A Look at Mauritius, with “Seven Coloured Earths” and a Ganges River, But We’re Not in India

“Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and heaven was copied after Mauritius.”
These are the words of Mark Twain, author of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. Can this island really be so wonderful? I wanted to go and see, hoping to catch a glimpse of heaven while still alive. The ccTLD (country code top level domain) for Mauritius is “.mu”.

◆Where is Mauritius?

The Republic of Mauritius is an island nation of Africa, located about 900 km east of Madagascar. The island covers an area of 2,040 square meters, with about 1.2 million people living on an area almost the size of Tokyo. Like the Virgin Islands, Mauritius is known as a tax haven, and it is popular among celebrities from around the world as a place to go on vacation. The currency used is the Mauritius Rupee (MUR).

* This article was published in November 2019.

= Table of Contents =

◆Is the Dodo the Ancestor of Orville from “Animal Crossing”?

◆Closure of the Capital? Port Louis is Shut Down

◆The Seven Coloured Earths; Ideals and Realities

◆Minor Attractions Recommended by the Locals

◆The Ganges River in Mauritius

◆Reservoirs and National Parks / Interesting Things Around Mauritius

◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

◆Finding “.mu” Around Town

 


◆Is the Dodo the Ancestor of Orville from “Animal Crossing”?

We arrive at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. The cabin attendant walked around the cabin spaying something. It doesn’t land directly on the passengers and it doesn’t smell bad, but it’s not a good feeling in an enclosed space. This spraying is done on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) prevent contagions and infectious diseases carried by insects and other VOCs. I understand that the insecticides used are those specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and should not cause harm or discomfort to passengers and crew.

※reference http://www.travelstart.co.za/blog/airplane-cabin-spraying/

The airport is named for the 1st Prime Minister of Mauritius, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam.

Looking closely, I found the dodo (Raphus cucullatus) a national bird, on the immigration stamp.

The dodo is a now extinct bird that once lived in Mauritius. The wild dodo was not a very suspicious bird, it couldn’t fly and it walked around and built its nests on the ground. Sadly, it was driven to extinction by the humans that invaded the island. A sketch of the dodo is on the back of the immigration card.

Orville, a character in “Animal Crossing” and staff of “Dodo Airlines” may be a descendant of the dodo. Unfortunately, there was no real Dodo Airlines at the airport.

 


◆Closure of the Capital? Port Louis is Shut Down

We chartered a taxi to check out Mauritius. Our driver is named Rakesh. One day’s fare, including pick up at the airport and drop off in the capital, Port Louis, was 100 euros. We told our driver that we only visit islands with their own domain, and only spend a few hours in each place. He told us: “You need at least 8 days to see Mauritius!”

First, we head for the capital Port Louis.

We have arrived in the beautiful port city of Port Louis. In December 1852, the East India Squadron of the United States Navy, led by Admiral Perry, departed for the coast of Uraga to ask Japan to open its shores, and also called at Mauritius on the way. At that time, there was no suitable island in the Pacific Ocean for steamboats to refill their supply of coal, and the Port of San Francisco was unfinished, so after crossing the Atlantic, they called at Madeira Island, St. Helena and Cape Town, finally arriving in Mauritius on February 18, 1853 where they had a 10-day rest.

At 4 pm, we take a stroll through the capital of Mauritius. There are only a few people.

There are very few people here and it is very quiet.

What…? There are no people at all. If you look closely, almost all the shop have their shutters down, even though it’s a Thursday!

When we asked Rakesh, he told us it’s the day of the parliamentary elections, the police have ordered all shops to stay closed except for a few commercial facilities, like restaurants and casinos. Ah, yes, there are some posters of candidates.

Even in Chinatown, there were only a few street vendors.

Actually, I was hoping to see the “waterfall in the sea” and had booked a helicopter tour before leaving on this trip, but later I got an email saying that the company was not open on that day and the tour was canceled. Probably that was because of the election.

Elections are held every five years. Before you travel to Mauritius, I recommend that you check in advance about this.

Umbrella Square (Republic of Mauritius) – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

 


◆The Seven Coloured Earths; Ideals and Realities

About 45 km south of Port Louis, or an hour’s drive, there is a place in Chamarel village where you can see a place with seven coloured earth. One of the main attractions of Mauritius, which is an active volcanic island, is this “7 Coloured Earth Geopark”.

Admission is 250 MUR for adults. It’s open all year round, and the closing times are 17:30 in summer and 17:00 in winter. There’s a car to take you around the park.

Drones are prohibited.

This park doesn’t just have the Seven Coloured Earth. Water cascades 100 meters down the Chamarel falls. This is the highest waterfall in Mauritius.

They say that the amount of water flowing down during peak times is 40,000m³ per minute.

There was an Aldabra giant tortoise. Also called the Seychelles giant tortoise.

Jonathan, the giant tortoise we met on Saint Helena, was an Aldabra giant tortoise.

We arrive at the Seven Coloured Earth. Awesome! I have never seen nor heard of soil coloured like this. I’ve got a lot of expectations.

From this spot, I can’t see much colour. At first glance it just looks like dirt, like on a construction site. So I get a bit closer.

What…? I check it out from different angles.

It’s not the vivid colors I was expecting, but you can see some color if you look closely at the pictures I took.

But compared to the Seven Coloured Earths promotion photos in the park and on the net, the color doesn’t seem remarkable at all.

Look at the previous photo and the photo edited by iPhone. Now you can see the real Seven Coloured Earth.

The lava sands that make up the Seven Coloured Earth are estimated to be between 3.5 and 7 million years old. It seems if you want to see them at their best you must come in the morning when the morning sun shines on the dew. In other words, if you don’t come in the morning, you will need to edit your photos like I did. So, please check it out in the morning.

The Seven Colors of the Earth (Republic of Mauritius) – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

 


◆Minor Attractions Recommended by the Locals, Model Ship and Glass Workshops

On election day, we were able to visit minor attractions recommended by the locals. The name of the model ship workshop is “Le Port Ship Model” (https://le-port-ship-model-factory-and-showroom.business.site/)。 Compared to “.com” and “.net”, you can still get short domain names with “.site”, so I wondered why the address was so long … anyhow, we went into the workshop.

There are no fees to go in. You are not allowed to take pictures in the souvenir shop side.

The craftsmen / craftswomen make all the parts by hand, from tiny to bigger etc.

Intricately made hulls are lined up on the shelves.

One with a mast attached.

The captain of the Domain Island Tour was fascinated by the work of a particularly skilled craftsman, and since he has some education in marine engineering, he bought a model of the Royal Navy’s HMS Bounty. Of course, he put it in his carry-on and took it home with great care.

A similar model ship was for sale at the airport, but it was more expensive than the one at the workshop.

 

Next, another minor attraction recommended by the locals is a glass workshop, called the “Mauritius Glass Gallery”.

Rakesh talked with the lady at the reception desk. Here too, there were no fees for admission. The lady says, “We also make Coca-Cola bottles here.”

I found a spot with hand prints in glass.

Percy Montgomery (former rugby player) and Tilda Swinton (Hollywood actress) were on display.

Beverage bottles.

A variety of glass crafts are on display.

Dodo figurines (130MUR) and shot glasses with dodo pictures on them were on sale starting at 100MUR.

An item that seems to be a spherical paper weight starts at 300MUR.

Mauritius is known as the lady of the Indian ocean, because of her beautiful beaches and crystal-clear waters, but visiting these craft workshops is a lot of fun as well.

 


◆The Ganges River in Mauritius

In Mauritius, where a variety of religions co-exist, Hinduism is the most popular, accounting for 52% of the total. Mauritius is the only country in Africa with Hinduism as the major religion. At first, we were planning to go see the Hindu Temple “Sockalingum Meenatchee Ammen Kovil”, but Rakesh recommended we visit “Ganga Talao” also known as “Grand Bassin” instead.

Rakesh himself is a devout Hindu. The reason he recommends Ganga Talao is because it is the only holy ground outside of India, and every February a festival is held there called the “Maha Shivaratri” when all the Hindus on Mauritius walk for miles to gather together at the temple. In the parking lot, there is a statue of the goddess Durga, which is 108 feet (approximately 33 m) high, resembling the Ushiku Great Buddha. Behind is the lion on which the goddess rides.

The lake on site is called Ganga Talao because the first Prime Minister of Mauritius, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, brought water from the Ganges river and poured it into the water of the lake, linking it to the sacred Ganges river and making the site a “most sacred place”.

There are many statues.

Among the mix of tourists, there were some people praying.

A statue displaying “Sathya Sai Baba”. Sathya Sai Baba is a spiritual leader in India known for purportedly materializing vibhuti (holy ash), and is famous in Japan under the name Saibaba. This statue seems to be a model of him.

At some statues, bare feet are required to worship. There was a sign saying “please take off your shoes here” but many people were worshipping with their shoes on.

There is a shower in the bathroom. Maybe it’s to wash before praying? One might hesitate before trying to get clean here.

We ran into some wild monkeys in the parking lot, probably because the temple is in the mountain.

 


◆Reservoirs and National Parks / Interesting Things Around Mauritius

As the central market in Port Louis was closed for the election, we decide to go to the Marché de Curepipe. Curepipe is in the higher plateaus of Mauritius, it’s cooler than the coastal areas so many of the Europeans that colonized the island developed the area as a summer resort / luxury residential area.

Its crowded today, probably because the central market is closed.

Next to the market is an arcade style alley of shops, selling clothing and other items. The location is almost in the center of the island and access is good, so besides the locals, many tourists visit this place.

The farmland around Curepipe is not cultivated with sugarcane, as is common in Mauritius and other tropical places, but taking advantage of the cooler climate, there are many tea plantations, as well as farms growing cabbage and potatoes.

“Trou aux Cerfs” is an extinct volcano in Curepipe.

Here there were no shops, just a gentleman with a parasol hat and the Mauritius flag on his head, selling dodo figurines to tourists.

Mare aux Vacoas, the largest reservoir in Mauritius, was built in 1885. It’s a freshwater lake about 9 minutes by car from Ganga Talao.

Gorge de Riviere Noir National Park(Black River Gorges National Park) 。

There used to be an observation deck to see the waterfall, but the stairs had rotted away and could it no longer be used.

There were no shops here either, just a van selling ice cream etc. in the parking lot.

 


◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

SIM cards can be bought at the airport or in town. The communications company was “EMTEL”, but I couldn’t see their homepage.

We bought it at a gas station near the airport.

3GB for 7 days, and the price was 559MUR. Although the clerk set it up, it didn’t work and I couldn’t check out the speed etc.

Softbank roaming was 870kbps, and the hotel Wi-Fi environment was 34Mbps.

 


◆Finding “.mu” Around Town

I found the ccTLD for Mauritius “.mu” around the city. The “.mu” domain registry was changed from “Internet Direct Ltd.” to the current registry “Information and Communication Technologies Authority” in 2007.

Heading back to the airport to leave Mauritius for our next destination, the taxi driver Rakesh told us that Mauritius has no medical fees. Certainly, “Government Hospital” a public hospital, is basically free of all fees for medical treatment, examinations and medicine. Even travelers can go for free. However, private hospitals labeled “Private Clinics” and “Private Hospitals” are not free. In the event of an emergency, such as a car accident, you will be taken to a public hospital by “SAMU” (an ambulance service for public hospitals). Then, if you want, you can be transferred to a private hospital, with better equipment, facilities and services.

※reference OTOA Safety information by city

I’m not sure if I really got a glimpse of heaven, but I would love to go back to Mauritius at a time other than election time.

 


■List of Places Visited

For access to Mauritiusclick here

Grenada’s UniqueTourist Attraction: Sculptures in the Sea Overgrown with Corals Makes Both People and Fish Happy!

After flying 40 hours one-way to get to Tuvalu, now the 14th stop on the Domain Island Tour is Grenada. The ccTLD (country code top level domain) for Grenada is “.gd” which is used to represent the word “good”. All dollar notations in thise article are East Caribbean dollars, unless marked otherwise. * 1EC $ = 40.96 yen

◆Where is Grenada?

Grenada is an island nation located south of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. Besides the main island, other islands like the Grenadines, Carriacou island, and Petit Martinique etc. are part of Grenada. Grenada is also a member of the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom.

= 目次 =

◆A Smooth Arrival in Grenada

◆Jumping into a Waterfall as a Job

◆Eating Nutmeg, but Too Much Can Cause Hallucinations

◆Grenada Sushi

◆The Beach Mistaken for the Most Beautiful in the World

◆Dropping Sculptures into the Sea Makes People and Fish Happy

◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

◆Finding “.gd” Around Town

◆Miscellaneous Grenada – “$100 Reward for a Bee Thief”, and “An Airport Shop You Should be Wary of”


◆A Smooth Arrival in Grenada

It has happened in recent times, that British Airways has sent passengers to Grenada in the Caribbean instead of to their intended destination of Granada, Spain. Fortunately, I traveled from Saint Lucia to Grenada on British Airways, and Saint Lucia has no direct flight to Granada, Spain, so I arrived in Grenada (Caribbean) without any problem.


◆umping into a Waterfall as a Job

I immediately head to Annandale Falls, which is about a 10-min drive from St. George’s. The pathways are well maintained and easy to walk.

At the entrance to Annandale Falls, I looked around for someone I could pay the $ 5.35 (about 220 yen) entrance fee to, but there was no one there. It’s a Sunday, usually a busy day for tourists. My taxi driver, who is also my guide around town, tells me that “today is free!”, so I believe him and head in.

This lady sells necklaces made only of spice nuts / seeds. I have never seen anything like it in Japan.

This is Annandale Falls. The water is clear and beautiful.

I found a young man just near the top of the waterfall.

I was wondering if he was some kind of staff watching over the waterfall, when he suddenly jumped into the water from 10 meters up!

I was stunned, and wondering why, when he came up and talked to me. Apparently, this is a performance, he jumps into the waterfall and gets tips. Afterwards, he climbed up and jumped again, and again. When I left a tip, he gave me thumbs up with both hands. He seemed very happy.

Next, the taxi driver took me to a sports bar. It was closed.
As it turned out, we didn’t stop for the sports bar, but rather for the botanical gardens behind the sports bar.

Gorgeous papayas, and lemongrass which is used in herb teas.

When I looked closely at the ground, it was covered in nutmeg shells, not gravel.

A shop across from the sports bar. It’s a small shop, but the sign says “Tourist Destiny Spice Shop”.

Cacao, the raw material for chocolate and cocoa. You can see the seeds inside; those are cacao beans. The cacao variety of Grenada is a hybrid of Amazon Calabacillo and Criollo from Venezuela, and is popular among chocolate lovers in Japan. Chocolate was sold as a souvenir.

Back in the taxi and on the move, the taxi driver says: “Look at that million-dollar view!” It is a beautiful view, but maybe only worth a million dollars at night-time.


◆Eating Nutmeg, but Too Much Can Cause Hallucinations

Grenada is also known as “Spice Island”. Nutmeg is especially popular
, and well known. Grenada is the 6th largest producer of nutmeg in the world, and Nutmeg even appears on the left side of the national flag.

Nutmeg, which is called “Nikuzuku” in Japanese, is one of the four major spices alongside pepper, cinnamon and cloves, which are said to be effective in promoting digestion, perspiration and preventing anemia. Of course, I wanted to eat nutmeg at its origin. “The Nutmeg” is a restaurant where the food is made with real nutmeg.

When I asked the staff which items have nutmeg in them, he answered with a reassuring: “Everything!” So, I’m glad I came to this restaurant.

Although there is no nutmeg in it, I first ordered the local beer, “Carib Premium,” and then “STAG.” Both are easy to drink lager beers. Both are $6 (about 240 yen). You can see the harbor of St. George’s from the peaceful interior of the restaurant.

Overseas, I’ve found that bottled beer was often served without a glass and had to be drunk as it was, but here, they served me my beer with a chilled beer mug. I feel like there’s an affinity to Japan here.

Grilled chicken legs came. The rice looked like red rice, and sautéed vegetables were served on the side. The white sauce is rich, but you can taste the nutmeg flavor. $ 60 (about 2,400 yen).

This is Spice Island Lobster. It also contains spices other than nutmeg. Every time I took a bite, I enjoyed both the lobster flavor and the aroma of the spices. $ 85 (about 3,400 yen).

Next, breakfast at my accommodations. I ate while looking at a painting of nutmeg on the wall.

Of course, there’s nutmeg jam to put on the bread. It has a spicy flavor, but it’s kind of sweet and sour like apricot.

In the land of nutmeg, many foods contain nutmeg, and taste delicious, so I could have unknowingly eaten a bit too much. The amount of nutmeg that can cause oral poisoning in humans is 5-10 grams. Symptoms such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, vomiting and hallucinations etc. may occur. People usually recover within 24 hours but some take 2 -3 days. So please be careful not to eat too much nutmeg.


◆The Special Menu of Grenada Sushi

I had sushi when I was in the British Virgin Islands, which are famous tax havens, but I also found a sushi restaurant in Grenada. I couldn’t stop myself from going in.

“Carib Sushi” in the Lime district. There’s an open terrace which is full of locals and tourists.

The soy sauce is Kikkoman. A chopstick rest for the chopsticks. The atmosphere is just like a Japanese sushi restaurant.

It was a hot day, so I ordered cold green tea. I had intensely sweet green tea in the United States, but Grenada’s green tea was sugarless. Gum syrup and sliced lemon are also provided. It tastes like lemon tea, so this is good. $ 5 (about 200 yen)

My sushi has arrived. Sushi in any country looks pretty good. Six slices of fresh tuna and white fish. It was better than the sushi in the Virgin Islands. $ 38 (about 1,500 yen)

Next, a dish called “Leo Special Nigiri”. Named for the head chef Leo, this is the most recommended dish in the shop. One of the creative sushi dishes you only find overseas, this one has avocado and tenkasu (leftover tempura bits) on top of tuna. At first glance, it looks like a lively okonomiyaki! You can’t see it, but there were 4 slices of nigiri under the tuna. The sauce on top is like the kind used for Anago (Broiled eel.) $ 32 (about 1,300 yen).

The Tuna Crispy Rolls are sushi rolls topped with negitoro (minced tuna with green onion) and tenkasu. The tenkasu seem to be the “crispy” part. $ 44 (about 1,800 yen).

The Scotch Roll is without vinegared rice, and contains Scottish smoked salmon, avocado and cream cheese rolled in a thin omelet-like egg wrap. Surprisingly good with soy sauce, it also would go very well with Sake. $ 45 (about 1,840 yen).

The menu also had a wide selection of different dishes, such as mozzarella cheese wrapped with white fish and deep fried, etc. Although these were rather creative menu choices made with spices, they were all delicious.


◆The Beach Mistaken for the Most Beautiful in the World

CNN launched a “100 best beaches around the world” list and Grenada came in first place. That means I can go to the most beautiful beach in the world!

We arrive at the Mount Cinnamon Resort. Walk through the gardens of the resort.

I see the beautiful sea. The world’s most beautiful beach is right in front of me.

This is the Grand Anse beach, which won first place in the “100 best beaches around the world.”
The clear water and white sands are suitable for the #1 beach.

There are restaurants and bars on the beach.

Fries are the special at the restaurant on the world’s best beach.

However, when I went home and was organizing my information, I noticed something. The first-place spot in the “100 best beaches around the world” was not “Grand Anse”, Grenada, but “Grande Anse Beach” in the Republic of Seychelles (off East Africa).

What confusing names! I thought Grand Anse was the nickname for Grande Anse Beach.
Grand Anse in Grenada, which impressed me so much, was actually ranked 30th, not first.

So, it was ranked the 30th most beautiful beach in the world, but as you can see from the pictures, it’s not too much to say it is the most beautiful beach in the world.

Grenada’s Grand Anse – Spherical Image – RICOH THETA

There was also a travel blog that named Grenada’s Grand Anse as “the best beach in the world.” I guess we all have to be careful not to make this mistake.


◆Dropping Sculptures into the Sea Makes People and Fish Happy

The Underwater Museum, one of Grenada’s most popular spots. With the support of the government of Grenada,
sculptor Jason Taylor started making these underwater sculptures in 2006. You read correctly; the museum is at the bottom of the sea.
I went to the dive shop “DIVE GRENADA” to participate in a tour of the Underwater Museum.


I change into my bathing suit, and get in a boat.

It takes about 10 min by boat at high speeds. The instructor hands me a snorkel and fins, and we get into the water.

The sculptures are scattered in different places so the instructor guides you where to go.

A sculpture lying on the seabed.

Sculptures in a circle etc. A sculpture of only a face on a large rock. Can you tell what this is?

Fish? Bird? A girl on her knees with a fish? Or a bird in her hands?

A circle with more sculptures than before. These sculptures seem so real, as if they are moving!

The tour to enjoy sea sculptures is over in one hour. The instructor took videos for me the whole time. If you are not so great at diving, you can just ask the instructor to take pictures and videos for you. The tour fee is $ 55 US (approx. 6,100 yen) per person and includes the snorkel and all other rental fees. It’s best to make a reservation in advance.

In addition to building costs, a museum built on land requires money for many things, labor, electricity, repairs, security guards etc., but an underwater museum just needs sculptures dropped into the water, then it’s all done. Compared to a museum on land, it’s much easier to maintain. This not only makes a great tourist attraction, but it also provides a place for marine plants such as corals and sponges to grow, which in turn makes the fish happy. If anyone is thinking of making a tourist attraction, this seems like an excellent idea.


◆How to Purchase a SIM & Test the Internet Speed

Although Wi-Fi rental services for going overseas are on the rise, certain areas are not covered. In such situations, you can buy a local SIM. In Grenada communications company “FLOW” seems to be popular. I couldn’t buy a SIM at the airport, so I looked for one in the city. I arrived on a Saturday and couldn’t make it to the store before closing time, and of course the next day was Sunday. So, I couldn’t buy a SIM card in Grenada.

However, in the shopping mall there were dedicated vending machines that can top-up data communication volume to existing SIM cards.

Since I had a SIM card from FLOW that I bought on one of the other islands, I added $ 10 to it (approximately 400 yen).

I got an email confirming my purchase. But it wouldn’t connect. I thought it might have to be activated, but calling the dedicated number didn’t change anything.

When I checked the status of the charge, it said it was already down to $ 7.54. Where did the other $ 2.50 go?

In my struggles to connect, I used up the whole $10, so I purchased additional data. However, I could not connect. But actually, even if you can’t use the SIM, if you have a SIM you can use the “FLOW” Wi-Fi at the airport.


◆Finding “.gd” Around Town

Grenada’s ccTLD is “.gd”. I found it at a taxi company for tourists and on a sign advertising yoga class in the hotel.

The “.gd” domain is under the Grenada branch of “NTRC” (National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission), and it is the same for the Grenadines and Saint Vincent etc. This is the building of the domain name registry. Unfortunately, I couldn’t talk to anyone as it was a Sunday and closed.

I also found the NTRC homepage address and “.gd” at the bus stop in front of the building.


◆Miscellaneous Grenada – “$100 Reward for a Bee Thief”, and “An Airport Shop You Should be Wary of”

St. George’s in the daytime. The scene reminds me of a port city in Europe.

I was bitten by a mosquito, so I went to the local supermarket to buy a mosquito coil.

Truly the spice Kingdom. There are so many spices.

There were no mosquito coils, but I found a little mat thing that seems to be for keeping mosquito away.
The package didn’t lie. It kept the mosquitos away.

On the supermarket bulletin board, I found a notice of a $ 100 reward for a honeybee thief. I pray for a quick resolution to the matter.

Then, while taking a walk through the “Spiceland Mall” I found a shop selling knockoffs of famous brands.

This is the shop. It looks like a nice shop from the outside, but be careful because they are selling knockoffs.

There are also some shops in the airport to watch out for.

This shop sells banana ketchup for $13 (530 yen).

However, another shop in the airport sells it for $ 5.85 (240 yen). Even in the same airport, they were selling it for more than double the price! Be wary of gift shop “KALALOO.”

=List of Places Visited=

■Access to Grenada

■For Domain details, Click here