Blogs from Mauritius, Africa - page 16

The skills and training Today we had our first real course day and that without the English speaking instructor. Pierre the French master instructor did his best to speak English and with good help from other crew task one was ok. Rescue Skills review - discover an unconscious diver at 20m, bring him safely to the surface and give rescue breaths as well as getting the diver over to the boat. This went well. Second Skill was to swim 800m with snorkel, mask and fins. Now this is pretty tough and Nina did not understand the point system and came in three seconds late to get the same score as Joachim. Important lesson was that ensure we completely understand the task - no matter what language. Second dive we practiced 5 basic skills regarding mask ... read more

Almost got everything sorted now! :) We are going to rent a flat that is in Trou Aux Biches on the north west coast of Mauritius. With great help from Fatiha and Clarel at Le Capitaine we got a large flat with a spare bedroom close to the centre of Trou Aux Biches for a very good price! :D:D:D We will be moving up there on Sunday so will post some pictures once we get sorted with a connection there. AND hey guys! This is your golden chance for you to come and stay with us in Mauritius! :D ... read more

Dayflower has been taking us around the island so we have been able to check out several dive centres. We have been talking to the managers as well as other divers. There are two centres that we have short listed: Dive Mauritius, Bel Ombre, South West The centre is in the Mövenpick Hotel and is a five star gold palm PADI resort and the manager Nolan seems like a very nice guy and he would take us on for 2-3 months. Living in the south centre we will be based in an area where it is less touristy. It is either gated hotels or local, not much in between. Pros: Closer to surfing area, as Nina is keen to learn to surf. Good technical dive centre. Another good thing is that this centre is one out ... read more

On day two they bought a car… Thanks to our friend Clarel who got us in connection with Shameer we now are the proud owners of Dayflower! It is a white Nissan Sunny from 1992 and is a beauty. She had a bit of a flat tire today, but after a refill of air at the gas station her tires are doing fine! :) One interesting point is that in Mauritius they drive on the left just like in the UK, but for whatever reason the controls on the steering wheel are reverse! So the wipers are still occasionally going when we are trying to signal that we are turning. I don’t understand the reason for this, but the Mauritius guys only say; it is from the French…. Yes, we know, but why? We wonder if ... read more

Mauritius: The very name conjures up an image -- white sandy beaches with swaying palms, turquoise blue lagoons bordering deep blue seas, clear blue skies and a favorable climate, in other words, a picture perfect dream getaway! Our flight from Mumbai landed one mid morning in late September in what could pass off as a remote corner of a quiet field, so unlike the airports of bustling metros around the world. Driving from the airport, one could not miss the well laid highways and country roads flanked on either side by sugarcane plantations, the crop being cultivated extensively across the island. The resort we were headed to was in Pamplemousse, an hour’s drive from the airport. One look at the place and we knew it was worth the drive. The resort with its open air lobby ... read more