art of accuracy is liberated from time. Different designs, different models all at one place.

 Blue Bay was our next destination, as the name sounds; you see the turquoise blue colour of the lagoon and could just chill and have a great time. There you are at one of the best marine parks in Mauritius. We drove towards the south and enjoyed half an hour Glass Bottom Boat trip at the Blue Bay Marine Park. Once you reach the Blue Bay you will feast your eyes on some of the bluest waters. The colors of the sea are incredible and are of variety of many different blues.  You will have a great view of the reef, fish and of large selection of corals (there are more than 50 different species of corals at the park!). All these make the glass bottom boat trip at the Marine Park a wondrous experience. I had just heard about coral life from a friend who is studying marine life and I could relate to it so well when I saw it today. We could see the corals visibly from the glass bottom. There were Sea Plumes, Brain Corals, Ginger and Rose, Plate, Potato and Mushroom and diverse type of fishes.

Then it was time for Snorkeling  for the crazy part of the day and my first time too. We could see the colorful fauna and flora found at the park and the feel is absolutely stunning. We just did not want to come back. Even the non-swimmers can try it as you have life jackets and you just need to breathe in and out with your mouth. That is the only trick. It was just the feeling of swimming around the fishes and felt like a mermaid for some time. And there my wish came true. YAY!! The most spectacular white sandy beaches you will ever see at Blue Bay. Its me on the right 🙂

We ended our day by going to two more islands which were equally pretty. I am in love with the island all the more as each day is passing by and it is already the fifth day as I am writing my travelogue. And I just forgot to mention about the sugarcane farms that we came across and most of them were privately owned. We finally managed to get hands over some. And with the tired and lovely day, I got to end my writing here. MO TRUVE TOI TALERA (I just learnt that today and it means See you later ) .

We left for Belle Mare which is towards the east of the island, right in the morning, and today’s schedule was sport activities and more of water games. Quickly we finished the breakfast by 9.30 in the morning and were all set for an hour drive. And we started with tube ride and then para sailing was super fun. Some of us had already done them before but some had tried it for the first time and loved the experience. The water was virgin blue and the corals could be seen clearly. Sparkling water all around, we were awestruck by the cleanliness at the beach .The sea urchins around made us a little harder to walk around the shore. Then was the best part of the day that all of us were super excited for – UNDER SEA WALK – Had a wonderful time. As we put on the oxygen helmet in our head with jelly shoes we went straight under the sea. It was walk under the sea with fishes and corals. Going for the underwater Sea Walk is like going for an underwater tour inside the reef, walking between corals, seeing variety of fish, and discovering the rich sea life underwater in the crystal clear blue water of the lagoon. And there I wish I was a mermaid J and felt like one for one for next fifteen minutes. Under sea walk is not scary at all and usually people are afraid when they are more than 9 feet down, but with the oxygen helmet it is just fine. And they also give you instructions properly, in case you are troubled you can just show them a sign with thumbs up that means you got to go up and shaky hands are that you have a problem. And when you love it they just get to know with your expression. It is a true once in a life time experience for all the non-divers out there! And one off from the list of water sports:-Under sea walk 🙂

And the next half of the day we went to an island – Ila Aux Surfe on a speed boat ride. We could just spend a whole day there but we got only 2 hours to be there or else the boat back to the place where we started would be missed and we would be left deserted. It would have been WILD. And now when I think about it “What would we do if that happens?”. Call for help by burning shoes, oops we were wearing beach slippers. Damn, some other option then. So, it was swimming and chilling at the island and the next on the list is SCUBA DIVING.

All excited for the next day and with lots of chit chatting with cousins and deciding about the itinerary, we did not realize how we slept off really quickly. And as I wanted to see the morning view and sunrise I kept getting up every three hours not realizing the time had not passed much. How overjoyed was I that I wanted to see the same view that I saw in the evening, right before 14 hours.  And the funniest part was that I did not change the time as per the local one on my watch, and I was so early by one and a half hours. So the first thing that I did was going up to the balcony and took that fresh air and was enthralled yet again with the spectacular scene.

And after the breakfast we went around the city, which is really clean and greener. We hardly saw traffic lights but still the traffic sense around the residents was quite amazing to see. Not a very developed city but the inhabitants are really sweet at heart. We went to different points from Ganga Talao where the drive was super fun, and then we went to Black River George National Park , where we saw Alexandria falls and then Bentier Island and Bidhu Cap and the day ended with Le Morne Beach. Each place was really beautiful. And personally I loved the shades of green I could see around. Seriously I saw hundreds of green. How I wish K-town was this green again. And yes how can I forget about the Papyrus tree. They were just amazing. Papyrus is an early form of paper made from the bark of trees. It was used in ancient Egypt  and they used this plant as a writing material for boats, mattresses, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets. The line of trees and the wooden benches and tables is a perfect destination for picnic. All in all we had a great day and amazing memories captured on the first day of the island.

Finally the feeling of a vacation has started . Before a week I did not even realize that I had to pack my clothes and Saturday was right there . My mom kept telling me time and again to sort out my dresses,accessories, shoes, slipon and the required stuff. I would just listen to it and still act ignorant  about it and as always packing was done at the last moment.Thankfully this time I had kept a couple of clothes and beachwear aside else I would miss out on quite a few of things as I had so much of work on the last day.