Well, we've been island hopping for a few days now, and there are interesting similarities and differences between them. Reunion was lovely. A mixture of Swiss alpine meadows, Bolivian highland volcanic landscapes, and Newfoundland scrubb trees, as well as a forest of tall ferns taken right out of Jurassic Park! The island belongs to France, is a member of the EEC, and is very modern and well-kept.
Mauritius is just 1 night's sail or 1 hour flight away, but very different. Mauritius is 54% hindu, -with a strong Indian influence. We visited a Hindu festival (Christmas day!) and a tamil group were having a street festival/parade as we drove by. The culture is so completely different from Reunion, which is owned by France and so close you can see Mauritius from the top of the volcanoes Reunion. Iain and I both thought we could live in Reunion. It felt quite comfortable, both in climate and culture. Both these islands are much cooler than Madagascar, although in similar latitudes. Madagascar was flat, at the North end where we were, and scorching hot. It was also poor like Africa. The children were selling shells and cloth along the sandy roads, as well as charging to let you photograph a chameleon. (photos to follow when I get them downloaded.. computer is overloaded with images at present!)
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Once again, it's 5am and I'm awake. It does make for excellent photography opportunities though, being wide awake before sun up! We're going to head out together this morning to see what new paths and pictures we can find around the town. This afternoon we board our Cruise, and tomorrow we'll visit Pompeii .. a dream of mine since childhood! Today will be busy, and once on the ship (the Costa Allegra, for those who care), blogging will be my main means of communicating with you all, until we arrive in Mauritius on the 26th of December...
Time to head out for another photo morning! Enjoy your day wherever you are! |
MeHilary Slater: I write in the morning before I get out of bed. I write in the evening when the world is quiet. I write at Starbucks, where I can escape the household interruptions. But most of all I write in November, when NaNoWriMo inspires me! Archives
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