Mauritius Part 3

December 29


Another nice relaxing day. We went to a hotel in the north part of the island. Spalding’s cousin, Marylyn, arranged for us to have a room for the day. On our way there, we stopped at a catholic church for Spalding’s mom. She wanted to visit the place where Pere Laval is buried. He was a priest who came to Mauritius and did a lot to help the people. He was then made a Saint. We went to the hotel and swam in the pool and in the ocean. We canoed and took paddle boats out in the ocean as well. We were with lots of cousins for the day. I really enjoyed just laying on the beach and by the pool reading a book. That is vacation for me. We got to eat lunch there, which was delicious, and at tea time, had crepes. YUM. It started to rain a little and cooled things down, which was also nice. We came home and the kids were ready for bed. The girls spent the night with their cousins. They love the sleep overs they get to have here.

December 30

Today Mario and Linda took us to L’aventure du Sucre. It is an old sugar mill that has been turned into a museum. There were displays about the history of the island. Most of the people on the island come from ancestors who came to Mauritius as slaves from Africa, or indentured servants from India to work in the Sugar cane fields. Spalding’s ancestors came to the island in these ways. We also learned about how sugar cane becomes the sugar we use, and what the by-products are. After the museum, we got to taste all the different types of sugar. Did you know there is not just white sugar and brown sugar? There are many variations in between. We all enjoyed the sugar tasting; I think Kieren tasted each of the sugars three times. Her face was very sticky at the end. When Spalding was in school, there were 30 different sugar cane refineries, now they have consolidated into 11 on the island.

December 31

Happy New Year! Today we went swimming at Tamarin for a couple of hours, enjoying the waves. Then we went to Spalding’s brother’s house for dinner. We got to talk to my family via Skype. Isn’t technology amazing? Just before midnight we went back to Grandmere’s house for firecrackers. New Years is a big holiday here because all the different people celebrate it, unlike Christmas. The kids loved setting off all the firecrackers. They were very loud! The kids went up on the roof to watch all the people in the area setting of fireworks. It was really fun. The kids loved it.

Jan 1

Today is a day for visiting people and wishing them happy new year. Bonne Annee! People put new curtains and deep clean their houses. Another tradition is new clothes. Everyone wears their new cloths. We also went to a party at Spalding’s Uncle Michael’s home. It was very nice and lots of fun. Most of the Ramiah side of the family was there.

Jan 2

After church, we went to Uncle Desire’s house for another Party with the Ramiah side of the family. It is tradition to get together on this day because January 2 was the day that Spalding’s grandma would get everone together. After she died, the family decided that they should still have a special family gathering on that day. Uncle Sammy makes his famous Alooda drink. It is a milk drink with some spices and jelly sticks in it. I like the milk, but the jelly is not my favorite. After the Alooda, we had dinner. Lots of curries and salads, rice, and bread. After lunch, we all sang Karoake. The Ramiah side of the family all has great voices and rhythm. I sang along to a couple of songs that they thought Americans should know, and with Lani when she sang Yellow Submarine. She knows all the words thanks to Rock Band. Then they tried to teach me and Emma how to Sega. The Sega stems from African culture and the slaves in Mauritius. I don’t think I did too bad, but Emma was embarrassed to try, and Nick didn’t want to do it at all. Kieren and Lani enjoyed the music and dancing. It was lots of fun, and I think the Ramiahs all have fun when they get together.

Jan 3

Today we went on a picnic with some of the Ramiah side of the family. A picnic is no small occasion. We rented a bus! We went to pont natural. The ocean was so blue, and the waves hit the rock cliffs. It was gorgeous. There was also a natural rock bridge there. Then we went to Gris Gris. There was a beautiful viewpoint there as well. The kids enjoyed climbing on the cliffs a bit, and they found a sea urchin out of the water. Next we headed to the beach for eating. We found a shady spot full of trees. It was really nice. We swam a little bit and headed home. It was fun with everyone on the bus singing and talking with each other.

Jan 4

It was my last day at the beach. I am sad to say it. I have enjoyed the sunshine. I must be a solar person because I feel like sunshine recharges me. I will miss the ocean and blue sky. The kids have enjoyed the water a lot. We have created some great family memories.

Jan 5

Leaving Mauritius is bittersweet. I look forward to being in my own house, with my things and my space. It was hard to leave everyone behind, and Spalding and I both had some tears. We hope that it will not be another 9 years before we return and hope that Spalding’s mom and brother will come when he graduates with his PHD. The kids have had so much fun with their cousins and getting to know their relatives. I hope that this connection will continue to grow, even from a distance.