Half Empty for Now Bummin’ It In Mauritius
Water, volcanic rock, sand, and grass meet in Belle Mare
Mauritius was beautiful. Of the entire 30/40 World Tour, this was our most relaxing stop.
Our hotel was right on the beach in Belle Mare. Even though we had already been to beaches on the 30/40 World Tour, as my feet sunk into the sand in Belle Mare, I remember thinking the sand was so soft.
La Palmeraie bar area and overflowing pool
In fact, our entire stay made us a bit soft. I think there were probably more employees than guests at the hotel since it was the off-season. Our breakfasts and dinners were included, and we had an assortment of goodies to taste daily. When returning to my seat from the buffet, a member of the staff would often intercept me to grab my plate so I could walk unencumbered. How’s that for soft?
Mr. HalfFull holds New Zealand butter against the backdrop of the gorgeous beach
Speaking of food, remember how we told you that dairy was a big deal in New Zealand? Well it’s such a big deal that they had New Zealand butter in Mauritius!
There was often entertainment during/after dinner. One night, the band played, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” I’m starting to wonder if that is the first song that all non-native English speakers who work in hospitality learn. We heard the song in Fiji too! It’s kind of ridiculous to hear a song about West Virginia while in Africa. It reminded me of the days when Mr. HalfFull and I were driving to West Virginia from our home in Virginia, and my dearest husband played (and sang) that song 10 times before I got a reprieve.
View of our Moroccan-inspired hotel from the beach
While in Mauritius, we spent much of our time lounging, but also ventured out to snorkel via a glass bottom boat, swim, paddle boat, and play volleyball. One day we even decided to do the group fitness class on the beach. Mr. HalfFull and I constituted 2/3 of the participants. The instructor was a wiry man who was all abs and muscles. Needless to say, we were pretty sore afterward.
What’s the best way to recover from soreness? Massage! I love massages, so we decided to indulge in a couples massage at the resort spa. It started out with a bath of coconut milk and lemongrass. It smelled wonderful, but made us a bit leery that perhaps we were getting prepped for the grill and not a massage!
Thankfully, the massages did occur. I was very glad that Mr. HalfFull and I were in the same room. There was virtually no draping as is customary in the US, and the strokes did not neglect the inner thighs or breasts. I was surprised! Did she really just go there?!?
Christian shrine along the beach
Hindu temple on the beach surrounded by offerings placed on the volcanic rock
We also took lots of walks along the beach and discovered various religious shrines — Hindu and Christian. We also saw local boys playing a game of pétanque on the beach. This time it wasn’t men on their lunch break. We witnessed the smallest boy throw the winning shot. Immediately, all the older boys went over to verify the proximity of his ball, while the little ones jumped up and down with excitement.
Arsha Vidya Ashram along the beach
Boys playing pétanque on the beach
One evening, I inadvertently created a security incident at the hotel. We were down at dinner when a manager came to tell Mr. HalfFull that there was a security problem in our room. We had no idea what happened. It turns out that I had left the safe open when we went to dinner, and the maid had entered our room to turn down our bed. She noticed the open safe and alerted the security guard. By the time Mr. HalfFull got there our room was being guarded by security and they asked him to verify that nothing was stolen. It turned into a huge incident. Oops!
Ms. HalfEmpty on the taxi ride to the airport
After our week of relaxation, it was time to head back to the airport en-route to Dubai. Check back to hear about our adventures in the United Arab Emirates.
- Where was your most relaxing vacation?
- In what country have you heard, “Take Me Home, Country Roads?”
- Do you exercise on vacation?
- Have you had a massage that made you uncomfortable?
- Have you ever left a hotel safe open? Did the staff alert you?