The drive was an experience in itself. You go from beautiful views of the coast and roads surrounded by sugar cane to a typical city with everyone trying to better everyone else as you drive toward tall buildings. While it is very typical of any capital city it is still small compared to anything I've seen before. We drove toward the waterfront and found a multistorey car park ("It's just like one at home!!!", the kids exclaimed as we took our ticket and headed up the ramp!). I was hoping to get a view of the city so kept on going up as the other 2 cars parked. Up I went to the 8th floor only to find they didn't have a roof level. I tried not to sulk as we drove back to the 3rd level and parked next to the other 2 cars. The view was still amazing from here, better than any other city car park I'd been in!
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| View from the car park in Port Louis |
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| The family (excluding mum who was taking the picture!) |
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| View of the waterfront from the coffee shop |
Then we crossed under the subway (there is no way we were risking a walk across the main road!!) and entered a different world! Immediately there were people trying to sell me sunglasses, clothes, food....anything! The streets were grubby and there were a lot of people carrying out their daily business. It was very chaotic and I would have loved it if I hadn't been with my daughters. I was very aware that they looked uncomfortable and I was constantly alert for any possible problems. That said I was still enjoying taking all of this in. I think this part of the city will start to get squeezed out and the markets will disappear, as they have in other major cities, over the next decade or so, judging by what I have seen so far here. I'm sure it will take a fair bit of time but I can't see it staying as it is. This is a shame but it happens the world over. That's progress for you I guess.
We went into the main food market and was hit by a wave of noise and smells. Every stall had piles of fruits and vegetables, some familiar but a lot that were new to me, with sellers shouting out the prices. I can't understand these people in Nottingham when they are selling fruit and veg so I didn't even try to understand these!!!
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| Port Louis Food Market |
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| Port Louis Food Market |
We went to the next floor and look at all the souvenirs and fabrics that were on sale and then after everyone had had a look around we headed out. Elinor and Charlotte didn't want to carry on to the next market so me and Tracey headed back to the waterfront with them while everyone else went exploring.
We returned to the shopping centres and had a look around and then went to the craft market and bought a few souvenirs (and I got a lovely Hawaiian style shirt!). After a coffee and then lunch in the food court (curry for me and Elinor while Tracey and Charlotte played it safe at Pizza Hut!) we carried on shopping and waited for the rest of the family to meet us. We found them in Pizza Hut! While they were waiting for food me and Tracey went for a walk to try and find somewhere that sold cigarettes for her. You'd think this was easy, wouldn't you? We had to walk back to the market area and then found a little hut that had loads of tickets hanging up. No idea what they were but we saw people buying single cigarettes from the woman in the hut! So I used my amazing grasp of the French language and mimed smoking a cigarette and Tracey said "light" and the old hag slapped a pack of 20 Dunhill Blues on the counter and said, what I assumed correctly, "150 Ruppees!". So we paid and headed back to the waterfront!
After 7 hours in the capital we drove out of the city and went to Highlands where my family live. We still hadn't met 2 of my uncles, Syed and the uncle I was named after Sharif, and hoped to catch them there tonight. By the time we got there is was dark (sunset is at about 6:30pm here and it happens pretty quickly) and we all went into the family home and had a cup of tea. We met Uncle Syed first and then I got to meet my namesake. All my other uncles had been quite quiet, almost shy but Sharif was not! The smallest of the brothers he is certainly the most flamboyant and loud of them!! His smile as he saw us all lit the room up as he was introduced to us all and shook our hands. While we were there he was quite animated and talkative, speaking with broken English and looking around at us all in wonder. I forget that this is probably as big a thing for my family here as it is for me and I was starting to realise it now. We finished our drinks and drove back to Flic en Flac after saying our goodbyes and that we'd see them all at the family meal on Saturday.
Sleep was the only thing on the agenda when we got back as everyone was exhausted!!!
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