Days 65 and 66 – Mauritius

Day 1

After arriving in Port Louis, I went exploring with Kelsey, Mel, and Emmy. Nick and I were staying at a villa with a large group of people, and these three are probably our closest friends in that group.

We began by walking into town and getting the local currency. We were mostly without a plan, as we checked into our villa that afternoon. So we just walked around the Port for a while, moseying through the markets and local shops. Around 11:30, we wondered if we ought to continue seeing the sights or just stop for lunch. The map listed a mosque nearby, and we thought it might be worthwhile to check that out before going to lunch. It wasn’t. The mosque was quite ordinary.

So we walked around looking for restaurants and eventually came upon a dim sum place. Turned out to be a great choice. We stuffed ourselves on about $5. But before we left, I had to get some street food. I saw vendors selling chicken schwarma sandwiches which were simply mouthwatering. I had to get one. And it was delicious.

Then we took a cab to Gran Baie, which was home to one of the prettiest beaches I have ever laid eyes upon. The water was sparkling light blue. We went to a nearby supermarket and each got a Phoenix, the local beer, and sipped it on the beach just watching the waves. I knew I was in for a relaxing couple of days.

Around 3:00, we decided to head to our villa. It was only five minutes or so from the downtown Gran Baie area, so we all expected to be returning later that evening. Our villa was amazing, especially considering the price, only $40 each per night. Each villa was equipped with a big fridge, couches, a flat screen TV, two bedrooms with huge beds, kitchen ware, silverware, towels, bedding, etc. Basically they were all fully furnished. And the complex was right on the beach, with barbeques and an endless pool.

So for the rest of the afternoon I mingled with the group, many of whom I hadn’t met. They were all pretty cool, I suppose, but they were an already tight-knit group, so I felt like a bit of an outsider. But the pool was the perfect temperature, and the beach ridiculously picturesque. So I had no reason to complain, really.

For dinner, we had a massive bbq with hotdogs, chicken, and, of course, Phoenix beer. I really, really enjoyed Phoenix. I’m not beer savvy enough to explain why, but it just tasted good. I wish it was available in the States.

So as we were hanging in the villa, a few of the residents came down to talk to us. Most of them were wealthy South Africans staying in their vacation homes. I spoke to one guy who served in the Army during Apartheid. As you know, dear readers, I am super learned and have read the great Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. So to speak to someone who lived under the history I read about was simply fascinating (and I love the South African accent. I’ve become decent at it).

Anyway, I was just glued to what this guy was saying. I must have talked with him for nearly two hours. And while he assured me that a lot of good has come from the change in government, there are unfortunately a lot of problems. There needs to be a greater redistribution of wealth, and there is a lot of violence, particularly in the rural areas.

By about 11:30 or so, I really lost my ambition to go out to the bars. The drinks were still flowing in the villa, and I saw no reason to vacate our beautiful villa and endless pool. And the girls were talking about wanting to go skinny dipping. Which, in all honesty, was the real reason I didn’t want to leave.

Skinny dipping was loads of fun. I had thought it would be a guaranteed hookup, but I ended up empty handed. I didn’t mind, though. I had a great time. Swimming naked in just super freeing. The second I dumped my suit I was just thought “great decision, Maxwell.”

But after a while I was tired, so I headed for bed. A girl whose name I can no longer remember was going to bed at the same time, and asked if I wanted to cuddle. I wasn’t really interested in her, but I couldn’t really say no. That would be rude. But when I got into bed I just rolled over and went to sleep. Problem solved.


Day 2

I woke up a little before 8:00 and went outside. It was bright out, so I went to grab my sunglasses. They were nowhere to be found. I started freaking out, because I absolutely love my shades. They once belonged to my dad in the 80s, and are thus the definition of retro. I would be crushed if they were lost.

Because I couldn’t find them, I’m sorry to say that my morning was spoiled. I tried to just hang out and forget the fact that I’d lost the coolest shades of all time, hoping they would turn up when we all packed. But it was really bright outside, so I was constantly squinting. A harsh reminder that my beloved shades were gone.

But fortunately for my spirits, we were going tubing later that morning. And I love tubing. With the boat scheduled to come in about an hour, our friends came back with a case of Phoenix. 9:00 in the morning seemed a bit early to start drinking, but I suppose it was 5:00 somewhere. And I figured it would make the tubing ride would be a lot more fun. So I obliged to the groupthink and had a few beers.

And I’m glad I did. Because tubing was awesome. Now I am used to tubing rides where I lay on my stomach, but in this case I sat with my butt in the middle of an inner tube. And I was not the only one being pulled behind the boat. Nick also sat in his own separate inner tube, and a group of three girls were being pulled in a three-person tube (they also all sat on their butts). It was a real fun ride with so many people back there because we all kept slamming into each other. And since I was in one of the individual tubes, I was prone to just going flying. Which was awesome. My lone complaint is that a lot skill is involved when you lay on your stomach, but sitting on your butt you’re just along for the ride; you’ve got almost zero control over your fate.

Right after tubing, though, was the best part of the day. Because when I got back to the villa I was handed back my sunglasses. Someone must have grabbed them off the counter and run off with them the previous night, because the glasses were found in the lone upstairs villa we rented. And I never went up there. But all’s well that ends well, because my super sweet shades were back in my possession.

Anyway, Nick and I were getting tired of the same ol’ scenery, so we decided to go back to the Gran Baie downtown area. So we packed our things and said our goodbyes. Unfortunately, I later realized that I left my swimsuit drying on the shower door. And no one brought it back. Damn. Thankfully, though, I brought two suits on the trip. So I’ll be aiight.

Back in Gran Baie, Nick and I decided to get some street food near the beach. I got two varieties of fresh-made roti bread: the meal variety with savory sauces and the desert variety with sugar. My god were they good. The savory one had a delicious India flavor, and the sweet one had the delicious, simple taste of Cane sugar.

With our bellies full of food, Nick and I sat down on the beach, just soaking up the beautiful view. I am a firm believer that living by the ocean does wonders for one’s psyche. It is so damn peaceful and relaxing to stare at the endless ocean.

Eventually, though, we decided to head back to Port Louis. We took the bus instead of a cab, because the ride was only 10 rupees. On the bus back we ran into Jake and Arthur, who had spent the day at a casino. So we spent the ride back chatting together, and I noted that we kept the streak alive: Jake, Nick and I had now, still, traveled together in every port.

Back in Port Louis, Nick and I exchanged our extra rupees for dolla dolla bills ya’ll, but left some funds to purchase food. Unfortunately, since we were with Jake and Arthur, food meant KFC. Because Jake and Arthur might just be the least adventurous eaters on the entire trip. When we walked into the KFC, Jake and Arthur both exclaimed “YES!!”

So after filling up on some fried chicken, we returned to the boat. I didn’t get much sleep our lone night in port, so despite only a two day, one night visit to Mauritius, I was exhausted. After showering up, Nick and I watched a couple episodes of In Treatment before going to sleep at 8:30.


Reaction to Mauritian Culture

I don’t have too much cultural commentary to make about Mauritius, mainly because I didn’t explore and observe the island as I had in other ports. I, like most students, viewed Mauritius as our Spring Break. But that said, I have a bit to say about the Mauritian lifestyle.

Mauritius was similar to Hawaii in the fact that they both clearly are “island cultures,” meaning life is slower and more relaxed. I’m not sure how I would feel living there. On the one hand, it would be nice for life to be so low-stress. But, by the same token, I feel like I would be easily bored.

The two longest conversations I had with locals illustrated this point nicely. The first guy I talked to, who introduced himself as “JJ Double-O,” absolutely loved living on the island. I talked with him when I first got to Gran Baie, while I was still traveling with just Kelsey, Mel, and Emmy. He worked five days a week taking tourists out on a catamaran. His work came with unlimited eats and drinks, and all he did was hang out on the ocean. I said it sounded like he didn’t have too much stress. “No stress,” he replied. “And I’ve got all that I need. Life is good.”

But on the second day, I met a couple ambitious young guys who couldn’t wait to get off the island. They were trying to raise money to move elsewhere, but they found it difficult to start a successful business on the island. “Life is slow here,” they complained. “It’s really hard to make any money and do something with your life.”