Magic

                               It finally happened. My dream came true.

 I got to dive and swim with dolphins. With wild bottlenose dolphins. My long lost dolphin lover soul is finally at peace. I am unable to describe this feeling. I have dreamed of this for as long as I can remember and I always thought it would always just remain that. A dream.

However, it did happen and this was one of the most magical experiences ever. I know this might sound strange for people who don't share my passion for dolphins and the ocean in general but for me this was something I will never forget. 

Underwater life is something so special for me that I can only wonder why I still haven't tried scuba diving. I will get there one day. Soon. I promise. I am after all a wannabe marine biologist and Jacques Cousteau, if he was still alive, would definitely be on the top of my People I have to meet -list

So. I spent one week in Mauritius, which was a very positive surprise by the way! Not that I ever thought Mauritius wouldn't be beautiful but for me it's always been this honeymoon destination or just for rich people. It turned out to be everything but that in fact. I went alone, but because I stayed with some wonderful people I contacted through Couchsurfing (http://www.couchsurfing.com/) who've lived there for years, I really got to see a lot of real life and also got to avoid the touristy areas and met some locals.

Mauritius is surprisingly different to Reunion island because it is, of course, more touristic as a destination so you can see that certain areas (hotels) really have been built for that specific reason but it's also the nature that is quite different. Mauritius is quite flat except for a few mountain-looking higher areas :D It is also more paradise-like because they have more beaches with white white sand and clear blue water - Reunion Island is wilder and rougher.

If I thought (which i did) that Reunion Island seemed shabby in some places, it is super modern compared to lots of parts of Mauritius. Unfortunately I was a lazy tourist when seeing all that so I can't offer you any pictures of the old houses and dirty streets.

The same cohabitation of different religions is in its full blossom in Mauritius and the big difference to Reunion, where people only speak Créole/French (or both) in Mauritius people are all bilingual (English and French) and most speak Créole as well and some people even speak Hindi. Lots of languages mixed together as some of the locals put it. You can hear conversations where all of the latter four languages are spoken.

The French was also a little bit different to Reunion's French and I didn't always understand them as I refused to speak English and sticked to French even if others switched to English. Go Ellen! All in all an amazing place and like Reunion, there is a lot to be seen and I only saw a tiny bit of it. Beaaautiful places, interesting little towns and busier towns and most importantly the loveliest experience ever, on the dolphin tour. It was a boat that took us (about 10 people) to this area about 15 min away from the shore, where the dolphins always come in the mornings, and we were only allowed two at a time in the water.

We also got good instructions and we were told that everything should be done respecting the dolphins. This sounds normal, of course, but one never knows with all these things people do to attract tourists around the world, so I was more than glad to hear them being serious about it all. We were told there were bottlenose (like Flipper) and spinner dolphins in that area but we only saw bottlenose dolphins.

My friend and I were very lucky to be surrounded by two very  curious dolphins for a long time and despite our bad photographer who could've taken a few really good photos, we were able to enjoy them from really close as they kept on diving around us.

 I had a disposable underwater camera and I hope at least a few photos will be good. Until I get them here I've added a few pictures I found on the internet to show you what it all looked like. Except for the underwater ones, all of the pictures here taken by me though. (below: Us being silly)              

                                           

               To sum up: Mauritius was fantastic and dreams do come true.

                                                            xx E