Mauritius Memories - Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd August 2017

So Monday was our last day in Mauritius. We weren't being picked up for the airport until 6.20pm so we could still pretty much do a full day of activities. 

I've been really impressed with the departure lounge here. A separate spacious room for guests departing once they have checked out of their own rooms. It has 4 separate shower rooms with loos and hairdryers too. 

The all inclusive option applies until departure time too so we were able to have a final lunch in the Belle Vue restaurant and still have any drinks and snacks we needed to.

We had booked a final archery session this morning. It was Jerry doing it again - he was our instructor for our first archery session and he's brilliant as he helps Miss T enough so that she can join in and have a positive experience of archery too. 

 

look at that arrow fly through the air! 

After archery there was a rain shower so we took cover in the quarter deck bar for a round of the card game Uno. After lunch we went to see the animals for an emotional final goodbye. 

 

Miss T with Silver - True love! 

Monday is the day off for the horses to give them a day of rest after so many rides during the week so they were all there. 

 

Miss T and Suzi

We said goodbye to our favourite horses - ponies Silver and Suzi and horses What-a-hit and Ghostbrook. 

 

J with What-a-Hit

Jean Christophe was amazing and let each of the kids into each stable to give a final hug and goodbye to each of 'their' horses. So What-a-hit for J who he had two rides on. Ghostbrook for D who he had bonded with for his lesson and the helicopter incident and Miss T's favourite, Silver. 

 

D saying goodbye to Ghostbrook

We'd booked the tennis court for a final tennis session too. The weather went from really hot to clouded over and we could sense another rain shower coming. 

Saying bye to Lavender (our kids named her Lavender as she didn't have a name)

Saying bye to Bruce the dog - again named by these 3! 

Once that shower blew over me, Miss T and D went for one last speedy swim in the pool as we knew it was home time soon. 

After getting showered off in the departure lounge time for a final drink in the quarter deck bar. We said our goodbyes to 'afternoon tea man', whose name I found out to be Seewoodruth, who had so lovingly prepared the crepes, cookies, cakes and savoury treats for afternoon tea each day.  

We ordered a few snacks as we weren't sure if there would be time to eat at the airport and they arrived just in time for to grab and eat on the go in the taxi. 

Our first flight - Mauritius to Dubai went smoothly. I watched The Kings Speech and even managed to doze a little. 

The 5 hour wait at Dubai was what we'd all been dreading but actually felt like a real blessing.  Miss T needing special assistance for her arthritis enabled us to rest in the special needs departure lounge so by pushing chairs together the kids managed to have a proper sleep. This was pretty much the only sleep J had as he'd refused to sleep on the plane. 

We woke them at 730 for a quick snack and drink from Costa and then at 840 it was time to board ready for the 940 flight home. 

I know delays can't be helped but having over an hour's delay meant we'd had 2 hours of sitting on the plane since boarding time which felt rather clostrophobic for me. It wasn't a great start as I felt anxiety during the flight then a further delay of circling before landing made me feel sick. As soon as the plane landed I couldn't hold it in any longer and I vomited in the sick bag. 

Not the most pleasant return and I'm feeling annoyed at myself and frustrated that 2 of the 4 flights were so difficult for me when I've never had an issue with flying before. 

That wasn't an end to the sickness either with D feeling nauseous in the taxi home - we stopped at the services where he then sat in the front passenger seat and fell asleep. Miss T was then actually sick. I felt rotten the whole journey home and had my sick bag at the ready. 

Soon after arriving home I vomited and vomited for what felt like ages. Before an early night (well it was late on Mauritius time but early in the UK)

Wednesday is washing day and generally recovering from such a long journey. We all woke up early on Mauritian time so it's only 8am now but we've all been awake for hours!

The plus side of that is that I've already got 3 loads of washing done. 

And so it will be back to routine but we'll all have the most wonderful memories to remember thanks to an amazing granny who made it all possible and arranged everything.