Our Mauritian holiday has been very varied and with staying at three centres we have managed to see much of the island.   We have trekked in a forest looking at rare indigenous plants, watched flying fox bats and colourful birds, swum in the warm sea, marvelled at the corals and little fish, seen rivers, high waterfalls, coloured earth and mountains, visited gardens with beautiful flowers, seen colourful market stalls and elaborate temples as well as churches and been in old colonial houses. We have travelled miles through sugar plantations and tasted innumerable samples of rum in places ranging from the very basic to the most high tech distilleries.  In a biscuit factory we sampled biscuits made only with cassava and at a tea plantation we were offered the chance of tasting twelve varieties of tea after watching the process of manufacture from the raw leaves to the packaging.   We had observed several brides celebrating their weddings beside the white sandy beaches, and everywhere had been welcomed by friendly people.

The only drawback, apart from losing the first 27 hours of our holiday, was the weather.  It was very windy and we saw very little sun.  It rained every day although often not for very long but on the last day it never seemed to stop. Our last two days were free so we had intended lying under the thatched sun shades as we had not done so before.  Some hope! After needing rain jackets when we went to watch fish swimming among the coral it cleared up on the penultimate day and became warm and sunny (extra)   But on our final day after a game of petanque the rain started (extra) and although we are not sun worshippers it was a disappointment, but even more so for those honeymooners whom we met who complained that it had rained every day.  It didn’t worry us much as we are not sun worshippers and had seen and learnt so many interesting things and learnt a great amount about Mauritius' history, lives and economy and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. It was a very good holiday.
(If you are interested the holiday blips start on October 27)