Thursday October 14th - Friday, October 15th
Early this morning under clear skies, we entered the harbor of Port Louis, the capital city of the Republic of Mauritius. Never heard of Mauritius? Well you're not alone. Even some of the faculty seemed a bit stumped on this one.
So here's a little background ...
Mauritius is a small island in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa. Its north of Madasgascar (like that really helps) and is part of the Mascarene Islands which include the French island of Reunion and the island of Rodrigues. Uninhabited until the 17th century, its been ruled by the Dutch, the French and then the British, finally achieving its independence in 1968. Good news for us.... English is the official language although French and Creole are main languages as well.
OK enough of the geography lesson. Here's the important fact: Mauritius is renowned for being the only known home of the now extinct Dodo bird.
When Mauritius gained its independence, it was one of the world's poorest countries. But as we learned at this morning's diplomatic briefing, they've transformed themselves into a thriving economy -- tourism, clothing production, sugar, tea. Look at any of those charts comparing countries on unemployment, education and industry, you're sure to see Mauritius up there at the top. Obviously they're doing something right here. Maybe it's all these beautiful beaches.
Which leads me to what you do here in Mauritius. For most of us that meant going to the beach. There are lots of them and they are really beautiful. I toured the north visiting Trou aux Biches, Mon Choisy and Grand Baie.
Along the beaches are small carts selling local food including fruit stands that make the best fresh fruit drinks. They do a pretty good job with the local beers as well.
And here's an interesting but totally unrelated sidebar. Cigarettes sold here contain pictures of black lungs, open heart surgery, even warnings that "cigarette smoking can kill you" right there on the package. Think there's any chance we'd see that in the US?
The second day we went to the west of Mauritius and took a small boat to yes, another island -- Ile de Cerfs (that's French for Deer Island), where we snorkelled and had an amazing Indian lunch. Gail, even you would have been impressed.
For the students, who just finished midterms, this was the perfect place for spring break. There's snorkeling, scuba, kite surfing and deep sea fishing. And since this is a volcanic island there's also lots of hiking. The island more than its share of high end hotels with prices starting at $800 a night. I didn't get to check them out since most require you stay there to enter, but for such a small island it was amazing to see how many of these exclusive resorts are here. Anyone for dinner with Alain Ducasse?
But Mauritius is more than just a lot of pretty beaches. The mix of cultures -- Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Chinese -- is fascinating and sure makes dining interesting. And what's more, they all live together peacefully.
I'll close with a conversation I had with a local taxi driver who was Muslim. When he learned that I was from New York City, he quietly brought up September 11th. What happened that day, he said, was very upsetting to his fellow Muslims here in Mauritius. He regretted these acts of violence and said the people responsible did not reflect the beliefs of the Muslim religion. And so from Mauritius, I leave you that thought.
The skyline was filled with the most interesting architecture --including a gigantic ferris wheel -- and everything looked clean and new. They love color here-- street decorations, painted buildings, and bridges and roadways outlined in lights with colors that subtly change every few minutes. This sure isn't India.
