mauritius

HIII!! Sorry I’ve been so out of touch. The internet satellite has been malfunctioning and I JUST was able to check my email for the first time since before Port Louis. Here’s a Mauritius update. Dad- I miss you. I’ll try and write you more. I hope you weren’t worried or anything. Mom- thanks for always writing, I look forward to checking my mail because I know I’ll have something from you. ALSO, a note to everyone- please please please do not send me postcards. While it’s free for me to send them to you it takes longer for me to open them if I receive them which takes up internet minutes. Send regular emails. Also, Jo- I can’t believe you haven’t been updating me, do I really have to hear everything from mom?? Pearl- how’s my little Zeb? I have a picture of you guys up on my wall and I miss you every single day. I can’t wait to hold him when I get home. Nicole- what kind of painting do you want? I can’t believe while I’m backpacking Vietnam I have to carry around a giant canvas. Lucky for you I love you a lot so I’ll do my best. Nance and Papa- I miss you both a lot. In fact I talk about you to my friends a lot, they all want some of those cookies. I also got you some really cool stuff in South Africa. Another thing, if anyone has any specific requests for spices and/or other cooking materials from India let me know soon. FRIENDS- I love you all. I will try and write some emails. Here’s what I have until after India:

The first day in Mauritius was really overwhelming. The ship ended up docking a few hours late so my service visit got cancelled. Katie and I decided to just explore Port Louis and it wasn’t a very enriching experience. The streets reminded me of a tangled web of Canal Streets all mashed together. Only these streets were narrower and dirtier than NYC and there was absolutely nothing of interest to buy or see. I went back to the waterfront a little confused and really wondering where the beautiful Mauritius everyone was talking about could be found. The next day Emily and I were determined to make the most out of our last two days. We found a taxi driver who offered to take us an hour away to a beach and show us the sights along the way. Beth, Tristan, Emily, Sashia and I all piled into the taxi. All we had to do was pay him at the end of the day and he would be our guide and driver. He drove us through some of the most breathtaking landscapes that I have ever seen. One minute we were staring up at an enormous mountain and the next we were parked at the top of a hill overlooking thousands of square miles of sugar cane fields. After a little over an hour, we stopped at a beach where we negotiated a speed boat ride over to an island which was supposed to be one of the most beautiful in all of Mauritius. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a pristine white beach and crystal clear water that was the most striking shade of turquoise.
We immediately ran onto the beach and stood looking out at the water in awe of where we were. It was really shallow so you could walk out really far and still be standing. Since the island was also home to a private resort, there were so many different things you could do. I decided it was time to get over my fear of heights so Emily and I went parasailing. They took us out on this boat to what seemed like the middle of the ocean where there was a floating wood dock. They put the harnesses on us and Emily and I decided to go tandem. I was a tiny bit scared when we took off but the second we were in the air and floating through the sky over the ocean the only feeling I could feel was happiness. It was so peaceful as we flew through the sky- we could see the whole island and the ocean looked so amazing. They dipped us down in the water before taking us back up. Once it was over and we landed I immediately jumped off the dock into the warm tropical water and everyone else followed. I felt like a little kid. People from Mauritius, France and the US were all swimming together, playing games and having fun. We eventually went back to the beach and went right back out on a boat to go tubing. Three of us were on this big tube and the driver really gave us a run for our money. We were laughing so hard we could barely breathe as the boat whipped our tube around crazy turns and pulled us through strong wakes. After that, we went on a tour of the waterfalls. By the time we were all done with our water adventures we were exhausted. We ate lunch in a cabana on the beach. It was suddenly 5pm so we had to head back to shore to meet our taxi driver. It randomly started down pouring so we jumped into one of the boats and made it back in time. The drive home felt like a scene from a movie. We were all crammed into this taxi, sitting all over each other. We were dirty and sandy and the windows were all down, letting the clean warm air pour in. I looked out the window and marveled over how different life is everywhere you go and how amazing living is no matter where you are.
I find myself starting to appreciate what I have more and more. But by what I have I mean everything about my life. I love my family and my house and my college and my friends and my car- I really miss my car. As painful as it will be to see this voyage end, it will be exciting to get back to everything that I love. The thing about semester at sea is that you’re given the chance to appreciate diversity. You see it all firsthand and realize that just because people live differently in different places- it doesn’t mean that one way is better than the other. The United States certainly does have it flaws but it also offers us protection and financial security. It’s the same with your friends. Sure, my friends here are really worldly and smart and understand a lot about life. But so do my friends at home. I find myself thinking about them all the time. Not because I wish I wasn’t here but because I can’t believe how lucky I am to have them. The same goes for my family. The girl next door to me lost her dad when he committed suicide five years ago. It’s funny how you think that your family is strange but then you realize there’s always someone in a worse position than you. Basically what I am saying is that I love life and that I’m LUCKY to have the life that I do. And at not point in Mauritius was this clearer to me than on the last day.

Our last day involved a catamaran, lots of phoenix and a little bit of snorkeling. We had to get up at 8am to make it to the bus on time. Then we drove 45 minutes to get to the catamarans. They split us up onto a bunch of different boats. Most of the boats were really packed but we got lucky and had only about 15 people on ours. We sailed around the ocean for a while and enjoyed the sun and salt. We all hung around the boat, listening to Bob Marley and drinking phoenix (the Mauritian beer) until we got to the snorkeling spot. Mauritius is known for its pristine coral reefs and I was so excited to see them. I was really outraged when I discovered that our boat was anchored to a reef. The first thing they taught us in global studies was that you should never touch the reefs but more importantly, they should NEVER be used at anchors. I know it seems unimportant but reefs are what protect shorelines from waves (let’s recall the tsunamis for a moment). The reefs are diminished and as a result, the beaches and the other forms of life that depend on them are as well. Anyway, I got over it and swam around and saw some really cool fish. The bottom was only about 10 feet down so we all dove down to get really close. The ocean bottom really is astounding. We had a bbq on the boat and then after a few more hours went back to the beach. By the time we got back to the waterfront it was almost time for the ship to leave. When we left, I was sad to see the beach go but thrilled to know that India was right ahead of us. Now it’s only 3 more days until we arrive in Chennai. I absolutely cannot wait.