By scooter among the jacarandas of Mauritius

TUESDAY 25-12-2007

We land at Mahebourg international airport after about 10 hours 20 minutes of flight. There's a time difference from Italy of +3 hours. Waiting for us at the exit is the girl from the only "hotel" booked on the internet from Italy. Not knowing anything, we always prefer to have the first two nights booked and not have to go looking after having done the whole flight... We found it on HOSTELWORLD, the comments were very favourable and the price was affordable. It's located in Mahebourg, 10-15 minutes from the airport: LE BAMBOO 25, Rue Mariannes Street Mahebourg p. +230-7960445 f. +230-6318287 A double room with private bathroom at a cost of €28 per person with breakfast included. As already mentioned, the guy offers to come and pick us up at a cost of €9.

Now I'll give you my opinion: the location is good because it's practically in the centre of the small town and you can walk almost anywhere, nearby there's the seafront and the bus station where every 15-30 minutes a bus leaves for

WEDNESDAY 26-12-2007

We go to pick up our scooter (I should say upfront that there aren't many who rent them, also because almost everyone stays inside the mega resorts and will never discover what awaits them outside the all-inclusive holiday; for the scooter we followed the Lonely Planet directions that led us to NICE PLACE). The guy forgets? to tell us that helmets are required for both of us, and after the first five minutes where everyone who saw us was yelling something behind our backs, we realize we have to turn back and get the second helmet! Done, we set off straight for the beautiful spots of the island on the eastern side BELLE MARE AND TROU D'EAU DOUCE.

We set off, it's a beautiful day, with the sun thankfully (otherwise we would have literally been scorched) every now and then hidden by the clouds, but when it manages to peek out, all the colors around us come even more alive! From the green of the sugarcane plantations, to the marvellous red of the flower of the tree called Jacaranda (only by seeing the photos will you understand; it's something so beautiful it stays with you) and of no lesser importance, rather the green-blue of the sea!

We often felt like the only tourists but never once had the slightest feeling of unease. The only downside of getting around by scooter is the fact that the roads are made only for those who know them, there are very few road signs and we often lengthened our route because we chose the wrong road. BELLE MARE too, like TROU D'EAU DOUCE, are very similar to BLUE BAY: a beautiful beach kilometres long with its beautiful pine forest behind and then almost nothing. Honestly there are a few little restaurants where you can eat, just as there are a few souvenir shops, but the main trade comes from selling t-shirts and sweaters, both in chenille and cotton, from very famous brands like ARMANI, D&D, RAPHAEL LAURENT etc… we, whether by choice or forced as you'll understand later, had the chance to visit some..

and honestly they didn't appeal to us, but that's due to how I am, because I've read loads of accounts from people who shopped there and who confirmed that the clothing cost 1/5 compared to the prices you find in Italy. But I don't care about brands!!! We relaxed a bit on the beach in the shade of the pine forest and off we went to fill our stomachs. We follow the Lonely Planet's advice and look for RESTO SEPT Chinese, Indian and Creole cuisine. 7 Chemin –Trou D'Eau Douce Tel:+230 480 2766 email:restau_sept@yahoo.com Partly by asking and partly by following the signs that every now and then appear and disappear… I won't quote the Lonely Planet's description but it doesn't match our expectations 100%.

The place is "nice" in every sense, and we soon understand that the prices written in the guide are no longer real and we'll have confirmation of this later too: that since 2005 there's been a good increase. The portions aren't anything particularly exciting and not at all generous. We spend 1090 rs, about €27 for two, for me to eat: a plate of noodles with four prawns and the usual sautéed vegetables and as dessert a bit of pineapple; while Diego has grilled prawns (about ten tiny ones arrive) and a fish fillet also grilled and then pineapple flambé.

But in the end all our trips are made of choices or attempts, some choices turn out more successful compared to others, but nothing tragic, quite the opposite… I must admit we slept on it a bit but decide to try again whether the next day the diving centre had two spots available for diving, in which case we would have stayed one more night in the area, moving in the morning from NICE PLACE. But instead of calling early in the morning before starting our tour, mainly due to the difficulty of finding a phone, we put it off until later, until at four in the afternoon we find ourselves in front of LE PRESKIL to ask for info. All full for tomorrow too.

Ok, then tomorrow we'll pack up, heading for FLIC EN FLAC Before returning the scooter we stop at the "shopping centre" LONDON WAY where we browse a bit and buy some vanilla tea, some fruit juices and some sunscreen because the sun is really beating down, and a baguette with Nutella for a snack (we'll discover later that once in the room it becomes our dinner).

THURSDAY 27-12-2007

We were undecided whether to go to FLIC en FLAC by taxi to travel more comfortably but decided to save money and so here we are with our backpacks at the bus stop. We immediately learn that to get to what seems like one of the most touristy spots on the west coast there are no direct buses. We take the one that takes us to CUREPIPE and then the one to QUATRE BORNES and finally the one that takes us to our destination. We spend a pittance, exactly 21+18+21 rs (€1.50) each. But we arrive in Flic en Flac after more than three hours and I have the beginning of my usual headache attack. We're tired and not in the best physical condition to wander under the midday sun looking for a place to sleep.

We look around but don't see houses with the rooms sign or similar… We go into the first tourist agency we see hoping they have a list of people who rent, the girl makes two phone calls and tells us sorry but everything's full, it's the Christmas and New Year week. Almost next door is the one also listed in the Lonely Planet, called:

FLIC EN FLAC TOURIST AGENCY

Tel +230 453 9389 Fax +230 453 8416 e-mail: ffagency@intnet.mu

The girl tells us she only has a small apartment available in a residence with a pool, at €50 a night. Both of our legs start shaking a bit… The girl, who knows how to do her job, starts with the usual lines: right now it's available but later it might not be, at least go and see it and then decide… etc… The guy takes us there in a 4x4… We see the apartment and even if it's not out of A Thousand and One Nights it's still fully equipped, it's on two floors: on the ground floor there's the living room with two sofas and the TV, it has a decent-sized kitchenette with fridge, dishes etc… with even a microwave. Upstairs there's the bedroom with air conditioning and the bathroom.

We look at each other wondering what to choose… tiredness works against us… We decide to stay for one night and possibly confirm for the next two if we don't find something cheaper… Where we're staying is also in the Lonely Planet:

ESCALES VACANCE

I think it's owned by the agency mentioned above: +230 453 9389 Fax +230 453 8416 e-mail: ffagency@intnet.mu

The area is really nice and touristy, but not so crowded that you feel it too much. It's nice here! Once again we arrived at lunchtime and right next to the residence there's a restaurant that also cooks Italian, they even have pizza. It's called: CHEZ PEPE TEL + 230 4539383 We try it and are satisfied: I have a vegetable pizza and it arrives with pineapple too along with onion, mushrooms and peppers, not exactly Italian but very good. Diego orders a plate of gratinated mussels (generous and delicious) and a plate of seafood spaghetti (even here, calling it generous is an understatement, so much so that he can't finish it all). We spend quite a lot in this case too, 810rs + 15% tax tot:931 rs (a bit less than €23 for two), but if you eat well there's also satisfaction in spending.

Full, we lie down for about an hour which becomes almost three… We force ourselves to get up to try to book the dives, luckily the area is a bit livelier and near the agency from before there's a diving centre and wandering around we get directions to at least two more. We stop at the first and since it inspires us we book two dives right away, not for the next day, because it was already full, but for the day after. The place is really charming: a modest-sized shopping centre with a Spar supermarket inside where you'll find almost everything, and nearby there's everything you need: car rental, shops, agencies, post office, phone, bank, plenty of restaurants… but it's all more than bearable because it's not chaotic or unliveable, and then as soon as you move a kilometre away peace and total tranquillity already reign.

After the diving we stop at the supermarket since the apartment has the possibility to cook or at least eat in peace… While wandering we see a house where they rent rooms and ask for info on availability and costs: The price is excellent, around €20, and for the following evening they have availability but the room can't be viewed because it's currently occupied, we'd have to come back tomorrow… We don't have much desire to stress ourselves and for once we decide to treat ourselves well, it's only three nights and in Italy for €50 you get a small room in a 2-3 star if you're lucky… On the way back Diego stops at a little restaurant near CHEZ PEPE that seems to serve typical Creole cuisine and offers takeaway, and orders fries and grilled lamb and spends about €4-5. With air conditioning and a bed in excellent condition we have a good night, we're ready for our second scooter tour.

FRIDAY 28/12/2007

We want to leave early to make the most of the sun hours, but I have a little mix-up with the alarm and the time zone and get the time an hour wrong; when we realize it, instead of eight it's already nine. Nothing serious. The residence people rent us the scooter for 24 hours and we pay 500 rs (about €12). As soon as we leave the apartment we call the diving centre at BLUE BAY hoping to book two dives for Monday before departure; knowing it's an area with beautiful seabeds and not diving there has left a bit of a bitter taste. We try, they're full again but they have a slot to do one inside the bay at one in the afternoon. The next morning we have the plane but since the maximum depth is 8 metres we can accept in complete tranquillity.

The next step is finding accommodation to sleep near the diving centre and a means of transport to get there (taxi or bus?) We'll think about it later… Having just set off with the scooter we immediately understand that it's much newer and better equipped and luckily much more comfortable than the one rented in Mahebourg. We can cover a lot of ground… We head straight for PORT LOUIS where we want to see the typical market and a couple of shopping centres since there isn't much choice around for buying some little gifts or souvenirs… We arrive after about thirty minutes between various stops for some photos etc.. we understand quite quickly that the market area is near the port, but once we arrive all that sea of people and the chaos makes us lose the desire to visit it.

Maybe I didn't find it so characteristic at first impression, or we weren't inspired, but it seemed to me just a load of stalls and the shouting of Chinese vendors, but I should point out that since we got off the scooter I have no idea if I really missed something. Or maybe it's not the market described in the guide. But isn't the beauty of a DIY holiday precisely doing only what we feel like?? We pass beyond the mega traffic of PORT LOUIS and head for the famous garden: SSR BOTANIC GARDEN PAMPLEMOUSSES We liked it a lot, even though we're not botany enthusiasts, but we like nature in all its forms, animal or plant; I want to warn you that contrary to what the guide or other accounts say marking free entry, we paid 100rs each to enter (about €2.50).

We preferred to go round it in complete freedom and avoid having someone next to us talking non-stop, but it's possible to take a guide for a little more than €1 (50rs), avoiding seeing the same plants twice and missing the rare or endemic ones. Among the various plants it's pleasant to stroll also because they offer excellent shelter from the heat and the sun's rays. In the area there's a very clean toilet and also drink sellers or similar. We continue our exploration heading for other beautiful beaches of northern Mauritius like: TROU AUX BICHES, MONT CHOISY AND GRANDE BAIE. Our idea was to find a nice seaside spot with a lovely restaurant and spend the afternoon there.

But again the lack of road signs doesn't help us, we drive around going in what seems like the right direction but the roads seem to more easily always take you inland and never towards the sea! A bit annoyed and hungry and a bit afraid of getting caught in a downpour too far from home and without a jacket, we give up continuing to search, even though we got very close. We decide to use the afternoon to see PORT LOUIS. In shopping withdrawal we enter the shopping centre called CAUDAN WATERFRONT described as the most fashionable place in the capital. It reminds me of, and I believe they were inspired precisely by, the one of the same name in South Africa. A shopping centre full of shops, offices, restaurants, bars etc… Everything seems a bit too expensive even though we do pick up two or three little gifts.

We find a shop or rather it's a BAOBAB chain that sells 100% cotton t-shirts with various designs and with the words fine Mauritius. The price isn't a steal but not impossible either, we buy a few for ourselves as souvenirs and two as gifts… Once again when it's time to head back we can't find any signs for Flic en Flac and following our map we go partly by instinct and partly follow the few signs for nearby towns. There's insane traffic, we're happy to have a two-wheeled vehicle and to be able to overtake the stationary cars, speeding everything up… We take the wrong road, we ask and it almost seems like they don't even know how to point us to the shortest route without going back inland.

Finally a gentleman tells us to follow him because he's heading to the same area… Everything becomes easier and we see appearing on the horizon the blue of the long-sought and longed-for sea! Truly getting around on your own isn't easy, we don't understand why there's this notable lack of road signs. I had already read in some travellers' accounts that after renting a car they had then taken the wrong road several times and then as final confirmation, when on Sunday we take the private taxi (I'll explain later why this tactical move), he himself gave us the feeling every now and then of going round in circles or of not being too sure of the road he'd chosen.

We arrive in Flic en Flac while there's still light, so given the fact that we have the scooter until tomorrow morning, we decide to tour the whole area, at least to get to know it at a glance, and we go as far as the big hotel area (called Wolmar). Nothing that exaggerated, a few shops nearby and then large, large resorts. What do we eat for dinner? I'm exhausted and not very hungry: almost the whole holiday we had lunch out and around two or three in the afternoon, so in the evening around eight we were never very hungry. We decide to try the Creole takeaway cuisine again. Under the pine forest near the sea in front of all the various restaurants there are three or four vans or kiosks with kitchens.

We choose the one that inspires us most and Diego gets a bit of everything (two grilled chicken legs for both of us, some white boiled fish balls, like little eggs, some other vegetable balls, rice as a side and also the usual fries) we pay around €10 and head home… We immediately discover that the room price also includes the cleaning lady who tidies everything up and, to our surprise, she also left the air conditioning on for us, whereas usually as soon as you leave there's someone behind you turning it off to save on the bill. We like the place and we enjoy our choice even though we regret the €150 a bit we'll pay but we're on holiday and want to enjoy it. I get in another good sleep while Diego as usual reads until late.

SATURDAY 29/12/2008

Today the big day of the dives has finally arrived, we'll see up close the beauties of the sea and not just its splendid colours. We have an appointment a little before ten to fill out all the documents and try the equipment and then dive. The Diving centre is called: SEA-URCHIN DIVING CENTRE TEL: + 230 7525307

Arrived at the centre and completed all the formalities, we put on the wetsuit and take the fins and, following the group, we cross the road and thanks to a little path we reach the beach. There's a small boat waiting for us, so much so that we immediately think it isn't ours; moreover some doubts assail me: like my BCD? the tank? everything on the boat, ok we trust, but usually at least the BCD you try on to see what size you need… And instead it's all on board and all in order. How cool is the guy from the other evening: we booked the dive quickly and he with one glance got our sizes right etc… We're about ten, there are two dive masters, one will go down with us open water up to a depth of 20-25 mt, the other girl will go down at another dive site with those who can reach the depth of 35-40 mt. Everything is well planned and goes perfectly.

We do two dives, the first called: ROCHE CATEAU It's a wall dive, beautiful but nothing stratospheric (after the dives we did in Sipadan-Mabul in Borneo) if I don't have hundreds of fish around me it's not a beautiful dive. Come on I'm joking, you have to be able to admire even the single, small details of every dive, of course the macro always strikes you more… After the one-hour break on the boat we do the second, the name says it all, it's called Aquarius, and we really liked it a lot, we saw so many fish all around us… Beautiful and beautiful again.

We return around two in the afternoon and after the usual hand given to unload the boat and after washing "our equipment" and after paying we try to satisfy the two primary needs of the moment: hunger and shower! We pay about €30 for each dive (tot for 4 dives 4700rs) + the tax that you pay only the first time you dive and is valid for two months and across the whole island of 100 rs each (about €2.50). Luckily everything is nearby and in five minutes we're home and passing in front of CHEZ PEPE we order two takeaway pizzas to pick up in ten minutes. All perfect! A nice hot shower and a good pizza fill us with joy.

Now a nice nap and what more could I ask for? Tomorrow we have to leave our apartment, heading for Blue Bay, how do we get there? Play the total savings game and take the bus again and arrive a bit cooked at our destination? But then what do we do for the rest of the day? We decide to play another card, certainly more expensive but that at least lets us see other things on the island and make the most of the whole day. We go around looking for some tourist agency and ask for a private taxi that while taking us to the hotel stops at all the characteristic or tourist spots of that part of the island. We accept the offer of spending €45 for the whole of tomorrow.

The taxi picks us up at 9:00 in front of the residence and will leave us at our hotel towards Mahebourg around 17:00, Other agencies also offered more or less similar rates but this one seemed very flexible, it wasn't him deciding what to show us but it was us. Maybe talking directly to a taxi driver you could spend a little less, but we didn't feel like stressing ourselves too much to save three euros… The agency is called: FRAGAWILLIS & LEISURE CO Royal Road –Flic-en-Flac Tel: +230 7474500 --- 4538897 cell +230 7344097 It proves honest as it tells us you'll pay tomorrow evening to the driver, perfect! As I'll tell you later we were happy with the service and the honesty shown by our driver, here's how to contact him if you want to be safe: TAXI SERVICE MAHADEA tel:+230 4252834 cell.+230 2598576

I think his staff is: Kevin Bijoutier e-mail:kevinmahadea@yahoo.com cell: +230 7651397

I've included all the details at our disposal, then you'll see for yourselves… After a pizza at three in the afternoon, again in the evening we're not very hungry, we fall back again on takeaway dishes.

SUNDAY 30-12-2007

We leave the residence a little early but the taxi driver is already waiting for us… we decide roughly on the itinerary to do and the rest will come by itself based on the inspiration of the moment… We set off straight following his advice, heading first to shop at FLOREAL In this area of the island it's full of boutiques and shops of branded t-shirts and clothes, some shops are luxury ones, others quite affordable… some sell jewellery, others carpets… there really is everything! But as already said I work in a knitwear factory and I see loads of t-shirts every day, we don't care about the brands and when we're at the fifth more or less similar shop we beg the driver to stop no more!!! A few months ago we bought a book titled "1001 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE" In the chapter on Mauritius it marked three places, so we direct the taxi that way, natural things always inspire us more compare

d to a load of all identical shops. The first stop: TROU AUX CERFS CRATER It's located in the Curepipe area and it's a volcano crater, from which you enjoy a beautiful panorama because it's located 650 mt above sea level. Nothing special, we were expecting something more surprising… We resume the journey heading for GRAND BASSIN It feels like being on a small Ganges, very serene atmosphere and lots of Indo-Mauritians intent on performing purification rituals or offerings to their gods, lots of flowers and a beautiful landscape around. The statue of Shiva is really very tall and spectacular. Then we pass by the BLACK RIVER GORGES, a natural terrace over the southern part of the island, you can see all the way to the sea. We're immersed in nature and we're sorry not to have more time available to better admire the flora and the various trees… and maybe see some animals too.

In the Lonely Planet and in various accounts I had read about the coloured earths, the most famous one at CHAMAREL is a bit out of the way but the guide talks about an even more beautiful area called: LA VALLEE DES COULEURS because while the other has only 7 colours this one has as many as 23. Honestly in this case too we were expecting something more particular, we walked a lot in a beautiful setting, with lots of greenery and various trees and little waterfalls and streams to reach a piece of land the size of a five-a-side football pitch and where you saw the various layers of colour… It's already afternoon and we're hungry, our taxi driver says he knows a good place to eat fish at GRIS-GRIS, the last stop of our day.

It's a roadside restaurant, of which (don't blame me) but I can't find the business card, just before the seafront square… We eat well and spend fairly but the service is really slow, hours pass… From the square you access the beach below and the cliff from which you have a truly breathtaking view. Beautiful. We head towards Mahebourg, where before leaving we booked the hotel for the last two nights, we pay €36 a night with breakfast.

It's called COCO VILLA and it's just outside the centre of Mahebourg, towards the road to Blue Bay tel: (230) 631 23 46 cocovilla20@hotmail.com We arrive, the place seems nice, one side of the rooms looks directly onto the sea, with a small garden in front… The room is spacious, not luxurious, quite the opposite… we have a small balcony where we can refresh ourselves because there's no air conditioning and it's really hot… During the night we discover that the mattresses are caved in, indeed very caved in, we sleep badly, so much so that I want to change hotels, next door is the hotel AUBERGE AQUARELLA, it seems a slightly more luxurious place and really well kept, we ask if they have a room free, they're all full except one booking to be confirmed around lunchtime and moreover the room costs double.

We decide not to stress ourselves and to hold out another day, we're not doing too badly anyway. It's very calm and the breakfast is good and generous. In the evening we have dinner at the little restaurant next door on the road, we eat well and spend really a pittance.

MONDAY 31/12/2008

After resolving the problem of whether to change hotels or not, we take a fifteen-minute walk to reach the centre of Mahebourg and visit the local market that's held right in the square in front of the sea. A nice, good market for buying little gifts without spending much, plus they have excellent spices.. we head back because at two we have an appointment to do a dive at BLUE BAY With: CORAL DIVING

Coral Diving Center - The Diving Centre is opened to resident as well as non residents of the hotel. Le Preskil Beach Resort: (+230) 604 1000, Mobile (+230) 250 2465. Blue Lagoon Hotel: (+230) 631 9105, (+230) 631 9867, Mobile (+230) 250 2465. Blue Bay contact@coraldiving.com Mahebourg

We have an appointment at the Preskil hotel. We reach it by the bus that passes right in front of the hotel. The diving centre is serious and very busy… they handle all types of water sports for the clients of the two hotels. The colour of the sea is truly the most beautiful I've seen on the island, helped also by a very beautiful sunny day. The dive turns out to be a snorkel with tanks, because the maximum depth reached is 6 metres, imagine the minimum, at times because of the many corals we find ourselves popping out of the water. Nice, even though we're sure that maybe going outside the bay you could see something better, but we didn't book far enough in advance and we have to settle. Tomorrow we have a plane to catch. We spend the last hours relaxing in the room, reading and we watch the fireworks over the sea from our balcony.

The taxi picks us up in the morning at eight, to take us to the airport. Our holiday is over and we're already dreaming of another one.

ADIEU ILE DE MAURICE