One day in Mauritius

Is it a giant whale ........... No it's Gus !!!!

Below Gus totally stressed out!






We docked at Port Louis Mauritius at 8 am and after the immigrations formalties were completed (in each port the Immigrations Officials come on board and check passports etc. which are normally processed very quickly) we took a taxi to Trou aux Biches - a beach resort that had been recommended to us. We had a delightful taxi driver who pointed out all the places of interest and told us about his life.
What spectacular beaches we discovered - miles of powdery white sands and aquamarine color sea. After a very refreshing swim we took a walk and found a very luxurious hotel (see pics above) for lunch. We had drinks overlooking the pool and sea, and then were shown down to a lovely little thatched roof area for a delicious lunch - the sea was literally lapping under our table - just gorgeous! We then spent the rest of the afternoon in the sea which was so warm (the air temperature was in the upper 80's as was the sea temperature). All too soon it was time to return to the ship and instead of using a taxi we decided to catch a local bus. The schools were just coming out and loads of children boarded the bus and were fascinated to see non-Mauritians aboard - they kept peering at us as if we'd come from outer space! It was a very interesting ride, albeit somewhat bumpy as we hit the numerous potholes in the road! The Mauritian people comprise 52% Hindu, 28% Christian, 17% Muslim and 3% other. We found everyone to be incredibly helpful and friendly. They have over a million tourists each year most of whom come from South Africa, Italy & France. They are very proud of their Dodo bird heritage and there are replicas in all the shops.The Dodo,(Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct flightless bird, a native of the island of Mauritius discovered in 1598,and extinct by 1681. It was apparently related to pigeons and doves and stood about a meter tall, weighing about 20 kilograms (44 lb). Mauritius is only 2,095 square kilometers (809 square miles) and has world class beaches and hotels - certainly an island I could recommend.