The title of this article is a courtesy to many readers, myself included, who may not have known just whereMauritius is. Others might have confused it with similar-sounding Mauritania, which is on the opposite corner of Africa. But looking at a map you can see this island is on the sunrise side of Madagascar.
It is technically part of Africa, but it feels more like India, or maybe Madagascar. When we came here two weeks ago we had very little knowledge of this island country. It has been full of surprises. This first post is more of a general write-up. In the following article I hope to write about the environment here.
The first bird I see when I got off the plane was the Dodo – on the disembarkation card. And on the money we changed our dollars into. Dodos are pictured everywhere here: posters, team mascots. And in grocery stores you can see it on food labels and beer bottles. The center photo is from the History museum here in Mahebourg. The closest you can get to the real dodo are these bone fragments on display.This statues of a sitting Swami is often mistaken for a Buddha. He is sitting. He is corpulent. He looks serene. But he is not Buddha. This is in the port area of Mahebourg, the first city we are staying in here in Mauritius.Also near the dock area are the buildings associated with the railroad that used to come in. I’m not sure where exactly the train station is. Somewhere near here. The signage is confusing. Note the strangler fig tree in the process of strangling the building that may, or may not, be part of the train station.Mahebourg downtown area. Not exactly a pretty town. But there are some corners that still have historical significance.Blue Bay, just down the coast, and a short bus ride, from Mahebourg. This is a great place for swimming and snorkeling. Very close to the airport. Every half hour or less we see planes taking off.Curepipe, Mauritius. This is the market building. Truly odd mostly cement architecture. In fact the whole downtown looks rather grimy, as if it is overdue for a high-pressure scrubbing.These pyramids are just outside the town of Plaine Magnien, close to the airport.“Land of contrasts” is a cliche of travelogues but, when it comes to religions, this truly is the case here. Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and other religions demonstrate mutual toleration.What can we do with these “pineapplettes”? Hmm.I was saddened to see just how much of the country is given over to agriculture, especially sugar cane. Although that commodity is no longer the cash crop it used to be the fields have already been plowed up. Countless square miles of forest, lagoons, rivers, and savanna have been irrevocably destroyed. Parrots, owls, and several other animals have joined the dodo in ecological oblivion. There are still a small number of animal and bird species that only have a mountainous section, Black River Gorges National Park, near the center of the island as a refuge.
That date of August is largely a guess. We really do not know how long we will be here. That is one of the perks of being retired. I think this is the third time we have been to this island. The first time was March 2011, squeezing in some Mexican sunshine during Spring break from teaching in Del Rio. This place has really changed since that first visit.
Here are some photos from this most recent visit. All of these were taken the last three or four days. As we flew into Cozumel we past over the Carnival Valor, pictured below.
The cruise ship Carnival Valor leaving Cozumel. Sargassum accretions in the foreground. Not necessarily poisonous, but unsightly.The days and a good part of the nights are often hot and humid. That is why we enjoy our walks in the morning.A lot of good snorkeling can be experienced right off the shore.The Scrawled Filefish, Aluterus scriptus, takes advantage of the plenteous sargassum mats.Black Spiny-tailed Iguana, Ctenosaura similisGreen-breasted Mango, Anthracothorax prevostii, a fairly common hummingbird here.Tropical Mockingbird, Mimus gilvusWhite-crowned Pigeon, Patagioenas leucocephala. These pigeons are having a rough time throughout most of their range. Habitat destruction as well as hunting have reduced their numbers.Poisonwood, Metopium toxiferum. The berries of this medium-sized tree is a favorite food of the White-crowned Pigeon. But, because this plant is an irritant to the touch, like Poison Ivy, it is often cleared away wherever it is found. Different ways of getting there.The main city street along the coast is full of touristy selfie-stick places.This mall is right next to the cruise ship dock. And this is the only Mexico that many tourists see who step off the boat. But to each their own.I have no idea who this guy is but, when I took the picture of him back in 2011, his hand was not green. Hmm.Above and below are two examples of the many murals to be seen in the city.
There is a lot more that can be shown of this city and the island also. But hopefully this gives you an idea if you want to try it out if you get the chance. It has become more touristy in the eleven year period between our first and last visit, more expensive. Public transport is, like in many parts of Mexico, co-opted by taxis. But maybe that is a non-issue for you. And for us it still would not keep us from coming back a fourth time.
From Mariupol we continued to another city on the Sea of Azov, Berdyansk. It took us about an hour and a half to get here by bus. The city is by a long spit that juts like a comma into the Sea of Azov. If you check a map you can see it is one of five evenly-spaced spits running from Sjedove, just a couple miles from Russia southwest along the coast to Kosa Biryuchyy which is almost to the Crimean Peninsula.
Like many midsize towns in Ukraine Berdyansk is an interesting blend of urban and rural, new and old. But unlike most towns Berdyansk has some distinctives: aside from having beaches and being a famous coastal fishing port it also boasts numerous health resorts, sanatoriums, and “mud clinics”. These clinics, heralds one website, may even exceed the ones along the Dead Sea.
Soviet era truck
In 1862 Czar Alexander II arranged the layout of the streets, all straight and trending down to the sea. You can still see this grid layout in the old part of town. Even though World War 2 left its mark there are still many historical buildings here. Close to a Ferris wheel is the tiresome and cliched “I (heart) Berdyansk” sign. We have now seen this in many countries throughout the world. Please, city planners, stop.
New and old: Soviet statuary in front of an administration building. In the top right is the Pedagogical University Building.Left: Advertising fail if ever there was one! Center: Statue in store window. The city has many whimsical statues. Right: I guess pigs here are the real trash grubbers, not dogs or cats.The indoor section of the market looks pretty clean.People-watching along the seaside promenade.Multicolored Salt Marshes of the Berda River Plain north of the town. Rutted dirt road leading to the plain.The Mis’ke #2 cemetery just north of town. Left: Pet Cemetery. In memory of beloved Lala. Center: Company while waiting for the bus to take us back to town. A cat not quite ready for the cemetery Right: Buses that take us around town are like this. Almost looks like wood paneling!The completion of the Crimean Bridge and the souring of Russian-Ukrainian relations have both caused a dramatic downturn in shipping here. Between 2019 and 2018 the drop was about 50 percent. The cause? Depends on who you ask. Shippers here claim not getting permission to enter the Kerch Strait. Russia denies this.The Sea of Azov has an abundance of fish, three kinds of Sturgeon (Great, Starred, and Russian), Azov Turbot, Mullet, Anchovy, just to name a few. But also – to the consternation of beachgoers – there is an unwanted abundance of …Barrel Jellyfish. The Sea of Azov and eastern parts of the Black Sea are in the midst of a cyclical jellyfish bloom thanks to an increase of both salinity and water temperature. The last spike in numbers was in the 1970s. Aside from clogging fisherman nets these creatures are a poisonous nuisance wherever they are. In places where they are especially abundant those who just venture in the water – not even touching the animal – are stung by the amount of their secretion in the water.
One solution is to use the jellyfish as medicine or food. They are being researched for possible anti-cancer properties as well as treatment for diabetes. And then there is food: One person actually said that it tastes like jelly with saltwater. That is not my observation. Having tried it in China, I would say it has a pretty bland taste, maybe insipid tofu,
Left: Looking eastward over to Russia. Center: This is supposedly the biggest aquapark in Europe. It has seen better days. Right: Concerned about his own cargo and that of his colleagues, the merchant Carlo Tomasini built this lighthouse in 1838.
Combining some research with our fairly recent memories of this town I can see there is a lot that we missed. I hope that we have an opportunity to return to this pleasant place.
2021 Note: I just came across this article from a trip we made over twenty years ago. A lot of experiences from this first journey far south into Mexico seemed quite fresh at the time. Also, the photos were taken with a crappy instamatic – and further downgraded by my blunder of converting them into GIFs! I had a lot to learn! But, still, I think this article is interesting. Hopefully you will too.
Masthead from original article
Quick flight down to Gudalajara meant slow bus rides back (February 21 – 27, 2000)
Guadalajara To celebrate a rare occasion when we had both time and money, my wife and I took the Aerolitoral flight down to Guadalajara. This was our first time so far south in Mexico. In the failing light we found the place we had been looking for, Hotel Las Americas near the downtown PGuadalajara Trip 2000laza. Early next morning we walked all over the downtown historic district; churches, Teatro Degollado, plazas, Orozco murals in Palacio del Gobierno. In one church Mary had center stage at altar. A sign admonished the faithful: “No olvides visitar a Jesus que te espera en el sagrario.” (“Don’t forget to visit Jesus who’s waiting for you in the Sanctuary.”)
We asked a clergyman at cathedral if we could go up into the tower. He said to come back at 11 AM and he would take us up personally. Unfortunately we were on a tight schedule and had to leave town before then, so we declined. We did have time for a quick breakfast at Malaga’s – moyetes, fresh ground espresso coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.
We also visited the huge indoor Mercado Libertad. Whenever we get within 10 feet of food vendors they commence with a loud singsong chant “Tenemos birria de borrego, pozole y aguas …” (“We have lamb soup, pork-hominy and drinks…”). Apparently not loaded down enough on this trip, I decided to buy a weighty brick sized package of tamarindos. Saw much of the city (which has glommed onto Tlaquepaque and the other small burbs) from the bus on the way to the Central.
Beautiful ride through the Agave region around Tequila – truckloads of pina (hearts of agave) and acres of agave, guarded by iguanas on stone walls. When Julie got off the bus in a small town to stretch her legs, she was met with a chorus of “Guera! Guera!” (wanting to sell the white girl their wares). Bought a plastic-cup concoction of cucumber, jicama, papaya, watermelon, chile and salt.
Tepic Hotel near Plaza. We were kept awake for reasons I won’t get into. Couldn’t find anyplace to eat downtown. A few Huichol Indians in costume. Saw the Palacio. Overall disappointing except for the Supermarket Ley by the bus station. Bought yogurt and chicken for trip to San Blas. Also bought a curious fruit that was a cross between a pear and a pufferfish. The flavor was between mild and bad. It might have just been a bad fruit, but who’s to know what a good pufferfruit tastes like?
A curiosity is found in Tepic; a local church courtyard has grass that grows in the shape of a cross. Supposedly no one has watered it or mown it to get this effect (do I sound skeptical?).
San Blas
We came out of the station to a cacophony of Great-tailed Grackles who have taken over the plaza. A writer of an American travel guide book on Mexico, referring to this same cacophony, says that bird-watchers should love this place! That person does not seem to understand that birdwatchers like to see different kinds of birds, not a thousand demonic-sounding Hitchcocky clones screeching and gracking in malodious harmony.
Stayed at Casa Marias – her husband made her raise the price the second night. Should have left the buggy place. At night the parrots in the courtyard climb up to their cages, open the door and go to sleep.
We walked to the beach the next day, passing a military marine base on the right and some frisky free-roaming piglets on the left. Better steer clear of both. The view of the sea, the islands and bay were very pleasant. We followed the rocky spit as far out as it would go and then climbed a rickety rusty tower for an even better view. The air was somewhat close in town (though it was only February) but out here there was a rewarding breeze and delightful glimpses of wildlife that we would not see back home: Iguanas basking as ornaments on some of the larger rocks, pelicans and frigatebirds all along the estuary. Oh yes, the pig gauntlet awaits us as we head back.
The next morning we crossed the estuary to the Isla del Rey, “Rey” (“king”) being the pagan god the Indians used to worship. We saw his house, a half-thatched grass hut with various nicknacks and baubles that supposedly please ol’ Rey. There were beer cans nearby as well. What was more interesting to us was the deserted lighthouse tower right near this hut. We were able to go in and negotiate the somewhat reliable circular stairway all the way to the breezy top. The view was great in all directions, North and South you could see that this island stretched for a good ways. To the West you could see that the Sea was just a short walk away. The Eastern view was of the town of San Blas itself and of the Fortaleza on the hill behind it. Seeing this fort and the jungles behind it, I was already making plans for the next day.
We got up very early for this last day in San Blas. It was just starting to get light as we ventured down the crooked streets. No one up but, well, roosters, pigs, dogs and half the village. Our first stop was that fort on top of the hill. The road to it was easy enough to get to; cobblestones went up the hill past the cemetery on the left. After a short walk we were to the top. The ruins of the church were invaded by banana trees and vines. The bells from this church inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to write his last poem, “The Bells of San Blas”.
“What say the Bells of San Blas To the ships that southward pass From the harbor of Mazatlan? To them it is nothing more Than the sound of surf on the shore,– Nothing more to master or man. …
They are a voice of the Past, Of an age that is fading fast, Of a power austere and grand, When the flag of Spain unfurled Its folds o’er this western world, And the Priest was lord of the land.
The chapel that once looked down On the little seaport town Has crumbled into the dust; And on oaken beams below The bells swing to and fro, And are green with mould and rust.
“Is, then, the old faith dead,” They say, “and in its stead Is some new faith proclaimed, That we are forced to remain Naked to sun and rain, Unsheltered and ashamed? …
O Bells of San Blas in vain Ye call back the Past again; The Past is deaf to your prayer! Out of the shadows of night The world rolls into light; It is daybreak everywhere.”
From the stone walls we were able to see the town of San Blas, many just now waking up. We could also see the island across the estuary, and the lookout tower from which we saw this fort the day before.
Walking down the hill to the landing, we found a young man that was willing and ready to take us on our jungle boat ride. Francisco, our helpful guide, was well-worth his pay (a modest 200 pesos, I seem to remember. We added a 100 pesos as a tip). He had a motorized flat-bottomed boat that quickly brought us to where the wildlife was. He crossed the San Cristobal Estuary and brought us to a smaller and ever-narrowing tributary. At first we kept our distance from both shores, but soon the sides came closer and the trees began to arch arms over us until we were in a mangrove tunnel. He would often cut the motor and point to one direction, saying “Mira, mira!” (“look, look!”). Sometimes I would see what he was pointing to, but I often I couldn’t until we came quite close.
Some of the more exotic birds seen were: Olivaceous Cormorant, Anhinga, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Boat-billed Heron (with a shoe-shaped beak), West Mexican Chachalaca, Groove-billed Ani, Common Potoo (this one was really hard to spot. I owe Francisco for showing us these), Pauraque, Green Kingfisher, Pale’billed Woodpecker and Black-throated Magpie Jay. Oh yes … not a bird, but well-worth noting were the Caimans sunning themselves in the early shafts of light that filtered through the canopy. He called them “Cocodrillos”, but I believe they were caimans. I noticed also that occasionally he misidentified a few of the harder to pin down birds that I just happened to know.
Finally our boat reached our destination, La Tovara Springs. There was nobody here at this early hour. We shared our lunch with Francisco and Julie did her dip-in-the-water ritual. Whatever exotic place we go to, she often throws caution – and some of her clothes – to the wind and enters into the all-accepting H2O. OK, OK … she just takes her shoes off. Then she looks at me and says, “Come in, Chicken!”
Finally the time came to leave San Blas and we did so with regret. Of all the places I have visited, this is the one I most want to revisit.
We came out of the station to a cacophony of Great-tailed Grackles who have taken over the plaza. A writer of an American travel guide book on Mexico, referring to this same cacophony, says that bird-watchers should love this place! That person does not seem to understand that birdwatchers like to see different kinds of birds, not a thousand demonic-sounding Hitchcocky clones screeching and gracking in malodious harmony.
From NOwhere 2 nowHERE 