One bummer though: we brought along the wrong currency! We checked with the tour agency (and the website), and were made to understand that US Dollars is widely accepted in Mauritius. However, when we got there, to our surprise, they preferred EURO!! So we didn’t have much choice but to find a local bank to exchange some currencies.
Oh, and we also experienced the “other” side of the Mauritius hospitality. It was our first day of tour and we were in this Sugar Museum. As part of the tour, we got to do some sugar and rum tasting. After tantalizing our tastebuds, we thought of buying a packet of molasses for keeping. Since it was in Mauritius Rupee, we asked if we could pay in USD. “Sure” , the lady said. “At the conversion rate of 1 USD to 24 Mauritius Rupees and any balance will be returned in Rupees.”
After paying the amount, I realized she shortchanged us of 4 Mauritius Rupees. So I asked her about the shortchanged amount. She replied nonchalantly that she didn’t have 4 Mauritius Rupees with her – despite having two cashiers at the counter!?! I was shocked! I told her this is ridiculous and I cannot accept her reasoning. She went around asking her mates and in the end, came back with 4 Mauritius Rupees for me. Now, I dont know how else to see this, except that she had the audacity to cheat unsuspecting tourists. But this didn't just end here. When we exchanged our USDs in the local bank the next day, we were told that the conversion rate was 1 USD to 31 Mauritius Rupees...!! Aaargh!! Can you believe that? So, if anyone of you is planning to visit the Sugar Museum, please take heed of our sharing here.
Anyway, on a cheery side, the places we saw were beautiful and interesting, like:
Here's The Pamplemousses - the botanical gardens. There were many interesting trees there but just thought of showing this one. This is the oldest balboa oak tree in the garden. The tour guide said, slaves used to hide themselves in the tree in the old days... interesting...
Hubby and I by the water lily pond. Yup, it was a very hot and sunny day....
The water lily is white in the morning, turns pink in the noon and purple in the evening before dying. Apparently, they only live for 24 hours. The cute part about this, is that tourists used to throw "coins" onto the lily's big wide leave to make a wish. But since the coins damaged the leaves, tourists are encouraged to throw "notes" now.... hmmn.....
The front view of the Sugar Museum. The museum was renovated from an old sugar factory. this was like a study-tour, you know... learning about sugar making, history of the island, looking at charts, etc
Here's one of the many photos we took inside the sugar museum. The above is to crystalize sugar.
The many types of sugar.......
Lunch @ Jet Ranch. This place is opened during hunting season. And if you look closely, the deer heads on the walls are real!
The grand lake called Grand Basin where Hindu devotees bath themselves every year.
Rum tasting - here's where the finest rum is produced.We had a taste... yummy!!
One of the stops in the nature park. Here is the 2nd highest point of the island, where the view on the mountains and valleys are excellent!
Hubby against the beautiful skies and mountains....
the waterfalls....
the famous 7 coloured-earth. Hubby took this photo. I was busy with err, .... ice-cream at that time.
Here's where we lazed around on our last day - under the trees, by the beach. Me with Jeffrey Archer book, hubby with his John Maxwell book (so spiritual...)
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