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The Mesmerizing Mauritius |
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by P. G. R. Nair |
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Some nations conjure a mental image of pleasure and leisure when their names are mentioned. Mauritius is one such nation and it marvellously lived up to our expectations. Mauritius is a tiny green speck strewn into the vastness of the Indian Ocean. We started our journey from Dubai to Mauritius by Emirate Airways, our first experience to cross the equator and move into the southern hemisphere. Our flight lasted 6 hrs and we landed at Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Mauritius at 9:30 AM. There was a slight drizzle and a green board announcing “Welcome to paradise” captivated our attention as we walked to the immigration counter. Immigration was a fast process and Indians can receive Visa on arrival. That was the beginning of our 10 days of enchantment with Mauritius.
Mauritius was then occupied by the French in 1710 and it was the French who truly made the island an inhabitable place. They developed and transformed the island in every sense and in 1766, when the French King took over direct governance of the island , there were just 20,000 inhabitants, about 10 % whites and the rest slaves brought from Africa. The sugarcane Industry flourished under the French and with its earnings, the French brought in an elegant and sophisticated way of life to this island. The capitulation of the French to the British in 1810 was an unusually courteous act with a gentleman’s treaty that the British would maintain the French customs, laws and way of life. Under the British, it became a plantation colony and converted 90 % of its land into sugar fields. The ascension of sugar Industry and abolition of slavery in 1835 was the beginning of the large scale arrival of Indian immigrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. By 1909, there were 450,000 Indian labourers in the sugar Industry who were never to return to India. By the middle of the 19th century almost 400 sugar factories were in operation in this island. In 1968 Mauritius became independent from the UK and has since then functioned as a vibrant democratic republic.
We learn that this tiny green island in a huge warm ocean is the offspring of a volcanic activity that raised huge hot cone around eight million years ago. It then solidified into mountain ranges and plains. The original volcanic peak constituted 1860 square Kilometres and that is the area of the island today. Though volcanic activity has ceased on Mauritius, you can still spot many small craters that have today become beautiful scenic spots. The island beguiles every visitor with its turquoise beaches and glorious landscapes and exudes an air of enduring tropical splendour fed by abundant sunshine and short, sharp rain showers. Though we visited in June, winter season in Southern hemisphere, we found the weather pleasant (with day temperatures around 18-22 degree C). A day in this land is enough to tell you that this is a terrain of true tranquility. Though its blue green beaches are world famous, Mauritius has a wonderful ecosystem too incorporating some unusual creatures seen nowhere else on the planet. The many bird sanctuaries and botanical gardens in Mauritius showcase its well-preserved ecological heritage.
The Mauritian beaches, especially in the stretch from Trou aux Bitches through Mont Choisy to Grand Bai in the North, are simply sublime and breathtaking and heavenly. We hired a house in this area adjacent to the beach for two days and those were the most memorable days of our stay. The beaches are very clean with no rubbish littered around and above all smell good. The beaches encircling the nation are a public property and one can fearlessly walk on the beaches in front of even ‘Le Paradis Hotel’, the most expensive hotel in Mauritius.
The nation has an extremely smart attitude to sweeping the beaches and maintaining a clean appeal. It is heartening that most of its glorious beaches are still unspoilt. We were told that one night stay in some of the high end luxurious resorts could cost as high as 2000 Euro per night. Mauritian hotel restaurants offer wide range of choices ranging from popular Mauritian Cuisine to Chinese and Indian too. The famous Caudan water front in Port Louis, a locale famous for many Hindi Movies, has a fine Indian restaurant named ‘Namaste’.
In parasailing, strapped by a safety harness to a speed boat, you will be gliding through the air with the help of a parachute. The ascend happens so fast that in no time you are up in the air and will be treated to breathtaking views of beautiful lagoons and beaches from a superb vantage point up in the air. Though initially it may seem scary, one soon gets over the jolt, relaxes and enjoys the solitary experience of being aloft in the sky. The tube ride is yet another amazing adventurous water sport. In this one, you will be seated inside a huge inflated ‘doughnut’ with life vest and the boat then pulls you over the waves to give a bumpy ride. Here, you are sure to scream in sheer excitement and thrill.
The view from the Hanuman temple located at the top of a mount here is beautiful. Every year, Hindus march to Ganga Talab on the day of Shivarathri to partake in the celebrations there. Shivaratri is a national holiday in Mauritius. On the way to Ganga Talab, we could sight a huge statue of Lord Shiva built in 2006.
The Botanical Gradens named after the first President of Mauritius Sir Seewosaugur Ramgoolam is a sprawling green garden with its criss-crossed lanes offering cool shades by huge canopy of trees like mahogany and ebony. One can spend a full day lazing in this serene setting. The highlight of the gardens is the giant Amazon water lily whose monumental fibrous leaves are said to hold the weight of a human adult. The delicate flowers show an ivory white to dusky pink.
Casela nature and Leisure Park is a beautiful bird sanctuary where one can spot peacocks leisurely walking on the green carpet. It has an impressive collection of over 140 varieties of species that includes the Pink Pigeon, one of the rarest birds in Mauritius. All of us were more attracted to the Macaw aviary here and some pairs could be seen coolly walking around unperturbed by the human presence around.
Mating of Giant Tortoisein Vanilla Park. Here is Video link to it if you are interested. A must see in the park is a rare collection of butterflies and other brightly colored insects (with about 23 000 species), which is one of the most fascinating in the world.
As you travel the length and breadth of Mauritius, you will see that there is hardly any wasteland in Mauritius. The sprawling sugar fields with its strong green stalks flaunting their featherlike flowers were a sight of constant enchantment in our journey. We ended our stay in Mauritius with great contentment and the memories of those magical moments continue to enchant us.
To sum up, Mauritius is a fascinating melting pot of philosophies, faiths and life styles, a model society living in trust and tranquility. We will one day return to this island of dreams and delights.
Image of Dodo (Sourced from net) |
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09-Jul-2011 | ||||
More by : P. G. R. Nair | ||||
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Amanush 07/10/2011 03:07 AM |
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