Ille Aux Cerfs

On Sunday Jim, Mela, Neya took us to the small island off the SW of Mauritius called Ille Aux Cerfs.  All of the tourist books talk about how beautiful it is, but the books also mention that it is also a prime tourist rip-off area.  I can easily see that, because if you cannot speak French or Creole the guys who drive the boats to and from the island will take whatever they can get, and there is not always the promise they'll come back.  So - thank goodness for Jim, who negotiated a round-trip cost of 1500 Ru for all of us.  I can say that the day was well worth any hassle (3 different buses - 2.5 hour ride to get there), as it is as beautiful as every picture shows.

The island has two small restuarants and that is it.  Some of the typical tourist stuff - parasailing, etc. but it is pretty low key.  Basically, it is a remote tropical island for sun bathing and soaking in clear calm lagoons.

Here are Sam, Neya, Will and Mela on the boat on the way to the island.

Here is Sam on the way home, readying for his future career as a Ralph Lauren model.  That child is such a ham.

We bought a stuffed Dodo at the market a month ago.  Of course, Sam named him 'Dodo-ee' (Aunt Kerry will get that joke).  We have evening discussions as to who gets to sleep with Dodoee.  I took this picture this morning to prove to Will that he scored Dodoee last night, as there was much denial taking place.

Figured out the self timer so Mom gets in a picture.  I have wet hair so the sun must have shined that day - yea for solar water!