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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 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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Dec 04, 2010 07:00 PM Day on the Indian Ocean
I am again the only European on board. "Mauritius Pride" has the capacity of 260 passengers. Only 18 of then can travel in the individual cabins. Others have airplane chairs in the huge saloons. Meals are included in the price of the ticket. Menu is very basic, even in the 1st class but is acceptable.
We had quite nice weather. I had enough time to walk the open deck and to make my notes for the last days. A lot of kids travel in the lower class - I had opportunity to talk with them and to take interesting pictures. There is big demand for the ship tickets to Rodrigues because they are subsidize by the government of Mauritius. One-night sailing to Reunion costs more then 36-hours to Rodrigus... Wonderful sunset - I love to travel by the ship in the old style!
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Dec 03, 2010 07:00 PM Boarding the ship again...
Saturday morning in the hot, tropical Mauritius. Crowd of the dark-skin people on the streets... I am getting ready for the departure. But not to the Europe, yet...
Mauritius has two cargo/passenger boats used for the transport to Reunion, Rodrgues Island and /interesting option!/ to Madagascar. I decided to go to the distant Rodrigues aboard "Mauritius Pride". They have big demand for the tickets so if you want to try you have to make the reservation and to pay by your credit card you have to do that two months ahead. They have a website where you can find the provisional schedules and contact information. Their other ship is called "Mauritius Trochetia"
I was lucky to get an one way-ticket for the 2-days travel in the cabin. It cost me 93 euro and the meals are included.
I hope hat we will depart on time this afternoon. It is still cyclone season but I believe that the voyage will be smooth and I will reach Rodrigues on Monday morning. Ahoy!
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Dec 02, 2010 07:00 PM No shower at night!
My hotel in Port Louis - Mauritius has its secrets. First - it has a second entrance around the corner (bus station side) and here its name is "Victoria Plaza Hotel" not "Tandoori Hotel". Second: there is no water available at night if you did not take the shower in the evening, say 7 pm you have to wait till the morning. But this is another adventure included in the low price :)).
I took the local bus to the Pampemmouse Botanical Garden. (bus ticket 23 MUR each way + entry fee 100 MUR) It is one of the flag tourist attractions of the island. Established in 18th century is has a great collection of tropical trees and plants. Can you imagine a huge talipot palm from India who die after the once-in-the life blossom? I had there a good time making my notes in the shade of the trees.
Back in the Port Louis you can visit the postal museum where they have on display the famous "blue Mauritius" - the most expensixve stamp fr collectors. But in facts it is only the copy - they keep the valuable stamp in the bank safe.
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Dec 01, 2010 07:00 PM Rum in the papaya - again!
Do you remember my culinary invention from the Philippines? Mauritius is famous for its rums, papayas are also here, so I have the opportunity to enjoy my favourite rum in the papaya...
Mauritius is easy to explore by public bus. They are dirty cheap /sample prices: PL to Eureka 20 MUR, Casela Park to PL - 24 MUR/ and if you do not care about the comfort (5 hard seats in the row and open windows work as air conditioner) it is good way to go around the island.
I went today to Eureka House - an old, traditional plantation house with paintings, furnitures and 109 windows (that what they say!) They charge 180 MUR entry fee but it is worth... Then in the western part of the island I enjoyed the nice beach in Flic and Flac (what a name!).
The only problem you have to take into account traveling by public bus is that Mauritius have already traffic jams - es[pecially in the capital and the little towns. Buses go slowly and sometimes you have to wait for the connection. But it works!
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