August 30th

Yesterday was our 31st Anniversary!!! Jeff was some better and we went out for lunch, at Beach Hut Restaurant. We ordered rum drinks: Jeff had lemonade; I had pineapple with sugar cane. Next, we had a starter of Hummus with Nacho chips- the chips were a little spicy and the hummus was homemade, tart and lemony- yummy! Then Jeff had Dorado Fish in a creamy garlic, white wine sauce with sides of rice and fresh salad. I had Chicken Salmi in red wine sauce with same sides. Both were very good. Jeff's fish was done nicely and the sauce… so good. My Salmi in red wine was an excellent example of Mauritius cuisine, with cinnamony(?) mole nuances. We did not make it any farther- dessert  🙁  We left very happy and satiated. I felt so blessed and very thankful that Jeff was feeling well enough that we could go out and experience a nice meal!  … Crazy 31 years!!  Anyway clouds socked in for sunset, so that didn't happen and enjoyed a light supper. 

Today, whoopie!! Jeff was feeling well enough (maybe, 75% better) to go out about! After breakfast of yogurt and muesli, we set out to resolve the mysteries of Mauritius. As soon as we made about midway down the Island, it started raining. But it was gentle rain. We made it to Black River Gorge National Park and went to Alexandra Waterfall, and got out to take it in. It was shrouded with clouds, but this was fitting in our intrigue mode of Mauritius!! The waterfall is 30 meters/100 feet uninterrupted. It was beautiful. This area of Mauritius is mountainous and lush- a rainforest. So it is only fitting it is raining, right???

Next we drove to Grand Bassin, a Hindu Temple. I got out and took pictures but it was raining a bit more, so that was all we did there. Now we drove on to the coast and the rain stopped. The ocean come practically up to the road. (The tide here in Mauritius doesn't vary too much.) So we were driving literally, right next to the ocean!! We found a lovely picnic, park area and made ourselves a baguette sandwich of Gouda cheese, red pepper, tomato and red onion under a pavilioned picnic table, watching the ocean. Quite loverly!! 

Now we drove on to Chamarel 7 Colored Earth Park. There is an entrance fee here, but it is our only one today. We drove in and went to be, well, amazed. And we were. This area is the result of volcanic activity from ions ago. First we saw Mauritius' tallest single-drop waterfall, Chamarel Waterfalls. It is 100 meters/272 feet high. Quite striking! Next we went to a geology site (the parks main site) Seven Colored Earth. The landform was basaltic rock that eroded away and basically left what we see.  This erosion stripped nutrients, so no plants grow; and left deposits of iron and aluminium oxide, which cause the red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow coloration. The iron and aluminium repel each other and cause the striping and ridges seen today. It appears like clay and is in mounding, gentle-rolling, small waves of earth. It was really neat to see and witness some of God's display of Creation.

From here we went pretty much headed back. We went from the north, where we are staying, to the most south-west part of the Island, and back north. We made it back for sunset on the beach of Trou aux Biches. We ordered a pizza for supper.  What a GLORIOUS Mauritius day!!!  We have about 3.5 more weeks to unveil the mysteries…