R&R stands for rest and recuperation and it's a period of time which may vary from 5 to 8 days (depending on your organization/ngo policies) on which you are on holiday to... well rest and recuperate!
The holiday has obviously to be taken outside the country as you will have to relax in a safe place. We have to take one every ten weeks and this was my first one since I went to Italy in April.
My R&R was very much needed and in order to make sure I was gonna get the best out of it I went to Mauritius! Finding the destination was not easy AT ALL! First of all there are not that many flights from Juba so it is vital to find the right connections in order not to waste days and nights in East Africa airports. Mine was very lucky and in less than 6 hours I went from grey chaos to pure exotic paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
So let me tell you about Mauritius and not because I want to brag but just because I want to describe a very cool degree that separates us from this hidden little treasure.
First of all: the people of Mauritius. There is no stereotype or special description for them: they are a mixed race, made of different colors, provenience and cultures. They have one thing in common though: they are VERY warm, welcoming and friendly. You feel home after one minute, also because they literally take you to their place after 5 minutes of conversation: they want to introduce you to their family, cook for you, give you the best deals of the island (well of course in the end they all run their businesses) and make sure that you will go back there soon. I have to say mission accomplished: discovering the island through the eyes of the locals made it all so much better. Mauritians are really nice, they value education a lot and they adore their families: needless to say it is a pleasure to help them if they need something.
Second of all: the island. Well the island is simply BEAUTIFUL. The coast is just amazing and some beaches are breathtaking but also the inland is just unreal (it reminded me A LOT of Ireland, that's why I liked it so much!). The inland is very green with beautiful landscapes. The southern part is the best one: you can find rum factories (DELICIOUS), safari parks, waterfalls and national parks and reserves. Plus the roads are surrounded by sugar cane fields which are really cool. In the south there is also the highest point of the island: it's called gran bassin and it's a sacred lake for the Hindus. Every year there is a cool pilgrimage to this place: all the island inhabitants just walk from their homes to this lake to pray and meditate. Very nice.
I could go on and on and on but i just wanted to give you an idea of this beautiful European island; yes it is populated by Germans, Italians, French, Spaniards and Dutch people. Apparently it is quite a popular destination in Europe and even if the currency is the Mauritius rupee they just accept and circulate Euro everywhere so changing money is not that important.
Oh and if you ever find yourself in the beautiful village of Flic en Flac on the western coast ask for Charlie Brown (no kidding, that's his real name!!): HE'S YOUR LOCAL MAN!!!!
The holiday has obviously to be taken outside the country as you will have to relax in a safe place. We have to take one every ten weeks and this was my first one since I went to Italy in April.
My R&R was very much needed and in order to make sure I was gonna get the best out of it I went to Mauritius! Finding the destination was not easy AT ALL! First of all there are not that many flights from Juba so it is vital to find the right connections in order not to waste days and nights in East Africa airports. Mine was very lucky and in less than 6 hours I went from grey chaos to pure exotic paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
So let me tell you about Mauritius and not because I want to brag but just because I want to describe a very cool degree that separates us from this hidden little treasure.
First of all: the people of Mauritius. There is no stereotype or special description for them: they are a mixed race, made of different colors, provenience and cultures. They have one thing in common though: they are VERY warm, welcoming and friendly. You feel home after one minute, also because they literally take you to their place after 5 minutes of conversation: they want to introduce you to their family, cook for you, give you the best deals of the island (well of course in the end they all run their businesses) and make sure that you will go back there soon. I have to say mission accomplished: discovering the island through the eyes of the locals made it all so much better. Mauritians are really nice, they value education a lot and they adore their families: needless to say it is a pleasure to help them if they need something.
Second of all: the island. Well the island is simply BEAUTIFUL. The coast is just amazing and some beaches are breathtaking but also the inland is just unreal (it reminded me A LOT of Ireland, that's why I liked it so much!). The inland is very green with beautiful landscapes. The southern part is the best one: you can find rum factories (DELICIOUS), safari parks, waterfalls and national parks and reserves. Plus the roads are surrounded by sugar cane fields which are really cool. In the south there is also the highest point of the island: it's called gran bassin and it's a sacred lake for the Hindus. Every year there is a cool pilgrimage to this place: all the island inhabitants just walk from their homes to this lake to pray and meditate. Very nice.
Oh and if you ever find yourself in the beautiful village of Flic en Flac on the western coast ask for Charlie Brown (no kidding, that's his real name!!): HE'S YOUR LOCAL MAN!!!!
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