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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Dec 14, 2010 07:00 PM Going home... Snowy Poland...
The service on "Condor" is not impressive - they try to minimize the cost to push down the price of the tickets. THe other airline worth to try to Mauritius is Meridiana flying from Rome/Milan.
No drinks in the Condor lowest class. Is you want a beer you have to buy it - 3 euro per can. Solution: in the Mauritius airport duty free shop the 6-pack of beer cost just 2,80 euro - will be enough even for the long flight if you like it. There were 3 movies on the flight to Frankfurt - but bring with you your earplugs (single pin) otherwise you will pay again...
Snow in Frankfurt, but only minus 3 deg Celsius. Heavy snow and minus 9 deg when I reached Warsaw. Our plane was flying 40 minutes over Warsaw waiting while they will clean the runway from the snow. I am in the snowy and frosty Europe, it is hard to believe that yesterday I was swiming in the warm ocean escaping to the shade from the strong sun...
But they say that Santa will come soon! :)) Maybe he will bring me another air ticket to the exciting world?
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Dec 13, 2010 07:00 PM With Condor to Europe...
German Condor is something between regular and low-cost airline. They fly to many holiday destinations and they sell inexpensive one-way tickets on the net. You can even get the miles for "Miles and more" Lufthansa program flying with them but only for the flights originating in Germany (sic!).
They cooperate with some europeran airlines to give their customers a chance to fly onward from Germany to Europe on the low fares. I bought their ticket for Mauritius to Frankfurt and onward to Warsaw route on LOT Polish Airlines. All in one ticket...
And now I will tell you the secret: how to get a seat in the comfortable emergency row. These seats (row 22 in boeing767) are available 24 hours before the departure for free on the "first come, first served basis. They give yoy mor space for your legs - it is important especially if you are tall like me and you have 12-hours flight ahead od you. Just call Condor GSA on Mauritius and ask for this seat. Their number: 2073000. That's what I did. It works!
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Dec 12, 2010 07:00 PM Around the Mauritius Island
Car with the local driver is the best option if you want to see many distant places just in one day. It is not expensive comparing to the prices in the Europe or USA: prices starts from 1500 MUR for the little loops an go up to 2500 if you really want to go around the island.
I went along the unknown to me eastern coast to the northern tip of Mauritius where nice beaches are located. Many flamboyant trees in red and organge flowers along the road. But the real hit of this journey was a little catholic chapel located on the cap. It has blue ocean with some islands as the background and is surrounded by the flame trees. Great view - they print it on the postcards!
Going down to the south I visited again, after 14 years the Hindu temple in Grand Bassin. In the meantime they put here - just on the roadside the enormous (30 m high, maybe) statue of the God Siwa. I was lucky to see how they celebrate en event in this temple with music an procession.
Last two papayas for the dinner. Then it will be a time to pack my backpack again - tomorrow I fly back to Europe...
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Dec 11, 2010 07:00 PM Back on the sunny Mauritius Island
I decided to stay close to the airport due to my early morning flight. The place I found in Mahebourg is called Auberge Aquarelle.
This new, stylish institution is located just on the coast of the lagoon. The balcony of my little room is facing the ocean, allowing the warm breeze to come inside... It is overpriced, but it is only 5 min walk from the auberge to the centre of Mahebourg. It is has in the background a huge Lion Mountain and Old Grand Port. There was a sea battle here between French and British fleet in 1810. French won. They called the island Ile de France. But after just 4 months British overtake the island introducing again the name Mauritius.
It is season for the tropical, tasty lychee fruits. There is plenty of them on the Mahebourg market. They sell them per piece - I paid 2 rupees for the big ones = 20 for 1 euro...
In the afternoon I plan to go to the Blue Bay - just 6 kms south.
It will be sorry to leave such a lovely islands! From Mauritius I will soon fly back to snowy Europe. Brrr... It is hard to think about the temperatures below zero Celsius...
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Dec 10, 2010 07:00 PM Saturday market on Rodrigues
My hosts said I must to wake up early. Sun was rising when I was walking the main street of Port Maturin... At the end of the street on Saturday mornings there is a marche - people from all over the island are coming with their products. A lot of vegetables, pineapples, bananas is waiting in the stalls. For tourists, but also for locals they have a big choice of hats, baskets, shells.
Noise, corwd, music, smells, smiles... It is easy to take pictures, especially if you are the only tourist on the market - the other ones still sleep in their distant beach hotels... Great place!
In the afternoon I had my flight back to Mauritius. They sell cheap tickets through their website. The Rodrigues airport is located on the other side of the hilly island. You can go there by taxi - it costs 600 MUR or by junk public bus who goes slowly, stops very often and costs 23 MUR. What do you think, what was my choice? :))
I will not write what I think about Air Mauritius. On arrival to the airport they said that my domestic flight is 4 hours delayed... Weather is excellent and hot. So why?
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Dec 09, 2010 07:00 PM Turquoise lagoon...and more!
Port Maturin - the capital of Rodrigues Island. On the little, open-ait bus terminal you will not find any timetable or the scheme of the lines. You have to go to the terminal master and ask - he will show you the right bus to your destination. Today I took a bus to Saint Gabriel, where Rodrigues Cathedral is located. Built in 1939, this church (largest on the island) is very poor. I cannot remember if I saw such a poor cathedral in the world. The church was empty...
From San Gabriel I was walking to the Port Sud-Est junction and onward - to the coast. They call the road to Port Sud-East the most picturesque road on Rodrigues. I agree - after 2 kms it gives you almost aerial view of the turquoise lagoon, the barrier reef, little islands in the lagoon - I think it is the must to be here if you are coming to Rodrigues. You will not find something like that on Mauritius Island.
In the evening I enjoyed the show of the locacal music and sega dance in the Recif Guest House - just after English Bay. It is fortunatel walking distance from my pension (some 40 min walk) because public transport stops here completely at 5.30. Dances were great (I was dancing too) and I had a lovely walk back at the moonlight....
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Dec 08, 2010 07:00 PM Coconut Island. But where are the coconuts?
Rodrigues Island has a huge, turquoise lagoon with some small islands in it. Ile aux Cocos seems to be the main tourist attraction so I book an organized day tour to this island. It cost 815 MUR (like 20 euro0 and all is included starting from the minibus transfer from your hotel to Pointe du Diable where you will board the boat.
It was low tide when we were saling about an hour to he island. Nice, slow trip. I was surprised then that on the Coconut Island there is no single coconut palm! Moca and casuarine trees dominate the landscape. Well, the main attraction are he sea birds nesting there. More hen 60 000 birds on the island a little more then 1 km long... They were on the nests, not shy and I had many photo opportunities. I took the walk around the island
After included lunch I was swimming in the warm, shallow water. Just to warn you - do not expect good snorkeling on this tour! At the low tide you will be forced to walk long way to the island - it is worth to bring the slacks for the reef walking!
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Dec 07, 2010 07:00 PM Two nice caves in one day
In the western part of Rodrigues Island there are interesting caves to see. In the morning I took a bus to La Ferme (24 MUR) and changed there to the next one to Caverne Patate (18 MUR). La Ferme is a little village with a white church but is quite famous because John Paul II was here in 1989 and celebrated the mass on the local sportground. They say that 97% of the people on Rodrigues are catholics... Tropical flowers around...
From the bus stop it is 400 m walk to the cave. Entry fee is 75 MUR but they provide helmets and torches. Patete Cave is more then 1 km long but the underground trail will take you throu some 600 m. Wih a nice stalactites and stalagmites it is worth the price...
Some 2 kms away by path shortcut (or 6 kms around by car) you will find Francis Lagouat Nature Reserve. You can see there another 500-long cave. It is also nice and much better maintained with an electric lighting. But they charge here 265 MUR for the visit. A little museum will show you the history of the island and the turtles eaten in the past by sailors. Now they try to recover the population of the giant land turtles - you will see 300 ot tem in the little canyon. Many photo opportunities - the biggest male weigth 240 kgs!
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Dec 06, 2010 07:00 PM Paradise beach just for yourself only...
People of Rodrigues are very friendly and easy going. No Hindu population here like on Mauritius. They are Creols, and the speak Ceole language - a kind of he broken French - not so easy to understand. But smile helps a lot. My Summer's Sky pension is located very close to the bus terminal. I took a bus to the Pointe Cotton i the east of the island and took a long walk along the eastern coast of Rodrigues.
can you imagine kilometers of coral rock and little, paradise beaches hidden in the coves? White, clean sand and... nobody there... You can have here such a beach just for youself!
There is well paint-marked path going along the coast. Is is little overgrown by casuarina trees and bush but you will survive. Just wear strong hiking shoes and take plenty of water! It will be unforgetable day, like mine!
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Dec 05, 2010 07:00 PM Who knows Rodrigues Island?
Can you imagine volcanic, hilly island in the blue ocean?. It is 18 kms long and 8 kms wide. The only, little port - Port Matirin ca accommodate only one ship. That's where I landed today. The little town was still sleeping when, checked by immigrations officers ( I was the only foreingner on board) I went ashore. Where to stay? The last expensive option: Fatehmamode is just 150 m from he port. but it was locked - no guests! Then I found Flamboyant pension and restaurant 100 m away - they say they are full... Finally I got a room in the Pension Ciel d'Ete - Summer Sky... For just 500 MUR the smiling owners offer a clean room with bath and breakfast. In the beautiful garden around there are coconut palms, mango trees and a lot of tropical flowers. The only disadvantage is the noisy street just nearby. Bring the earplugs to this little paradise!
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