A Paradise Island Called Mauritius

Mark Twain once wrote that God created Mauritius first, and then Heaven, and that Heaven was based off of Mauritius. After spending just two short days on this oasis in the middle of the Indian Ocean, I can see what he meant.  

 

To start the day off, a group of friends and I had taken a public bus to the town of Curepipe, in the center of the island, near Trou-aux-Cerfs, the volcanic crater. When we got off the bus at our stop an hour outside of Port Louis, it was drizzling again and we sought shelter inside a bakery. It happened to be lunch time, so we treated ourselves to some local desserts. Food is culture, right? Anyway, on our way out of the shop, Zach and Miche had stopped behind to talk to a local. When he walked up to introduce himself to the rest of us, we learned he was a retired physics professor who had taught at universities all over the world. When we asked him where his home was, he presented us with a photo of our planet, taken from outer space (aww). This man, Mr. Mungur, told us all about his home in Mauritius, which was just a few kilometers from the crater we were trying to find. He said if there were fewer of us, he would drive us around. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, the 7 of us graciously offered to squish into his little hatchback. (“Three of you will have to sit in the boot!” he said.) I swear, we must have looked like a bunch of clowns at a circus getting in and out of that car! He drove us up to Trou-aux-Cerfs, where we had the most incredible view into the now forested crater. It was considerably smaller than the caldera at Kilauea, and was perfectly circular. I couldn't believe that this little hole at the top of a mountain had spewed out enough lava to form the entire island- 11 times as big as DC- just 8 million years ago! From the crater's rim, we could see the stunning landscape 360 degrees around, and as the mist and clouds lifted, the mountains in the distance became even more impressive.

 

While we were taking pictures, I met another local man named Popi, who beautifully expressed how welcoming Mauritians are to travelers. They see everyone as a brother or sister, and invited foreigners in with open arms. This was obvious to me, as every person we passed smiled right at us. Mr. Mungur said it delightfully, that the people of Mauritius are as diverse as a rainbow, with a colorful blend of histories, cultures, and religions. People come from India, Madagascar, France, and England to name a few, and most locals speak at least 3 languages. The religions of Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam pervade the population, and every person treats each other with a respect I haven't seen anywhere else in my travels so far. Mauritius was like a unique blend of India, Hawaii, and France, in a way I never could have imagined.

 

From Trou-aux-Cerfs, Mr. Mungur drove us to his home, which he was in the process of renovating. He showed us some family photographs, and brought us to the roof balcony where he and his wife eat breakfast each morning, looking out into the gardens below. His friendliness and silly sense of humor reminded me of my father, and made me think of just how much I miss home. Homesickness on this trip is a strange blend of missing the familiar, yet never wanting to return to that same familiarity which makes life back home so ordinary. Hard to explain, and I'm planning to put off thinking about returning home until I absolutely have to!

 

After endlessly thanking Mr. Mungur for completely putting a halt to his day to show us around, we were driven back to the Curepipe bus stop. Only then did he reveal to us that before retiring, he worked for NASA. We had found ourselves a real, live rocket scientist to show us around his home! Truly, it doesn’t get much better than this.