Mauritius

Next stop, the islands of Mauritius…  We spent the first days in Port Louis on the main island and a short 160 mile overnight ride from Reunion Island.  The stunning beaches of this lush island in the Indian Ocean are ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving.  I had a very friendly dolphin visiting with us during our dive and he (or she) even tried to share their lunch with us.  From there we spent another day at sea to travel the 400 or so miles to Rodriques, a small, 100 square mile island (about the size of Seattle) with just 44,000 residents.  As a pair of small islands in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius has a long history; originally settled by the Arabs in the 10^th century, next came the Portuguese, then the Dutch, French and British before they gained their independence in 1968.  As a result, the islands have a rich culture and history.