What about the island of Mauritius?

Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean, is the wealthiest nation of Africa. Just 50 years ago it was one of the poorest. Mauritius eagerly embraces 21st century technology especially as applicable to their sugar trade. Beautiful beaches and temperate tropical climate make Mauritius a destination primarily for Europeans, and many of the accommodations are 4 or 5 star establishments. 70% of the people of Mauritius are of Indian heritage, both Hindu and Muslim, with the remainder of African, French, and British descent. Everyone I encountered was 'laid back' and pleasant and kind.

Many viewed our two days in Mauritius as rest-and-relaxation after the excitement of South Africa and before the challenge of India .... and so it was!

Taking a water taxi from the ship to the Harborside is interesting! The small craft shuttles seamen from all the ships in port who nimbly hop onto the roof canopy of the boat. To the contrary, the MV Explorer's passengers alighted and left the water taxi with much greater caution at the piers. On one of the ships of a fishing fleet from Taiwan the crew were holding a prayer ceremony in advance of an early morning departure. As our water taxi pulled alongside the ship with crew members carrying beers for everyone, we saw the sailors gathered around a devotional table with a pig's head, a chicken that appeared to be pickled in oil, and many small red bowls filled with a variety of grains and herbs and .....?

Bon voyage and safe seas!

The pleasant Harborside has shops, restaurants, post office, and open-air markets for the Mauritians and for the predominantly-European tourists. Tourism is the second industry to sugar production and is energetically promoted by the government and private enterprise.

Mauritius boasts botanic gardens at Pamplemouses where 95% of the plant species are imported from tropical and semi-tropical

locations worldwide. The tour guides enjoy telling the stories of the various plants like

"the bleeding tree" and "the bottle palm" and "the sausage tree".

The giant tortoise originates in Madagascar which to the west

of Mauritius and vastly larger.

Refresher: a turtle lives in the water and a tortoise lives on land.

Alice in Wonderland knew that, of course.

This giant palm tree lives approximately 65 years and blooms, and then it dies.

Sunset and an exquisite meal with fellow faculty voyagers, all from Charlottesville, at the Oberai Hotel (ever so luxurious, and rated #1 in the Indian Ocean, 2010). My, my, my!

What's not to like about dolphins in the azure water, snorkeling in the azure water, floating in the azure water ... did I mention that the water is azure?

Perfect air temperature, water crisp like liquid diamonds, clear sunshine, gentle breezes - a day of relaxation and sensory pleasures on the luxury catamaran cruise.

As the MV Explorer sailed out of Mauritius harbor, the voyagers were treated to a barbeque dinner cooked and consumed on Decks 7 and 6. Yummy.

South Africa, land of contrasts

South Africa is a country of contrasts: ancient and modern; traditional and contemporary; affluent and poverty stricken; spectacularly beautiful and shockingly shabby; thrilling and

complacent; dangerous yet comfortable, always somewhat surprising.

Just 16 years since the end of Apartheid with such recent memories of those gross injustices, I was surprised with the pervasive feelings of hope and with the apparent lack of residual anger.

The land and the weather are spectacularly beautiful and one feels a strong national pride from every level and person in society!

In South Africa of today there are many possibilities for thrills: going on safari, shark cage diving, mountain climbing, repelling, rigorous hiking and biking, parasailing, and more. Students and faculty alike enjoyed these physical activities while at the same time getting to know the real people of South Africa, both in the central city "bubble of affluence" and in the townships surrounding the city. It was common to hear that "we needed more days in South Africa!"

5:30 a.m. sunrise from the aft deck on morning of arrival. First daylight view of Cape Town on arrival.

Sunset over Cape Town from the Voyager deck

In downtown Cape Town on the first morning in port, as we walked through the government center and the Company Gardens, I had to keep reminding myself - "this is South Africa!" I kept getting visual/sensory "hits" of Sacramento CA and/or Seattle WA!

Ancient sculptures and actual cave paintings on large slabs of rock are among the many splendors at the Natural History Museum in the Company Gardens.

An Aloe tree in the central city Company Gardens.

The National Flower is the lovely Protea

The Voyager docked at the lively Harbor area where the upscale Victoria and Alfred shopping mall is located - so, of course, we shopped! In addition there were restaurants indoor and outside, street musicians, ice cream booths, craft markets and plenty of souveniers to buy.

On Safari: Bouncing and jostling and clinging onto the sides, we rode out into the vast game reserve of Hluhluwe searching for elephants, buffalo, Wildebeste (Gnu), kudu, baboons, zebra, rhinos, and the big cats. It was sometimes cold and

sometimes wet and always exciting.

On safari: The thrill of "the hunt" is unexpected... after all, we've all been to the zoo before! But in the wild bush of Africa, the safari experience is remarkable. Riding in the Land Rover, hushed when sighting animals, startled when suddenly around a corner there is an elephant or a giraffe in the road, straining eyes to see more - it is all very thrilling. Though we saw evidence of the large cats in their fresh footprints or feces, my group did not sight any lions, leopards, nor cheetahs.

We searched and searched for elephants then finally in the afternoon we had many sitings including this fellow who was busy pushing down the tree (right onto our vehicle had our driver not quickly moved away!) in order to get to the tasty new spring leaf growth that was out of his reach. This was an exciting moment!

Quazulu Natal is the homeland in South Africa

of the Zulu people who frequently live today in the traditional extended family home settlements, each with their respective cattle herds. Marriage contracts are settled when the man pays 11 - 21 cattle to the woman's family.

Zumma, the current President of South Africa is a Zulu and is just marrying his third wife, with contracts in the works for two more for next year and the year after.

A hunt of a different sort at a Zulu Market where

many Zulu foods and produce were available for sale.

We stayed at the Zululand Lodge under the Fever trees in Kwazulu Natal near Hluhluwe National Game Reserve. The food was wonderful, the ambience perfectly safari, and there was even a tremendous thunder and lightning storm which took out the power so we were candle lit - even in the thatched-roof huts! In the evening light of the generators after the big storm there was a hatching of Flying Ants (by the thousands ... and thousands!!!!) which were way too many for me!!! I scooted back to the 'safety' of the netted bed shelter within the cabin. Yikes!

Before we left Cape Town, I led a tour to Africa Allsorts which is a small business employing wire and bead street artists making beaded African animals and allsorts of other things. Prior to the current global economic crisis these beaded sculptures were high-end exports world wide. We interacted with the bead and wire artists and each made a small piece of bead work.