First Mauritius SCUBA Dive

It was breathtaking the undersea life we found this morning . . . Nemo in his anemone home, a lion fish in full battle regalia, and schools of sergeant fish floating across our field of vision.  The first day scuba in Mauritius was so wonderful, and we know we'll be doing lots more of this!  Pierre, our dive master, took us to a site called "the Aquarium" about 500 meters off the coast of Trou aux Biches, in the NW corner of Mauritius.  Trou aux Biches is just the next town north of our home, Pointe aux Piments.  We went to a depth of about 15 meters (45 feet), and saw beautiful coral and fish we had not seen snorkeling.  Ever the student, Shelly is busy studying the names and habits of the fish, and will no doubt soon be giving guided tours of the Indian Ocean's undersea life.  

Best friends underwater:
Awesome and romantic





 

Happy Divali!

Giving of gifts at neighbor's homes

Festival of Lights . . . Celebration of the victory of good over evil . . . the uplifting of spiritual darkness.  It goes by many names, but Divali is a very important holiday in Mauritius.  It is an official public holiday, and its arrival is anticipated for months.  For days, families spend their time cleaning and clearing their homes, cooking, baking and putting up lights; then on the day of Divali itself, families drop by neighbors' homes with sweet confection gifts.  Shelly and I had a wonderful evening with new friends from our village, Pointe aux Piments.  Neighbors dropped by with small boxes of baked goods, and then we dropped by our friends' house with our box of toll house chocolate chunk cookies.  Then, they surprised us with a wonderful meal of jackroot and chickpea masala, curries, farata bread, and an assortment of vegetarian dishes. The houses in the neighborhood were draped with strands of lights and rows of beautiful candles.  Following sweet dessert treats, we enjoyed fireworks in the back yard. 

                                                 Here's an edited version of what Wikipedia says about Divali:   

दीपावली की शुभकामनाएं

"Celebrated this week in many places around the world, Divali is popularly known as the "festival of lights," however, the more significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of one's inner light." Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind—something which is pure, infinite, and eternal. The celebration of Divali—from darkness into light—is a seeking of the inner light that empowers us to understand our oneness with all things. With this awakening of our true nature comes compassion, joy, and peace."

Just as many people celebrate the birth of our physical being, Divali is the celebration of our inner being—and rekindling its glorious light. We wish you a Happy Divali, and may you rejoice in your inner light!

Starfishing

While Heather and Damon  were growing up, our favorite music was played by talented musical friends in a group called the Green Chile Jam Band.  One of our favorite songs they played was "Starfishing" . . . "is it a star or is it a fish?" Shelly's first moment holding a live star fish happened last Sunday.  See her thrilling experience in this picture.  We spent last Sunday out with some of our new friends on a boat trip in Blue Bay, the Marine Preserve on the southern end of Mauritius.  Went snorkeling and saw beautiful fish and coral in crystalline waters.  There was a beautiful island formed by lava flows dating back a millenium.  As we were swimming through the area, we saw partially submerged starfish in the sand, who were very willing to be picked up and appreciated.  For lunch, we enjoyed fresh marlin grilled on the beach by the ship's skipper.  Nice people, beautiful surroundings, great food, starfish . . . what a wonderful day!!   

Daniel Pearl Music Night 2011

It's about freedom of speech, of expression, of the press.  For the past ten years, American Embassies throughout the world have sponsored music concerts to honor the life and work of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter assassinated in Pakistan because of the articles he wrote.  In the years since, hundreds of reporters and editors the world over have lost their lives because of their chosen profession and the reaction of totalitarian regimes against those who report the truth as they see it.  Just this year alone, over 55 reporters have paid for their profession with their lives.  So, last night, US Embassy Port Louis sponsored an evening of excellent local music, celebrating freedom of the press, and honoring those who have paid  dearly for their chosen profession.  It was a glorious evening of outstanding music---jazz, blues, rap, and pop---all in the cause of an important ideal and key principle of democracy.  An inspirational, and aspirational night!

Cissie Campbell's Joie de Vivre

Grandma Cissie Playing Wii
Golf with Damon

Grandma Cissie and Heather
at Carleton College Dacie Moses House

She was always up for a new experience, a new friend, a new place.  Mom never tired of learning, of playing, of traveling, or engaging in the beautiful experiences that life with special people involves. She always had a zest for life, what the French call a joie de vivre.  Married at barely 21, and a mother of 4 by age 27, she spent her young adulthood being a wonderful mom and supportive Army wife---living overseas and reveling in the nomadic life it brought. She loved reminding us that she had 4 kids all 7 or under living in a hotel in a small French town in August 1961, while Dad (then-Major Campbell) was busy dealing with the crisis of the USSR's building the Berlin Wall.  Those 4 years in Europe were  followed with stints in Washington, Kansas, a year solo while Dad was in Southeast Asia, and a final retirement move to Albuquerque.  As we grew up, she never missed a school performance, a parent-teacher conference, an athletic match, or a trip wherever any one of us kids happened to be living.  She loved hosting parties for every birthday, Christmas, 4th of July, high school reunion, and Thanksgiving---planning them for weeks in advance.  When grandchildren and a great grandson came along, she was always the grandma to care for them, even for days at a time.  At age 77, she was an active golfer, community volunteer, wife, mom, grandma, and great grandma.  She travelled extensively.  You can't imagine our shock, two years ago tonight, when we learned that she had died unexpectedly while on vacation in Arizona.  It was devastating for all of us.  There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her and remember the wonderful times we spent together, and the lessons of life and service she taught me. Thanks, Mom.  I love you. 

May you rest in peace.  

The End of The Rainbow: My Pot of Gold

As I write this, she's in the other room on a Skype call with her distance learning French teacher in Washington. "Je m'appelle Shelly" she says. For several hours today, she was the US Embassy's designated testing coordinator, making final arrangements for this weekend's GRE Exam at a local school. For the last week, she's spent nearly every minute unpacking boxes and cartons and monitoring the process of hanging pictures and mirrors at home.  In her "spare" time, she's been learning east Indian cooking, snorkeling in the Indian Ocean, taking care of Bailey, and keeping track of our far-flung family members.  It was seven months ago this week that we said good-bye to the bulk of our household goods and watched the moving van pull away from our curb in Albuquerque.  (In fact, we celebrated the day of our 25th wedding anniversary by watching everything we own loaded into that moving van.)  Shelly has been totally engaged in the adventure, and a great partner in learning how to live in new places.  So, it's no surprise to see the picture to the left . . . she's the end of the rainbow, my pot of gold! I love you, Shelly!

Mauritius Fauna

A day spent at the Casela Nature Park in the middle of Mauritius is an extraordinary experience.  The emphasis is on birds . . . they have over 600 species on display; but also there are a surprising number of mammals and reptiles. There are features in which you can walk alongside some (very tame) lions and tigers, go on a zip line from tree to tree, and ride Segways through the woods.   There's a restaurant in the park, and a hiking trail to a hilly overlook---from there you can see down a valley to the beach and the Indian Ocean.  Shelly and I have been there once, but we're itching to get back.  As you can see, it's a great place to capture photos of some beautiful animal friends.  Admittedly, not all of these creatures are native to this island, but many are from around the region, including Madagascar and India.  One bird you will NOT see is the poor Dodo bird, whose only known presence was in Mauritius, but who went extinct in the 1600s, after the arrival of humans. 

Dodo bird, known only in Mauritius
until extinction in the mid-17th century

Mauritius Flora

 Mauritians constantly remind us here that we are just coming out of the winter season, and that it is summertime when the flowers really bloom here.  If that's true, then we are in for a stupendous explosion of color and fragrance.  Shelly and I have been delighted by the blooming hibiscus on our patio, along with the frangiapani (plumeria), and the ever-present bouganvillia.  The flowers of Mauritius are a riot of color and texture, especially against a backdrop of azure blue seas and similarly blue skies.    As the seasons change, we'll keep you posted on the new flowers and scents we see and smell.  Have a beautiful new week!

Miss You Every Day, Dad

Robert E. Campbell, LTC (ret) US Army

November 6, 1926-October 11, 2010

It's been a year today since you left, Dad, and I miss you every day.  There are moments when I see something, remember something, hear something and I'm ready to pick up the phone just to hear you say "Good Morning" . . . at any time of the day.  In my new career, I have the great fortune of working with your would-be colleagues in the military, and there are things they do and say that take me back to our family's days of living on Army posts, and being in the company of patriots.  Just the opportunity to serve America overseas is an unbelievable honor, and a tradition that you taught by example.  In whatever way it is possible, please know that you are missed and fondly remembered every single day.  Love, David 

Catamaran Trip and Dolphins!

 


Dolphins frolicking alongside the catamaran





One of the "don't miss" activities for visitors to Mauritius is a catamaran trip from Riviere Noire Bay.  We did our first one this weekend, and it won't be the last!  First thing in the morning, get down to the dock and get on the catamaran, put your shoes away, you won't need them all day . . . you want some juice, pain au chocolat, rum and coke, m'am? Then set sail for the dolphin feeding areas, and there they were:  Dolphins, dozens of them!  Jumping, playing, showing off.  Then, raise the sails and head for some azure blue waters for snorkeling off the boat.  Shelly and I saw lots of beautiful fish and coral. Another fellow and I tried to open a chicken wire fish trap 18 feet under the surface that had caught some beautiful angel fish, without success.  Back on the boat, it's time for lunch: fresh grilled fish, chicken, rice, salad, and whatever you want to drink.  A little more sun bathing on the trampoline, and it's a trip to the island on the smaller launch boat.  More snorkeling in shallow water, where we swam with a school of translucent trumpet fish.  Back to the catamaran, we cruise around in some strong winds, coffee, tea, and chocolate cake . . . a little open air nap, and some high fives and good byes with the 5 member crew . . . and it's back to shore and home for another magical sunset.  Wow!  What a day!  

High Season for Somali Pirates

We enjoy hearing from so many of our friends and family, either by emails, mail, Facebook, or comments on this blog.  Many of you comment about how you read our blog, and you ask if we are really on a two year vacation.  It may seem like that, because we are having so much fun, with so many new and wonderful experiences.  Living next to the ocean has its own set of wonders:  at noon today, Shelly and I were eating lunch in the back yard, and watched as a pod of 20+ dolphins went swimming by from south to north not more than 100 yards out at sea. Amazing, considering the last time we saw that many dolphins wild in the sea, I asked her to marry me. 

Today, I'm writing to assure you that I have a real, honest-to-goodness day job that deals with a huge problem that you sometimes hear about on the news:  Somali piracy on the high seas. (It may sound cynical for me to say, but American media tells you  about Somali piracy only when American ships are involved or American lives are lost, as with the Maersk Alabama and the M/V Quest.)  This month, in the Indian Ocean, we are coming into piracy's high season:  the beginning of October marks calmer seas and better weather for the small pirate skiffs that come hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles out to sea.  We've already witnessed an uptick in the numbers of attacks on tankers and commercial vessels in the last week in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia and Kenya.  Somali lawlessness is showing a dangerous new trend too, with a British tourist and a disabled French woman both kidnapped recently from Kenyan beach resorts, and held, we believe, for ransom in Somalia.  My work, in part, involves coordinating with the US military, and the militaries and diplomats of other countries to adopt effective counter piracy laws, enhance law enforcement, improve prosecutions, expand prisons, and provide effective training for everyone involved in counter-piracy work.  We simply must end this criminal scourge.  Piracy has huge costs, not only in lives lost and interrupted, but massive economic costs, and terrible psychological consequences for the seafarers who are victims of piracy.  You may not know this, but there are over 400 seafarers and more than two dozen ships being held hostage in Somali waters TODAY.  If you are interested in the topic, I would encourage you click this link to watch an excellent anti-piracy video on YouTube.  Meanwhile, I'm headed to the back yard to scan the horizon for the bad guys!

Our back yard anti-pirate perch

In Celebration of Women and Girls

Hindus celebrate Mahalakshmi during the month of October, and what a celebration it is!  Shelly and I were invited to attend an evening of elaborate and beautiful chanting, song, incense, and prayer in our village, Pointe aux Piments, last Wednesday. We learned that this is a special celebration of the strength and power of women and girls, and a certain goddess.  Here's what we found about it:  

"Vrata denotes a religious practice to carry out certain obligations to achieve divine blessing. Vrata means to vow or to promise

A puja (offering) to seek the blessings of the goddess Mahalakshmi, wife of Lord Vishnu, who is considered to be the abode of prosperity.

Part of a nine-day fast, on the day of Mahalakshmi vratam, women take the lead.  As families gather at village temples in the evening, nine young girls proudly sit up front. The vrata begins by first arranging the kalasha or sacred pot. They fill the pot with rice and water which symbolize prosperity and cover it with mango and betel leaves. They then place a coconut smeared with turmeric and vermilion on the kalasha and also decorate the coconut with a new cloth. They place this kalasha on a plate filled with rice. The main puja begins by worshiping Lord Ganesha, who is believed to drive away all obstacles and evil forces. Later, goddess Mahalakshmi is invoked into the kalasha. They then praise torams (a bunch of nine threads with nine knots). Later, they chant the Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamam (a list of hundred names in praise of the deity). They then offer the goddess nine varieties of delicacies including both sweets and savories. In conclusion of the vratam, they sing hymns in praise of goddess Varalakshmi.

We experienced a very happy, family oriented celebration with time-honored rituals in a comfortable setting.  Upon entering, we removed our shoes, and were immediately welcomed and chairs arranged for us to sit.  Over the next couple hours, we sat in wonderment at the variety of songs, chants, and sermons given; none of which we understood, but Shelly's friend, Anita, attempted to explain.  There were nine young girls beautifully dressed and decorated all seated in a row---who were being honored in the ceremonies.  In short, mahalakshmi is a celebration of women and girls and the central role they play in the family, community, and world.  Once more, we had an opportunity to marvel at the wonders of the new world around us in our new life in Mauritius.