Mauritius to Rodrigues 22-27 April 08

Welcoming Creole beach paradise

26 April. Flemming went for an early morning dive with Bouba at 'Cousoupa' at the 'Grande Passe' and afterwards we did the lovely coastal walk from Gravier to the 'Trou d'Argent' crique for a swim in crystal clear waters. We had a late lunch at 'La Detente' restaurant, which has a gorgeous view of the pastel-coloured lagoon to the south of Rodrigues. Late afternoon, we walked to Rodrigues’ highest point at Mont Limon (398m), with great views of the whole island. Then we drove to the capital Port Mathurin to fill up the car at the sole petrol station of the island and then to nearby 'Anse aux Anglais' where numerous families had gathered to watch the sunset.

In the evening we joined the Baptiste family for the aperitif. Françoise and Laval Baptiste danced to the music their son Mathieu played on the accordion – the Rodrigues version of country dances such as the ‘Scottish’ and the waltz.

27 April. Laval Baptiste went with us for a drive to Gravier, where they are building their new chambre d'hôte at a lovely site near the beach. It is due to open in October 2008.

Laval, Françoise and their family came with us to the airport to see us take off. The manager of Rodrigues airport Nigel Waterstone and the ATC manager Mr. Mahadeo were there to make sure our departure went smoothly. After take-off, we did a scenic tour of the island before departing on our IFR return flight to Mauritius. We felt a warm friendly welcome by all the Rodriguais we met and we hope to come back one day.