Journal #70 - Mauritius
Alo from Mauritius!
The time we spent here was heavily focused on learning a new skill: Kite Surfing! We made a routine of sightseeing in the morning, then driving to Le Mourne in the afternoon. There, we would picnic under the trees and look out over the successful kiters as their kites wriggled through the air like a kaleidoscope with the mountainous backdrop over the shallow lagoon. Then, we would suit up when it was time for our lessons.
Our instructor had us wear wetsuits and harnesses to hold the kites. We spent a few days learning how to control the apparatus in some less-than-ideal wind conditions. Then we began to stand up and actually glide across the water. The whole experience was incredibly laid back. We texted with the guides daily to confirm weather conditions were suitable, then just rolled up for some 2:1 instructions in a casually stunning location.
Mr. Wanderer and I got to learn side-by-side, and our voices are clogging the action camera footage with yelps of encouragement and cheers as we each improved. Multiple vans of instructors parked at the lagoon each day, but only a few students were in the waves. So we had plenty of space to practice and fail. Our kites hit the water more times than I care to count. Thankfully, our instructor was patient with us and even showed off some of his superior skills.
The water was fortunately a comfortable temperature, so each day we would wade out to the middle of the lagoon. From there, we would take turns trying to dip the kite to build up enough force to hoist us out of the water and into a glide. We had to focus on keeping the kite moving so that it kept enough wind in its sails to propel us. The balance of keeping all that movement in our head at the same time took a bit of practice - and I definitely ate several mouthfuls of sea water before we got the hang of it. Once we found that poise though, there was something exhilerating about skimming over the water with enough ease to also notice the beauty surrounding us simultaneously. We will definitely have to try some more of this!
Kiting was not our only adventure here, just the most physical. We also explored some of the sights the island has to offer. We started with Port Louis. This capital city had some personal markets and a sparkling harbor filled with shops selling dodo-themed goods (scarves, glass sculptures, cards, carvings, etc).
We also took in some nature in the Black Gorges River National Park. There we visited Chamarel's waterfall and the Seven Colored Earths. The latter was a fascinating spot where the soil's minerality has rendered it layered like a rainbow cake. It tumbled over the landscape with slices of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and more throughout the rolling hills. As you circumnavigate the site, you catch glimpses of even more colors where they have mixed. It seems unreal to see purple earth, but there are signs explaining it all along the way.
This same park was also home to some of their neighbors' native friends - the Seychelles Giant Tortoises. These incredible creatures are known for consistently having lifespans extending over 200 years. They were happily munching on some vegetation and seemed completely unbothered by the blip of our presence. It was fun to see them, especially since we had missed the chance at our last stop. These creatures were huge and just as slow-moving as you would expect.
Mauritius has been such a wonderful place for us to visit. So many of the people we have interacted with have been kind and warm, our experience was laid back but still educational and thrilling, and it had an element of welcoming and home-y-ness that cannot be measured. We are delighted with our time here and are not ready to move on. Our bags are packed, though, and our next nation is the endemic home to lemurs (all ~112 species of them!!). Any guesses where we are off to next?
