A Heightened Sense of Adventure

I haven’t spent too much lately on self-reflection and introspection, but I can definitively say that traveling the world has had its effects on me. As I enter the second half of my voyage, I will continue trying to pin down the ways I have changed since January, and how those changes will affect the way I live in the future. One difference is easy for me to figure out. Since coming on Semester at Sea, my attraction to spontaneity and my sense of adventure have grown tremendously. I’m not about to jump out of an airplane or anything, but I’m no longer as high strung about getting to a destination on time and making sure all goes as planned. I really have embraced the idea that it is not the destination that matters, but rather the journey. This motto has applied not only to this voyage as a whole, but really to the way I live each day in port.

 

I had two goals in Mauritius: to go hiking in the volcanic mountains and to snorkel in the Indian Ocean. By the time my short two day stay was over, I had accomplished both of these things and so much more. When we arrived on Tuesday morning, the sun peeked out from the rain clouds, just itching to create a beautiful rainbow in the sky. My friend Erin and I set out with many friends in search of a good hiking route. We had planned to hit several stops and eventually hike through the Black River Gorges National Park. Things didn’t entirely go according to plan! We spent a good 2 hours navigating to public bus system and being driven around by a local man for a while. He told us we should go to what sounded to me like “Catabowl” but considering it was French, who knows what it was actually called! We hopped on a bus to this town, unsure of what to expect. At first, we saw no signs of a good hiking spot, since we were dropped off in the center of the town. Markets and bakeries lined the streets and school children were standing at bus stops waiting to go home. We had spent most of the day already exploring the island by car, and we just wanted to get out and hike! From the street, the mountains in the distance were breathtaking. The lush green trees covered the mountain ranges like a carpet and their jagged tops cut through the mist and tropical rain clouds to reach through to the heavens. I wanted so badly to be on top of one of those fantasy-land cliffs!

 

Since we were in the middle of a town filled with concrete sidewalks and pavement, I knew that goal was unlikely. Still, Erin and I decided to take a side street off the main road and try our best. We followed our instincts and walked as far uphill as we could, through several wealthy neighborhoods and tall sugar cane fields. Soon enough, a mountain was in sight. I didn’t think we would reach the base of it, but sure enough, after walking through what looked like a soccer field, we caught sight of a trail. It was still muddy from the afternoon rains, but we didn’t mind. We followed the red-brown path up and around, passing several locals who were already on their way down from their afternoon exercise. As we climbed higher and higher, even more of the impressive landscape came into view. We stopped every now and then to take in the scenery before setting off once again towards the peak. The sun was sinking low in the sky, and we had about an hour before sundown. The golden glow of the sun’s rays skimmed the leaves of grass and fanned out wide over the fields below. Suddenly, the call to prayer emanated like a siren from the mosques in the distance, floating up through the air and lingering in our ears. Even though the majority of the island’s inhabitants are Hindu and of Indian descent, they all embrace each other with a love and friendship I have seen nowhere else in my life.

 

We trekked onward, determined to reach the top as soon as we could. Lots of mud and several mosquito bites later, we found the clearing where the trail ended. It was blanketed with tall grasses and some wildflowers, and through the trees, we could see the whole island before us. Soon after we arrived, the same group of locals we had seen going the other direction showed up. One man, Sanjay, spoke to us shortly before descending again. Speaking with him again reminded us of the power of friendliness, as he wanted nothing more but to help us with directions and recommend his favorite sites so we could make the most of our time in Mauritius.

 

After a fulfilling day of exploration, Erin and I hopped on a bus bound for Port Louis. An hour and a half later, we were driving along the familiar waterfront, witnessing Mauritius’ version of Tuesday Nightlife. It was quiet and balmy, and the dark waters looked just as beautiful under the stars as they did in the daylight. After a great day, I had made it home happier than ever, relishing in the idea that Port Louis could be my home for the day, and that for the last 10 weeks, wandering the unexpected corners of the world has been my reality.