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Seychelles and MauritiusSeychelles and Mauritius
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A 19-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • skip's retirement travelSeychelles and Mauritius
    Day 14

    Chamarel & 7 Colored Earth

    January 21, 2022 in Mauritius ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    These are 2 features in a national geopark. The 1st is the Chamarel Waterfalls. This is the highest in Mauritius and one of the most photographed places in the country. The falls drop almost 100 meters down a vertical cliff. I'm told this is an old crater. The part of the island is a volcanic landscape.
    The 2nd feature is called 7 colored earth. This, too, is a result of volcanic activity and weathering. They say there are as many as 40 hues here. The colors are formed by oxidation of mostly iron and aluminum compounds present in the lava. The stripes form by iron and alumina repelling each other so that the materials derived from one move away from the other. The similar chemistry ends up together. The reds, yellows and browns are from iron compounds. The greens, blues, and purples are from alumina compounds.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelSeychelles and Mauritius
    Day 14

    Grand Bassin

    January 21, 2022 in Mauritius ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Grand Bassin is the most important Hindu shrine in Mauritius. It is located on a crater lake called Ganga Takao that is considered holy. Hindus walk from their homes around Mauritius to Grand Bassin for blessing once s year and carry some of the lake water back home to bless their houses.. The main temple is dedicated to Shiva, and there are temples to other gods, as well.
    The 1st picture is taken at the main approach to the site. Giant statues, one of Ganga and one of Shiva (in the background), are shown here.
    The 2nd and 3rd pictures are views across the holy lake. Each one shows a temple on the far side. That is the main temple in the 2nd picture.
    The remaining 2 pictures are some of the many statues of gods along the lakeshore around the main temple.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelSeychelles and Mauritius
    Day 15

    Ile Aux Aigrettes

    January 22, 2022 in Mauritius ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    The Ile is a coral island in Mahebourg bay less than a mile off shore. It is now a nature reserve. Like much of Mauritius, the island experienced heavy logging and the introduction of non-native species. Once established as a nature reserve, they started a campaign to eliminate the many invasive species, a program that is still operating. And they began a process of reintroducing the native species. Now, this island is the only remaining remnant of the dry coastal forest of Mauritius.
    In the 1st picture you can see the Mauritius fody. This is a male in breeding season colors. The red will fade back to olive green.
    The 2nd picture is a look at the forest along one of the paths.
    The 3rd picture is of native plant species being started in a nursery in the middle of the island. They continue to work with the endemic species, making plants available for the reforestation of the island.
    The 4th picture is a fruit bat, aka a flying fox. These bats in captivity we're injured young and brought in for care. They have become too domesticated to be released.
    The 5th picture is a candle tree. The species is naturally hollow. By filling the center with oil, these were lit and used as torches.
    A significant number of native species have gone extinct from human predation and deforestation. Throughout the island are sculptures of some of those species. The last picture is of the sculpture of what is probably the best known of the extinct species: the dodo.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelSeychelles and Mauritius
    Day 17

    Cruisin'

    January 24, 2022 in Mauritius ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    I took a catamaran cruise in Mahebourg Bay, the very large lagoon surrounded by a coral reef several kilometers off shore. We sailed from Mahebourg to Ile Aux Cerfs with several stops along the way.
    The 1st picture is of a catamaran under sail. I took it from the one we were on.
    The 2nd picture is over one of the coral beds in the lagoon. The stop here was to allow snorkeling. One of these days I suppose I'll break down and get a camera to use under water.
    The next stop took us into a narrow, rock strewn river where we changed to a small boat and wound our way through the rocks to the waterfall in the 3rd picture.
    The last 3 pictures are of Ile Aux Cerfs. This is a popular spot for picnicking and walking in the woods.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelSeychelles and Mauritius
    Day 18

    Mahebourg

    January 25, 2022 in Mauritius ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Now that I'm at the airport waiting for my flight to Tel Aviv (yes, I finally had a negative covid test), I'm posting my last look at Mauritius.
    Mahebourg is the main town in the southeast of Mauritius. It is more a large village than a city, but pretty much all the city amenities are here. This is the town closest to the international airport.
    The 1st picture looks at Mahebourg from the water while I was Cruisin' (see another post). The 2nd picture is of the Malecón or Riva or Esplanade at the waterfront. The 3rd picture is of one of the streets near the guest house where I stayed. It gives a sense of what this tropical village is like.
    The 4th picture is pretty unique. One of the birds we didn't get to see at Ile Aux Aigrettes (see another post) is the pink pigeon. This is an endemic species in Mauritius that nearly went extinct and is still rare. Imagine my surprise to see one on the roof next door.
    The last 2 pictures are taken from my room at the guest house: one during the day and the other at sunrise of basically the same view. If you blow up the daytime picture, you will see a small white line in the distance. Those are waves breaking on the coral reef that encloses the lagoon. This lagoon is far larger than what I had visualized for a lagoon. I guess the pictures I had seen were not fully representative of what coral lagoons can be. And sunrise is beautiful, too, for those who are awake.    Read more

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