Back From Paradise

I'm back from paradise, missed the snow but we did have plenty of rain. We had a lovely relaxing time in Mauritius, the hotel was amazing and the food was delicious. I wouldn't go again in cyclone season. The sea was off limits for a whole week due to the wind and we only had three days without rain but one of those was my birthday so that was very nice and it was always hot. The hotel gardens were really extensive, they employ an army of gardeners who were always working hard. I didn't see any evidence of insecticide spraying and there were Giant African Land snails everywhere. It was so weird to see the snails that we keep as pets climbing around all over the gardens. The snails were very large but there didn't seem to be any control of them and the plants looked fine. There were some beautiful flowers and when the sun came out there were beautiful butterflies too. We didn't see much in the way of bugs but as usual I enjoyed looking. There were large land crabs in holes all along the river bank leading down to the sea, I enjoyed feeding them with rolls taken from breakfast. Each day there were three little bats attached to the top of the pillar outside the dining room and at dusk they would all fly off together. I did find a Pink Winged stick insect on the wall outside our room one night. I was very excited as I have never seen a stick insect in the wild before. There were a few cockroaches around the hotel (not in the rooms and certainly not in the dining room). There was a very small species, they had long wings but the adults were only about 1cm. I thought they would make great live food for mantids and small spiders but I'm not sure how you would handle them. I think trying to get one or two into each pot wouldn't be very practical.

On one particular evening there was a huge tropical storm with fork lightning and suddenly the hotel was full of swarming termites. I sat in the bar with my cocktail (wonderful cocktails, they certainly helped when we were stuck in the hotel) and really enjoyed watching the little geckos gobbling them up on the walls and ceilings and the frogs eating them on the floor and around the pool area. I was moving the frogs off of the paths so that they didn't get squashed. It was our anniversary and I was actually in a long dress. My hubby took some photos of me ushering the frogs away.

We never did get to snorkel but we went on a glass bottom boat and saw some beautiful fish and coral. We hired a car and went out around the island, at one cafe I saw a huge huntsman type spider on the wall. In between showers I did try to bug hunt along the roads but people kept stopping to see what I was doing, even the police, so I gave up. Unfortunately the people of Mauritius don't seem to have much interest in wildlife or animals in general. Almost all the indigenous species are now dead and the only place to see wildlife is in the zoo. They have fantastic giant tortoises but none of them roam free, we saw very few lizards and there are stray cats and dogs everywhere. I didn't see any outright cruelty to them but they are just ignored. Most of the island is covered in fields of sugar cane. I fell in love with a stray dog on the beach. The waiters named him Stefano, they were told not to feed him but they often did and I made him sandwiches at lunch time and sneaked them out in my husband's cap (he wasn't best pleased). On our last night Stefano joined us in the beach bar and sat at my feet. The hotel is closing for refurbishment at the end of March and I would dearly love to bring my doggy friend home. I am trying to find a way of doing this, there is no need for quarantine and I have contacted an animal welfare group in Mauritius to see if they can help. Yes, I know I'm mad and it probably isn't possible but I have to try.

Now back to the real world. My post office was ram-raided just before I went away. It made the national news on television and the papers. The thieves tried to steal a cash point machine from the bank next door and ended up demolishing the post office. The building is so badly damaged that it may need to be rebuilt and it may never be a post office again. The thieves didn't get away with anything but they have caused chaos to our village and my business. I am using another post office and dreading them asking what's in my boxes!

On the bugs front, now that I'm back I will be restocking everything. It has been a manic week, catching up on paperwork, feeding/cleaning and I have received a lot of orders (which is great - thank you). I have new bugs expected next week and I am trying to source new spiders, scorpions, stick insects etc. My daughter did a good job keeping things ticking over, very few casualties and I was very pleased that the electricity board didn't cut the power off for a day as they had intended. I think they just wanted to give me a heart attack before my holiday. Anyway I need some lunch now, I think I'm writing a book. I still don't know what day/time it is, Mauritius is five hours ahead.

Thanks for all your best wishes for my birthday, I had a great day and almost forgot that I am now 50!