Holland America listed 6 tours of Mauritius in its shorex brochure.  Ian, the Cruise Director suggested at least two other activities.  One advantage we had, being let off the ship in Mauritius is that, in one way of the other, we participated in the better part of all 6 tours and the two other activities.

Normally if you are in the hospital you don’t get to do much sightseeing, but the staff at City Clinic have a holistic approach to healing.  I was in High Dependency Unit (one step below the ICU) for 5 days.  I was in the Daisy Ward for another three days.  While I would remain a resident of the Daisy Ward the staff decided that it would do me a lot of good if I got out, built up my strength, and saw some of the country.  I could be in the ward in the morning for tests, vitals and any meds I would need, I would return in the afternoon for more vitals, meds and observation.  During the late morning and early afternoon, they arranged for a cab to take Suzi and me different places on the island.  If did my attitude a world of good and I think did aid in healing.

One day we traveled south, the next day north to the botanical garden and beaches, then it was exploring Port Louis, and finally back south again to explore more of the island. 

I tried to organize the posts thematically rather than being a catalogue of everything we did.  The first group of pictures are from the front seat of the cab, taking pictures of the island as we traveled around.

This second group of pictures is from the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens, near the village of Pamplemouses.  Nyron, the shorex director, when answering the question of how strenuous the tour would be said, “the more you walk the more you see.”  On this outing I was not yet up for much walking but did enjoy what I did see.  The gardens were first planted to provide vegetables for a French colonist, later the gardeners tried to cultivate different spices that the island could produce as well as mulberry bushes in hopes of starting a silkworm industry.  Finally, the gardens, called the Royal Botanic Gardens, became a showplace for all sorts of different plants.  The main building, Chateau de Mon Plaisir, was not the original mansion of the French founder but was built by the British as an administration building. 

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, a medical doctor, was the first minister at the end of colonial rule and the first Prime Minister of an independent Mauritius in 1968.  Later he became Governor General and died in office.  He was cremated in the gardens and his ashes spread on the Ganges River.  Mauritians consider him the “Father of the Country” and his name was given to the gardens after he passed.

I will posting several more blog posts from Mauritius before I talk about our flight home and some lessons that I can pass on about preparing for this type of emergency.