We took the Taxi into this fascinating city and arrived at work early. I
managed to steal a few moments on the streets of Port Louis by myself, from
first glance it is a dirty and unattractive place. It almost looks like it is
in a state of shutdown as many roller doors are down and only pokey little
entrances to the shops from the street. But as we found out from our lunch
restaurant some spectacular places are hidden behind the unappealing façade. We
were treated to lunch by a colleague of Ash’s, Christian Li, he and the little
PA, David, are Chinese Mauritian and with the offices a block from China Town
we enjoyed some traditional Chinese dishes; Hot and Sour Soup, Tasty Tofu with
Soy Broccoli, Crispy Chicken and Mine Frite (stir-fried noodles with
vegetables, chicken, sausage and shrimp). Vicky, the taxi driver, was needed to
take us home that afternoon as our vehicle was not yet ready. He dropped us at
Le Croisette (a large shopping centre) to meet up with Patrice Latour a manager
at the MCB (The Mauritian Bank). Meeting us after hours and then giving us a
lift back to our house shows you the generosity and kindness of the Mauritian
people. Another generous gift I received that day was from Christian Li’s wife,
who also works in the office with Ash; she gave me a shopping basket and has
offered to take me to the Fresh Produce Markets in Port Louis.
Thursday, Becoming Mobile
Ash was up early and taken by Vicky into work for the last time, I slept
in. Once up it was time to test out the washing machine, I read the
instructions and then put it through an empty cycle in order to make sure it
was clean and working well. This washing machine is incredibly slow and one
load takes at least two hours if not more, the washing also takes days to dry
because of the damp weather and you can’t hang it outside because of the
spontaneous rain, so only managed two loads that day. Ash arrived home with the
new car in the evening and we went to explore. We drove north up the coast for
a bit then headed back to Pereybere for dinner. We found an expensive looking
tourist trap, right on the water’s edge and enjoyed spring rolls, muscles and
shrimp and a chicken and prawn curry washed down by cocktails and Phoenix Beer.
Just as we were about to settle our bill the Sega Dancers and band started up.
As it was my first time experiencing the local entertainment Ash and I ordered
another drink and even learned how to move our hips like the local ladies.
Although it was a pricey evening we did enjoy ourselves and had a good time.
Friday, a half day at the office then the Weekend begins
A leisurely start to the day, Ash and I decide to go into work after the
traffic, giving us time to have some breakfast at home. The rain came down hard
that morning so the traffic wasn’t good even though we left late. Casual day in
the office, the last Friday of every month, where the money collected goes to a
charity. I got Ash and I a few sandwiches for lunch from the Café down the
block, they were edible but not 100% convinced the local cuisine from the
street corners is for me. We had to take the new car to have its wheels aligned
by the Waterfront, it was hot and uncomfortable, and was glad to be on our way
back to Pereybere for the weekend. We decided to pick up a few things at the
shops on the way home so tried the local Pick n Pay. It was eye-opening to see
that although more expensive than SA the products seemed cheaper than their
local hypermarket. We have decided going forward that Super U is good for booze
and Chinese imported household goods while we will be doing our food shopping
at PnP. We dropped off our groceries at home and headed out to Grand Baie to
explore that side, a walk along a beach and popping into a few Resorts to have
a look, was followed by cocktails, Rugby and befriending the local bar staff at
B52 pub. We passed the local McDonalds on the way home!
Saturday, Exploring and Discovering
Ash’s turn to cook and he spoilt me we a delicious fry-up, I did the dishes.
It helps not having too many pots and pans, cutlery and crockery as you are
forced to wash up more often and then the washing loads are limited. In the
afternoon we headed out to explore the beaches of the North, driving all the
way down to Balacava. We stopped at Mont Choisy beach for a walk, and spotted
the places to do water sports, possibly a beach braai, and how to spend a day
in Mauritius. We also discovered a local patisserie and bought a delicious
baguette for Rs12 (less than ZAR 3.40). Heading back to Grand Baie we stopped
at the Le Rondevoux Café for a snack and wine by the glass at Rs110 (ZAR 31.50)
which is the best price we have found as most wine will cost you over R200 for
the bottle in a restaurant. Home to shower and change for our dinner date, we
were invited by Mark and Kareena to a friend’s birthday at The Beach House Restaurant.
The Beach House is famous because it is owned by Cabous van der Westhuizen, an
ex-South African rugby player, its idyllic location and 5star food make it easy
to see its appeal. The champagne, whiskey, wine and delicious snacks flowed
freely and we were treated like guests of honour, even drinking with the owner
himself. After midnight we headed to the local nightclub, and entering the back
door got us into the VIP section with our high profile guests Mark the Jockey
and Cabous the Restaurateur. It seems nightclubs are very popular here because
it is an opportunity to escape from the heat outside, but once inside if you
have seen one night club you have seen them all.
Sunday, SA style braai and beer
With a slight hangover and no plans for the day, Ash and I decided to
have a braai at the clubhouse. We went up to Super U to get charcoal and a few
other essentials; it was hot and relatively clear considering they forecast
rain all weekend. We did a beer chicken and tried out the Phoenix cider and
“Fresh” Phoenix, which is a lemon flavoured beer, like a shandy. Our neighbours
were too partied out to join us so Ash and I enjoyed the afternoon alone, with
some spite&malice and wondering what it would be like with our friends and
family around.
Monday, Maid’s day
Today Kareena’s cousin, who helps around their house, came to help me
with a few of the things I don’t have the time and inclination to do, Ironing,
Floors and toilets. Her name is Beatrice and she was very helpful, she also
told me which cleaning products and equipment is better to use around the house
and we paid her the equivalent of what I paid Mamsy back home but for only
about half a day’s work, happy with the help none-the-less. It seems like
getting reliable and trustworthy help is difficult as Kareena has had a few
that have stolen things. The problem will come in when we are both at work and
can’t keep an eye on things. Beatrice is reliable and trustworthy but I think
this is just a short-term solution. The handyman in the complex, Salim, did a
few odd jobs round the house, he also showed me inside one of the other, empty,
houses in the complex, and it was here that I found a stand fan that was not
being used. Salim needed to check with the landlord but brought it over later
in the day, it has literally saved my life. As well as keeping the mozzies away
it helps keep your body temperature down. When Ash got home from work we went
for a nice walk and checked out our area, it was nice to do some exercise
together, toasted sandwiches for dinner and some French sport.
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