Mauritius

The following is a shared journal entry:

October 8, 2005
Global Studies Exam on a Turbulent Sea

You guessed it! Perhaps the wave height is only 3.28 feet, but the long swells and direction of the ship make the nauseating movement unbearable. This is not to say that most of the day has been fine. For only about an hour in the comfort of our cabin did we find ourselves, or our stomachs rather, intent on skipping about and flopping with each undulation. The weather is near eighty degrees, that’s right! We are glad to be in the warm sun rather than cool, cold October in Maryland.

The Global Studies exam was easy, we hope. It definitely seemed as if the additional over-studying of the articles in both the Port-to-Port and Global Issues was well worth it, even though Megan tended to cringe each time we would look over the material.

In Travelers’ Journals we are watching Out of Africa, which tends to make us feel incredibly disappointed about Kenya. “I had a farm in Africa,” Karen Blixen says. “I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.” Yeah, yeah, yeah…the music is enough to make you cry. Don’t worry we know what a wonderful opportunity we have before us. Not many can boast of having been to paradise on the island of Mauritius. And as we know we will someday make it to Kenya we are relishing in the opportunity to be some of the few who get to lay eyes on this veritable heaven. Don’t worry Ashley if you are out there in cyberspace we will use lots of lotion.

Dinner is with Betty and Bob as it is family dinner and we are getting cleaned up for the meal with them at six o’clock. We enjoy wearing something a little more fashionable than a t-shirt to such gatherings. Later we have a sea meeting about the Olympics on the 16th of October. Go Bering Sea. Our color is gray and I would assume from the billboard in our hall that our mascot is the polar bear. What a boring shade for our team, if you can even call it that. Any ideas on how to display our team colors the day of the Olympics would be great as we are judged throughout the day on various presentations and events. Or anyone wanted to come up with a Bering Sea cheer would definitely deserve brownie points!!!

Dinner was wonderful and after departing the dining hall we went to our cabin via deck 5 as the opportunity to see if grades had been posted was too overwhelming. Indeed, they were and we each received an A. What a relief after about 6 hours of study a day on the material for a week and a half. We caught Professor Eastman snooping around our hallway with a pile of papers and she gave us our first assignments back with a smile as she told us we had each received the highest grades in the class, an A.

Everything else is wonderful and we are ready for a good night sleep.

Excerpt from Heather’s Journal:

October 9, 2005
Mauritius

Land Ahoy! We finally arrived at around eight o’clock, the sun shining bright, warm temperatures, and turquoise waters. Unfortunately, the five Semester at Sea trips were the only ones permitted to depart the ship first and so we waited until ten thirty to debark. This is the first port that has brought an exchange counter onboard, of which will remain an attraction at the Field Office desk until our departure. We will also be able to exchange any left over rupees back into dollars, though this will not be necessary for us. Because it was Sunday, most of the shops and markets closed at noon and so we were quite rushed to make our purchases for our entire stay in Mauritius, owing to the fact that we have trips the next two days and no more shopping time.

We waited in line at the exchange counter for nearly an hour before walking up to Jen and Jess to see what they had planned for today. They were probably the third people in line at this point, and when we found out that they were going to the markets and the waterfront we knew that we had found our travel buddies for the day. So we got out of line, which was spiraling around Purser’s Square and into the corridor (our present location) handed them our money and waited. They exchanged our money at the same time, but in a separate transaction from theirs and we were off to get the water taxi to the waterfront and the market.

It seems like the day went by in a blur of colors and all I can remember most distinctly about the market is that it was smelly, dark, and very crowded. We didn’t stay there too long before heading back to the waterfront where we found wonderful little souveniour shops, a craft market, and some great little restaurants. I don’t think that I have really sorted out my thoughts about Mauritius at this point. I’m not sure that it is as much as it is cracked up to be; of course I have not seen the paradise part yet and that is tomorrow. The waterfront could possibly be described as a mini V&A, of which in the allotted time we were able to complete all of our shopping.

Afterwards we decided to eat at the Sunset Café and had a delicious pizza before returning to the ship. The one thing that I can say about the island is that it is definitely ethnically diverse. When we returned to the Explorer I was quite satisfied to remain aboard and enjoy the sun. We had thought going to the beach would prove quite difficult owing to the uncertainty regarding taxis and their hours of operation on Sunday. We went back to the Hospitality Desk and decided to rent a car and driver for a couple of hours to see the temples and historic sites and I am so glad that we did. The car alone was fantastic, leather interior, a friendly and knowledgeable driver, and air conditioning. We only paid seventeen dollars per person, for a total of seventy dollars for four people to see what Mauritius had to offer.

First we went to a Catholic church built in the colonial era and one of the things that I think was so interesting was the small temple crowded with people lighting candles for the original founder of the church. The small red candles cast an eerie glow in the room.

Our second stop was at a Tamil temple, part of the Hindu faith, and it was fantastic. If I did not study Pre-Columbian art this would definitely rank high on the list. It was so vibrant. We learned that Tamil temples are very colorful, Hindu temples are red and white, Muslim mosques are green and white, and Chinese pagodas are red and green. At the temple we removed our shoes and walked first on the smooth yellow tiles of the first complex, taking pictures of the painted columns and ceilings, before entering into a courtyard to stare up at the top of the temple with its elephant carvings, symbolic figures of gods, and highly stylized ornamentation in every color imaginable. When you see a picture of this you will know why it is so hard to describe in precise detail. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to enter the shrine on our visit because it was their week of fasting, but the temple was almost like a mini pyramid with stucco painted figures.

After visiting the temple our tour guide took us to a retirement home for women that no longer have any family to care for them. The government provides them with a pension and a place to live. Many of the women were in their late nineties and they had the cutest faces and the biggest smiles as we walked into the different rooms. It had a very open feel and many of the women had gorgeous Indian bedspreads. One of the final rooms we visited had a ninety three year old woman sitting on the bed, and she was such a delight to talk with. The ladies bowed to us with their hands pressed together, walking around in their brightly sequined saris.

We drove up to the old colonial fort on a winding road and had the best view of the city and the harbor. Our guide also showed us the different parliament and congress buildings and some of the very fancy homes that were built during the colonial era. Don’t worry, I picked mine out.

Even after such a great day of sightseeing and the unforgettable architecture of the Tamil temple, I still don’t know what I think about the place. It seems nice, the people are great, the city is much like any other city, and I have to see more to truly get a better idea of the island that has become our fourth port. Tomorrow we will be going on a trip to the volcanoes and the seven-colored earth. Sleep tight.

Excerpt from Megan’s Journal:

October 9, 2005
Mauritius

After clearing immigrations we patiently waited to disembark. We went to deck seven forward and stood on the empty landing, the warm sunshine kissing our skin. After half an hour of standing and gazing out over our new landscape we went down to get in line for currency exchange on the ship. What a mess! We stood for almost an hour in a line that never moved, I can assure you, as we were positive students snuck their way into the front where such a crowd would make it easy to camouflage. We spotted two girls we knew three away from the front at this point and I went over to find out their plans for the day. As they were headed to the market and waterfront to shop and sightsee we decided to join them and one other girl. They took our cash to exchange at the counter and we were soon off the ship and boarding a small water taxi to the waterfront. Does it sound like I am still in Cape Town? Perhaps the waterfront makes it seem that way.

At the market a festival of colorful fabrics and spices were displayed at each vendor’s stalls. The chaos was overwhelming but something I suppose everyone should experience. After making several small purchases we went to the waterfront. As it is Sunday everything was closing around noon. As such we went to several shops there to make a couple last purchases and then to eat. I say last purchases because this is the only day we will have to buy anything as the next two days are packed with Semester at Sea trips.

For lunch we went to Sunset Café on the waterfront. Heather and I ordered a pizza margherita and a small margarita for each of us. What can we say, the picture of the beverage looked really good. The beverage came in what I would consider a martini glass, lemon and cherry decoration, salt-rim, and a deliciously sweet mixture that was not overly strong or bitter. As my first non-wine-alcoholic beverage on the voyage I enjoyed the combination with a delicious pizza sprinkled with as many spices imaginable.

After lunch four of us returned to the ship while Jess went to the Internet Café. At the hospitality desk we set up a two-hour tour to see some temples and other important sites in the region. A tour guide who handed us over to our driver and a polished black luxury four-by-four with leather interior escorted us off the ship.

We went to a Catholic church surrounded by some beautiful scenery and witnessed some locals lighting prayer candles in a small pavilion after which we headed to my favorite spot of the day, a Hindu temple. So colorful and ornate you can imagine how many photos of each detail I have taken. This is the sort of place I can imagine Nana and PopPop on one of their trips, shoes off, walking barefoot on the warm ground around a vivid temple, the cooing and hum of so many birds tucked into the temples peak that it sounds like music.

The driver took us to a home behind the temple where women lived, older women whose families no longer wish to care for them. As old as ninety-three they were so congenial and remarkable. Some were lying on their beds curled up, the blanket exposing a bare foot, reminding me of Nana actually, their small wrinkled face smiling at the four girls who came to say hello. Even though visiting hours were over we were ushered into the gated home and they made us feel incredibly welcome. For me to have cherished my grandparents so much I find it impossible to imagine how anyone would wish to abandon their mother or grandmother because they are too much of a burden. One of the women wanted to sing for us, her squeaking voice so adorable. This, for me, was the emotional portrayal I wished to experience in a township but did not. It was a remarkable sojourn into the familiar aspect of family connectedness and as we left they waved, smiles revealing rows of white teeth, their eyes sparkling.

From there we went to the colonial fort atop an elevated hill, which provided a wonderful view of the city. Our guide pointed out the colors of the different religious structures: red and white for Hindu temples, green and white for Muslim mosques and green and red for Chinese pagodas. Quite an ingenious system, I though. We paused near a pagoda that had closed about an hour earlier and our driver took us past some beautiful old homes that were just remarkable. Painted in pastel colors, they were like Victorian homes – elaborate fences, cobbled paths and overgrown flowers. The governor’s house and parliament buildings were interesting and my favorite tree, the banyan I find amazing. It seems to remind me of a weeping willow only vines hang down, some twisting around the tree and its enormous trunk. Can I have one, huh, huh?

We returned to the ship and said our goodbyes, the driver opening our door one last time. We had dinner in the dining hall, Pat telling us about different foods she likes to put in the freezer. We shared some of ours: grapes and Oreos among them. She mentioned putting peanut butter on a graham cracker sandwich and freezing it, which sounds like something that needs to be tasted. Let me know how it is.

Doing some accounting and organizing of purchases, I am incredibly tired and look forward to a descent night sleep before heading out to see the beautiful and colorful Mauritius tomorrow.