The flight from Perth to Mauritius was the longest of our trip – a lengthy 11 hours that was broken up by a half-hour refueling in Jakarta, Indonesia. Fortunately, the local authorities allowed us off the plane to stretch our legs, and, much to the relief of the handful of smokers on board, a few minutes to scramble to designated areas for a tobacco fix.

Others, including Deborah, headed to the shopping area, which was filled with many duty free boutiques.

Then it was onto Mauritius, an island group to the east of the continent of Africa. Mauritius was uninhabited until the 16th century, when it was occupied by a small Dutch force that named it after Prince Maurice of Nassau. It was abandoned in 1710 and then re-occupied five years later by the French who forced African slaves to work on the sugar plantations. One hundred years later, the British captured the islands and following the abolition of slavery in the 1830s, Indian laborers were brought to the islands. Today, their descendants make up more than two-thirds of the population. In 1968 Mauritius gained full independence but continues today to have Dutch, British, Indian and African cultural influences.

Chuck was surprised to find that the currencies had inscriptions in both Tamil and Hindi although, as far as he could make out, no one in the island spoke those languages. Creole and French were most commonly spoken, although English is fairly widely understood.

We checked into the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel, which was a 45-minute drive from the airport. It was a welcome relief. Hotel staff greeted us with warm smiles and a speedy check-in (always appreciates after a very long day of travel). Deborah half expected Somerset Maugham to stroll through the lobby with lit cigarette in one hand and a dry martini in the other. The lobby featured marble floors, a stunningly lit pond, which was home to dozens of goldfish, an ornately sculpted ceiling that encircled five floors of guest rooms and a grand piano that sat next to the bar and dining area.

While Mauritius is a ‘classic’ island vacation spot, it is unblemished and both Chuck and Deborah agreed that its simplicity and the warmth of its people make the island so special.

The hotel is also surrounded by many lovely stores, but Deborah and a pack of rowdies – i.e. Bette Seabrook, Betty Hewson, Doug Nelson, and Anne and John Kraemer – hired two cabs and headed into town for a little shopping and sightseeing. The ‘two Betties’ bought cashmere sweaters and Anne found a lovely gold necklace. Deborah, on the other hand, didn’t buy a thing (much to her surprise and frustration…she decided to ‘save’ her money for Cape Town). Chuck, on the other hand, explored the city of Port Louis on his own – busy markets, street vendors, China Town.

In the evening we had a special dinner. The airline crew were invited which we believe was a treat to them and, of course to us. It was Diwali night, the Indian festival of lights. At the waterfront, the local artists were entertaining the audience, singing and dancing. All commentaries were of course in creole.