Semester at Sea - Voyage 132

I participated in a U.S. study abroad program that allowed me to travel to eleven countries over the span of 105 days. On my voyage I was able to participate in a longstanding maritime tradition going back hundreds of years for those who have ventured across the equator. King Neptune and Queen Minerva granted voyagers the title of shellbacks after doing an initiation. This voyage allowed me to connect to people from all over the world. I've met people from Colombia, China, Iran, Mexico, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This is a picture of my friends and I with King Neptune and Queen Minerva. From the back to the front from left to right the green guy is King Neptune, in the green bikini is Xiaole from China, next is Leslie from Mexico, the lady with the plastic crown is Queen Minerva, with the sunglass is Aida from Bosina and Herzegovina, then Michelle from Colombia, lastly Sofia in the white button up shirt.

In my adventures of Voyage 132, we ended up on an island about the size of Maui named Mauritius. Europeans and South Africans refer to Mauritius as their Hawaii. The island reminded me so much of home yet I was halfway around the world. I grew up with the idea that Hawaii is like no place on Earth and while Hawaii will always have a special place in my heart Mauritius is a close second. Mark Twain once wrote, "You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heavens, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius." While it was a short visit, I was able to visit a waterfall which reminded me of Hilo town specifically.

This is a picture of Cascade de Chamarel which is the highest waterfall in Mauritius. This waterfall is 328 feet tall found in the Chamarel 7 Colored Earth Geopark.