In the heart of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius and its superb lagoon with exuberant colors shelter long white sand beaches where visitors marvel. But this land of sumptuous landscapes located between Africa and Asia is also rich in multiple communities which, over the course of their moving history, have forged its identity, its ethnic and cultural diversity evokes its mixed origins. Today, Mauritius displays infinite and harmonious charms, the fruit of the efforts of its inhabitants who have made their island a true diamond with 1000 facets. We are to the south in the bay of Mahbourg, one of the most beautiful on the island. Mahbourg comes alive at sunrise, it is barely 5am. Accompanied by his nephew Nelvi, Indiren prepares to go fishing. The sea urchins which will be used as bait are loaded, all that remains is to make the seaweed balls and hang them on the trap. These bulky cages are the main working tool, on his way Nelvi tries his luck and despite everything leaves a line hanging. Lifting the racks requires coordination and strength. This is a very physical sin. "we only fish with the traps, for that the sea must be good if we want to do a good fishing trip" Once the fish and lobsters have been collected, our two sailors change the bait, then they must still ensure that the trap sent back into the water lays flat on the sand and does not end up stuck in the middle of the coral. Sometimes Indiren has to go and free trapped traps. On the Ile de la Passe, the fort bears witness to the naval battles of 1810 which saw an English conquest effort repelled by the French. The day is not yet over. We must now stock up on sea urchin and sea lettuce to prepare for the next day's fishing. Nelvi has nestled a clam which will be perfect for waiting until lunch, especially accompanied by this lobster which is too damaged to be sold to a restaurant . Nearby, the Blue Bay lagoon is officially protected as part of a marine park. . Thanks to this initiative, the coral masses which suffered for a long time have finally recovered. David has been observing them carefully for several years. "it is one of the largest lagoons in Mauritius , the marine park covers an area of 353 hectares, it is truly immense" "there is an improvement it was proclaimed as a natural reserve of the protected marine park from Blue Bay, I see that the corals are regenerating, they are reproducing, they are regrowing so the corals are improving in the marine park "As a direct result of this new health, the waters are overflowing with a diversity of species thunderous. The pass is the other strategic point of the marine park "so it is the pass which leads towards the ocean, this pass is very important because it contributes to the reproduction of corals, there is the salinity of the water and currents which are very good for the development of coral "At the south-west extremity of the island nestles the rock of Morne Brabant, the icon of Mauritius, with its feet a lagoon in all its splendor. Jessa attaches great importance to this witness to the dramas of history. After escaping from the slaves, they climbed it to find refuge there. "The slaves went down in the evening to go fishing to get something to eat, they went back up to the top of the mountain to then share the food." The ascent is perilous, we can imagine the efforts that the survivors had to make. This place of memory also offers a reward to the most courageous, a unique view of the island. "this mountain is really..., it has great importance for us when slavery was abolished by the English on February 1, 1835, there were officers accompanied by soldiers who came to inform them that slavery was abolished, that they were free, in fact when they saw the soldiers coming up they thought that they were going to be recaptured, they preferred death by throwing themselves into the void, they committed suicide instead t than return with their master as slaves " " it is a place of worship which was set up by the Rastas, by the Rastafaria society, it is for... it is in memory of our slave ancestors who gave their lives for us it is a place to worship it is a place that we have but in place, it is a place very respected by all Rastafarians and also the locals " In the heights the forest of the village of Chamarel, welcomes a community Rasta. His oldest Robert, hasn't cut his hair or his beard for ages. This evening Andr came to visit him. "Me was 19 years old and he was about 35 years old since 1976 he hasn't shave not shave and cut the hair. " "In Chamarel we are what we call maroons, descended from slaves, and it is the maroon slaves who then became Rastas. " "We live off the land, we cultivate, we raise chickens and kids to feed ourselves." Further down the village is mainly populated by fishermen and artisans. Daily life there is calm and peaceful. The road which is not very common heading towards the East. In the village there are also kitesurfing enthusiasts and artists. The lagoon extends to the foot of the rock, an idyllic scene which very early attracted large hotels . at the foot of the Morne, we continue the traditional massages. "The Morne has a history and it is our strength in fact, it is the strength of the Morne ad pledge good energy too. When we were little, when we had a stomach ache, grandmothers often massaged our bellies, when a woman gives birth we also massage the woman's belly, we also massage the baby. It was a person from the neighborhood, a grandmother from the neighborhood who did it "In Port Louis there are people from the Chinese community who practice Shiatsu, reflexology and also acupuncture massages. So we at the Spa we has made a synthesis of these techniques which is based mainly on the 5 elements which come from traditional Chinese medicine "Shiatsu is pressure points in fact, it's like acupuncture but manual" At the start of the 2000s, a large part of the island was still covered with sugar cane plantations which flourished marvelously on its volcanic soil. But an unprecedented crisis hit the sugar industry across the world, "Maurice has not been spared. In the south, factories have closed their doors and their land has been transformed, there remains a scent of nostalgia in the fields of the village of Escalier. Traditional trades are also disappearing, these cutters cane are among the last to carry out a difficult task manually. Here the machine which replaces them cannot circulate "Cutting is easy, we leave the canes on site but then we have to carry them a hundred meters to the trailer and it's more complicated." Impossible for man to compete today with these immense devices capable of swallowing hundreds of hectares in a few hours The only factory in the south still in operation has very quickly been able to modernize to reduce costs. But a timeless fact, the transport and processing of the cane always remains spectacular. The diversification of its production has also been essential to the survival of the factory; cane juice is no longer used for the extraction of sugar alone. During the rainy season, this spectacular cut in the rock that we call the Tamarin Falls "pours" the storm into 7 cascades of water, the rest of the year its flow is much more reasonable . Very close by, the Gorges de Rivi re Noire national park is a haven dominated by abundant vegetation. The density of the flora, which makes access difficult, constitutes a natural brake on real estate expansion. Today the park is the refuge of several species of birds; like the Paille en queue or the Maurice parakeet. Flowing further north, Grand Bassin is a curiosity located from the sea to Vacoas. This lake formed in the crater of an extinct volcano has been a place of pilgrimage for the island's Hindus for more than a century. Its water is in fact considered a resurgence of the sacred Ganges. Every year in February or March depending on the lunar cycles, 300,500,000 faithful go there in procession to honor Shiva. This is almost half of the Mauritian population. As the seasons change, families go there to pray and make offerings. Continuing on the road to the North, we reach Curepipe, the second city of Mauritius. Long popular with the bourgeoisie, it offers a much cooler climate which makes the summers pleasant. The Aubinaux estate, built in 1872, displays the pure style of French colonial architecture. This 750 m2 residence bears witness to the incredible wealth of families who made their fortune thanks to the sugar market before independence. "We are originally from France and my ancestors arrived in Mauritius in 1793 and I am part of the 8th generation, we started in the cane business and then in 1958, my grandfather invested in the tea, he diversified he invested in the field of tea, he bought the Domaine de Bois Chéri "Entirely built in wood, these buildings require particularly delicate maintenance to be made accessible to visitors. The Bois Ch ri area is located a little further south on the high plateaus. The harvest is done by hand. “If we pick until noon we can make up to 50, 60 or even 70 kg per day and per person. There are people who start picking at 4 a.m. Those who start at 3 a.m. then finish at 10 a.m..” Mani is the oldest of the estate, she is 78 years old. "I started at the age of 10, there was no one at home so we come and work with the parents and they take us until adulthood . Then we get married and then we go there. returns to continue working " The leaves are then transported to the factory a few kilometers away to be sorted before the drying operation. Nearly 70% of production is intended for local consumption. The rest is exported for lovers of vanilla-flavored black tea. Mauritius is home to several Hindu religions such as the Telegu, which includes Vina Vikram's family who are preparing to celebrate Divali, the festival of lights. One of the most important events in Hinduism. This is an opportunity to make pastries that will be shared with family or given to neighbors. "We share with everyone. with the Muslims, the Catholics, the Chinese, everything." For his part, Vina's husband Vikram prepares the oil lamps that the whole island will light at sunset. On the ground floor, in the small room where the teacher usually gives her lessons, the couple will pray together in front of the temple in the home. Then comes the time to visit the family who live in different houses built on the same land. Facing the family hotel this time, Vina and your husband are now reciting a common prayer with an aunt. Sharing is at the heart of this Diwali festival, so the teacher will go around the neighborhood to offer cakes that she has just prepared. Nightfall is approaching, it's time to light the famous oil lamps. The Hindus thus commemorate the victory of the god Rama against the god Ravana. According to their beliefs, Rama triumphant returned to his kingdom guided by the glow of a lamp that the inhabitants of all the countries crossed revived to celebrate his return. “We light the lamps in front of the door to light up the goddess Lashmi, as the goddess will enter our house and light up our house and our family” “because it is the symbol of light and knowledge "In the surroundings, the houses light up, most stick to traditional lamps, creating a solemn and spiritual atmosphere. Others have given in to the appeal of cheap garlands, although garish they are very popular with young people. Going down towards the sea, we explore a new unusual setting, the salt marshes of Yemen Tamarin. The salt pans look like a vast marquetry whose liquid checkerboard merges with the horizon. Today the mood is gloomy among the salt workers. The heavy rains of recent days have rinsed and destroyed the salt marshes. Several days of work have just been destroyed, and the basins must now be restored. The harvesting technique is very simple, the salt pans are made up of simple seawater baths where the salt crystals are collected after its evaporation under the effect of the sun. "Here it's a family heritage, the Yemen Saltworks, they belong to the Mainngard family, it's like that from the beginning, they came here Tamarin because the land is sloping from which the sea water descends quite naturally by gravity, there are 13 women who work here, they paid by basket, that's why they carry more than 40 kilos on their heads, in principle the baskets are 20 kilos each "The salt marshes of Yemen are part of a heritage in danger, the last on the island still in activity, they are experiencing economic difficulties which have already reduced the number of workers on the site. Now return to the eastern tip of the south of the island. We find our fisherman Indiren in full preparation for the Mahbourg regattas, legendary races that attract crowds. In the past, fishermen competed against each other on their fishing boats, but for a long time now, however, sailors have been their referents. dedicated fiber hulls, the rigging still smells of tradition. This year Indiren is the favorite, he has already won the big event several times. The boats are delicate to handle, in general the crew is equipped with strong men whose strength will allow the vessel to have sufficient weight when going upwind. But at the slightest dip the sailboat can fill with water and sink instantly. A show that the public loves. Indiren and his boat are ready, well placed on the starting line. Once the starting signal has been given, each helmsman will adopt his own strategy to reach the obligatory passage buoys as quickly as possible. At the end of the first lap it was a disaster for Indiren, the boat sank, it just sank. No injuries to report, but it will just take long maneuvers to get the sailboat out of the water and then have it towed. On land the party is in full swing We leave Mahbourg to take the northern road which runs along the coast. Near the village of Rivi re des Cr oles, the cane fields hide large natural spaces such as the Ferney valley . In Vieux Grand Port, Fort Fredrik Hendrik is nothing more than ruins, the first stone construction in the ocean. In India, it was built by the Dutch who arrived on the island 400 years ago. The port it houses was then the most important in Mauritius. And remained so during the period of French colonization where it became Port Bourbon. All along the coastal road between the Lion Mountain and the Baig de Grand Port, there are small fishing villages with evocative names, Bois des Amourettes, Anse Jonch e, or Pointe du Diable La Baie de Trou of fresh water, takes its name from a source which joins the sea, protected by vegetation and known only to the initiates who come to bathe there. The Bras d'eau national park is the only one still preserved some endemic species of the island such as Ebony. Sugar cane plantations have in fact caused the destruction of primary forests in Mauritius. On the sea side the reserve opens onto small, magnificent bays. In Roches Noires the ocean is often threatening, we only fish at low tide. These wild beaches are the last wild space before reaching the coast. the town of Bras d'eau In November fans rush to taste the superb pineapples and especially the lychees. The Tamil temple at the entrance to the city is the image of those found almost everywhere on the island, a place of daily prayer it displays bright colors, numerous statuettes and bas-reliefs. We return to the East Coast Poudre d'Or in reference to the color of the sand on its beaches. This small temple celebrates the goddess Ganga, who like the Ganges has a power of purification. All around Baboo a young artist of 27 years old brightens the walls with these naive works. A few hundred meters from there this temple of Shiva is unique of its kind, to solve their problems the inhabitants come to wind wires around the sacred tree. People also come there to pray to Shani, god of the planet Saturn A Gold powder, footballer-style haircuts wreak havoc In a peaceful little street Ramesh supplements his fishing income by manufacturing entirely bamboo fiber lockers. rely natural. " In winter the fish don't fit in the traps which are made of plastic or wire, that's what's needed, something natural. There are fishermen who prefer to buy them ready-made, that's a lot of work, you have to scrape, wash, then dry "Ramesh is in great demand, his lockers sell well. Standing at the entrance to the village, the large cross is very well known in Mauritius, this small animist sanctuary has the reputation of making the wishes that one makes there come true. The few offerings are not of great value " It is a big cross when we say a prayer and we make a request it is granted" Behind the painting is astonishing, the requests are many more macabre. "If you want to hurt someone you make a sacrifice and the devil will have the person's head cut off." At the next crossroads Jo welcomes his first customers, at lunch time he sells roast dishes and a dish typical Mauritian based on flour, lentil or wheat pancakes garnished with different ingredients " That's Roti with cattle The cattle is a mixture of seafood At the exit of the village the imposing chapel of Marie Reine seems to protect the sugar cane fields. Built entirely of lava stone in 1847, it is the most important church in the entire Goodlands region. In the bay of Poudre d'or the last fishermen are on the way back. A st reminds us of the tragic destiny of Paul and Virginie, heroes of Bernardin de St Pierre, whose story ends in these waters. Continuing north we reach the bay of St Bernard, this is where Rosemonde lives, a renowned chef, who does her Goodlands market. It's impossible to find fresh fish here, reserved for street sales, here the large pieces are frozen. Herbs, spices, vegetables, each step the aromas mix through the stalls. An essential ingredient of Mauritian cuisine, candy apples are small, very fragrant tomatoes. "Maurice the little ones are very well known, not everyone likes it, I really like it, it's very good especially for babies. The cook's house offers a breathtaking view of the bay , that she tries with her neighbors to defend and preserve real estate projects "That's a volcanic stone..... here the ginger is ready, the onion is ready, the bred is ready when you are going to eat a you are going to put olive oil and vinaigrette (continued) it's watercress... it's garlic, ginger... and I'm making a fish chattini, Adrienne helps by tapping a green mango. Rosemonde's cuisine is simple but full of the incomparable flavors of products brought from the market. Her husband Andr just has to sit down at the table. He's not the most complainer. Behind the house we discover an amazing installation "These are lime kilns, we put corals in them, we cooked them, we put the wood at the bottom, we put the corals from the top, we put it to cook to make lime, to paint houses "At the time, the boilermaker had to maintain a temperature between 800 and 1,000 C while regularly replenishing the oven with coral to ensure that it was always filled to the maximum. The quicklime was then dyed using a large quantity of water. Another icon of Mauritius, Our Lady Help of Christians dominates the northern tip of the island. This former small fishermen's church, restored and often photographed, has become very popular. She celebrates many weddings. The Grand Baie arrival offers a very different setting from the seaside resort once full of charm, distorted over time by anarchic town planning. We prefer Pointe aux Canonniers, where the great Mauritian families of Port Louis once had their summer residences. Today these villas are very popular thanks to their privileged location. Offshore we can see the Coin de Mire, an island around which, every year, around the month of June, humpback whales from the South Pole accumulate, it is near these coasts where they spend all winter that whales reproduce every 2 or 3 years. During the 18th century the Indian Sea Company administered the island on behalf of the Kingdom of France, it had a battery of cannons installed there to ensure the defense of the north. In this era of rivalry between great nations, the battle raging for control of the route to the Indies therefore Maurice then named Isle de France which was a strategic crossing point. The artillery at Pointe des Canonniers comprised between 15 and 20 cannons, hidden by the ramparts which ran all along the rocky spine. The fortifications also housed a powder magazine. The Navigator restaurant now occupies the premises, its head is the greatest chef on the Island, Mooroogun Coopen reveals one of his specialties. "Today it's Babone's rougaille with Tamarind rice. Among all the tropical fish that we have here like the Captain, the red Bearry, the white Bearry, the parrot, my favorite is the Babone, it has very tender flesh, it is a fish with exceptional taste , which resists cooking well, which does not crush and takes the sauce well. We are going to prepare a rice with Tamarind. It is an ingredient very used in our cooking, the original Tamarind is That's it, and from there we have the paste inside which we crush with salt and oil to preserve it" "Curry leaves are very used in our Mauritius cuisine, the originally when the Indians migrated to Mauritius they brought some spices and among them there were curry leaves, it is a leaf that has a lot of flavor and also a lot of health benefits, it is essential in all gardens around the houses you will have a small tree of curry leaves, for each preparation, come on we will pick a small leaf " "We prepared with a mixture of spices it is the secret of the house that we have found here with my chefs we developed it and gave a completely different flavor to our curries, our rougails " " candy apples it's from the tomato family but it's a little more acidic, you have to let it cook slowly and at this stage you add other spices such as garlic and ginger. With the new generation the use of pepper has really decreased a lot in recipes. "Rougail is traditionally made up of chopped vegetables, minced onions and peppers. " Now we will let it simmer slowly, over low heat. . " " Lightly seasoned with a little lemon juice to still give a little acidic touch to our dish with the aromas of the garden " You still have to continue along the coast to reach Mont Choisy, one of the beaches of legend of the island. Every weekend we come there as a family to picnic and enjoy a calm sea. However, rising water levels, erosion, the presence of casuarina trees, permanently threaten the coastline which in 20 years has already lost more of 20m. In response, a rehabilitation plan sets up artificial reefs intended to temper strong swells during storms. The good fairies of tourism seem to have paid little attention to Port Louis, the capital noisy and crowded island. If these attractions seem less obvious than those of the charming villages that we we have come across, it is nevertheless a city of character and history. The diversity of its communities gives it this very particular face. Hinduism is the main religion of Mauritius practiced by more than half of its population. Christianity and Islam are also well established. Hindu temples, churches and mosques are built next to each other. The town center is made up of a sprawling collection of colonial-style houses, small shops and street vendors. Around the market, Indian traders are well established. "In the 19th century there was a whole migration of traders who arrived from India, particularly from the state of Gujarath, and they settled in Port Louis around the central market. This shop is a good example of this migration because ultimately it is a family that arrived, we are perhaps the 3rd generation in the same place and they import everything we eat Mauritius rice, lentils, seeds, spices " Over time Indians and Chinese have mixed their ingredients, on the stalls are piled up all kinds of aromatics and spices but also lots of fish and dried squid. Never trust the size or the color of a chili pepper, the smallest are often the most formidable. This wholesaler receives bags of rice and flour straight from the holds of a cargo ship that has just docked. The foodstuffs will travel across the island to supply a network of micro shops; they will be sold in the form of small packets or even small sachets. To snack on all day long, here the samosas and chili cakes are homemade, are here fresh and homemade. We happily cross the city to come and taste them. Aged 77, Mr. Jacques is the last Maurice craftsman working with tinplate. At work since the age of 15, today he can't find anyone to take over his workshop "don't look at my age, my age is past, I'm 77, it's time to stop." In the heart of Chinatown, the large frescoes adorning the tankards bear witness to the talent of Wenna, a street art specialist. In the HO Ning family pharmacy, all the traditional remedies are still prepared by hand. Seeds, roots, powders and mysterious extracts are carefully arranged in these little drawers. Many other treasures are also waiting to be discovered, such as the City Press printing house where the machine has not yet replaced the man to compose the texts and illustrations. A true museum yet in perfect working order A small island in the Indian Ocean, Mauritius has the gift of revealing new traits of character with each visit, of taking us to coves or valleys that we never suspect. we don't know, and to immerse ourselves in an ethnic and cultural ferment which makes it a unique place which we still think about long after having left it.
