Mauritius to Rodrigues 22-27 April 08

Welcoming Creole beach paradise

On our arrival, there were a couple of men sitting at a table drinking beer. They turned out to be Swiss from the canton of Valais, so practically neighbours of ours in Champéry. One of them is spending his retirement on Rodrigues and the other was doing a walking tour round the island. At dinner round a large table, we talked to a couple of young French women who live on Réunion, called Babette and Julie.

23 April. Flemming went for an exciting dive with Cotton Dive at Cotton Bay Hotel in 'Le Canyon', which is a narrow tunnel mostly under the reef between the lagoon and the ocean. Angela went snorkelling in the 'Aquarium', from where the tunnel starts. We lunched on delicious prawns and crayfish dishes at Madame Larose nearby. In the afternoon we drove to Port Mathurin to try to submit a fax to Oman from an internet café, but their internet connection was not working. Finally we managed to send it using the Iridium connection in the evening.

24 April. We went on an early morning walk before breakfast to the 'Trou d'Argent' crique. At the end of the morning we drove to the Mourouk Ebony Hotel. Flemming went diving with Bouba Diving just outside the 'Passe Butte Sable' at the 'Rempart Serpent' reef at the south west side of the island, while Angela enjoyed a leisurely lunch and day on the beach.

25 April. Angela went for a walk with Babette as far as the 'Trou d'Argent' crique and then continued on her own to Gravier. Flemming left our luggage at the 'Auberge de la Montagne' and went for another dive with Bouba Diving at 'Le Jardin' at the 'Grande Passe'. Then he fetched Angela from Gravier and we drove up to 'Auberge de la Montagne' where we ate a delicious Creole lunch. Our charming hostess, Françoise Baptiste, is an expert cook and has published a book with her collection of Creole recipes.