MAURITIUS and Driving With Miss Marjorie
Trip Start
Nov 18, 2007
1
2
7
Trip End
Apr 16, 2008
Port Louis,
Mauritius
Monday, November 26, 2007
Mark Twain, in his book Following the Equator, commented, "You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius ."
Its climate is almost identical to that of Hawaii . I've never found one that comes this close. Not too hot, not too cold. Then I looked at a map of the world and found that Hawaii sits 20 degrees north of the equator and Mauritius is exactly 20 degrees south. So, there you have it.
The island wasn't even populated by humans until the 1500's but then it took just a few hundred years to almost denude the entire place of its former cover of trees and other vegetation. Fortunately they have now designated huge tracts as preserves and National Parks, but much of the island is overgrown with sugar cane and tourist hotels and bungalos
Mauritius Fodi Bird
. Nonetheless, it's a very attractive place...except for the roads...and the drivers. We rented a car at the airport, which is inconveniently located on the opposite side of the island from where our first hotel was. Keep in mind that we're now driving on the left with Hindus and other crazies whizzing around us.
Our first three days were spent on the northwest corner of this island/country. Lots of big luxury resorts and all the hotels were full. Then we headed off to the south, though with some trepidation. It had become evident that we were visiting Mauritius during their high season. While the weather is getting warmer and warmer here, it is getting colder and colder in Europe , thus a huge influx of visitors from France , Germany , Italy and England . Resorts were fully booked, guesthouses were full. Nonetheless we headed out onto the motorway, or as Marjorie is fond of calling it, "a high speed video game," wondering where we might be sleeping that night.
As we approached Port Louis (the Capitol) on the M1 motorway Marjorie began swerving in and out of traffic at ever higher rates of speed, and laughing maniacally all the time, really getting into the spirit of the game
Near Flic en Flac
. As we approached a roundabout she pulled out to pass two large trucks. Keep in mind that you drive on the left here and pass on the right. Up ahead, on our right, it looked like there had been an accident. There were blue, police car lights flashing along the side of the road and three police motorcycles parked along the shoulder. All of a sudden I noticed that one of the motorcycle cops is motioning us to pull over. We comply.
An officer of the Port Louis , Mauritius Police Department sidles up to the passenger side of the car (that's my side), like he's from the Louisiana State Highway Patrol, and asks if we know why he pulled us over. "Because you wanted to give as an award for driving so carefully, "I offered.
"No."
"Maybe because you are surprised that any foreigner has survived an entire week driving in your country without being killed or maimed and you wanted to talk to them before they DID get killed," I say. Again, "No."
This time he takes the initiative
Inland Highlands
. "It is because you were driving 65 Kilometers an hour in a 60 km per hour zone." We are incredulous. People have been driving by us all week like we were standing still and we're now being stopped for going about 2 miles an hour over the speed limit? Must have been those yellow, rental car, license plates on the car. We were in shock...and awe, of his audacity. But, he seemed rather friendly. "I must give you a ticket for 500 Rupees (about $18.00 US). Can I see your driver's license?" he asks of Marjorie. She has to go rummaging through her luggage in the back of the overloaded little car we've rented and finally comes up with it.
After looking it over for about a minute he asks in his Indian accented English, "From which country do you come?" After all that looking at the license he can't even figure out which country we're from?!?! We finally give him a clue (the country where George Bush is the President?) and he guesses correctly.
Then he asks, "What do you think I should do?" We're thinking he's angling for some baksheesh (a bribe, of sorts), but we're not biting.
Then the light goes on
Butterfly and Flower
. Marjorie says, "What happens if we won't pay the fine, do you put us in jail?" He is taken aback. Not many foreigners have volunteered to go to jail in Mauritius , I bet. He looks befuddled. "Yes, I suppose you would have to go to jail, but I do not think that is a good idea."
"Why not. You would have to feed us. We'd have a nice place to stay and we'd get to know some of your countrymen," Marjorie says.
"This would not be a good idea, I think," he stammers.
"Well, we have many friends in America who are police officers," I say. "They generally give tourists a warning for something this small. Maybe you would consider doing the same thing?"
"We are not like that here," he says. "By the way, how do you like Mauritius ?"
"Well, before this (motioning around at our predicament) we liked it very much
Mountain Waterfalls
. But now...." "Maybe you will tell your friends to come here someday," he says.
"Maybe. Maybe not" I reply with a smile.
"Maybe I just give you a warning this time," he finally says.
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. You are a very nice man. I will write a letter to your boss telling him what a nice man you are and that you deserve a raise and promotion I will call your wife and tell her you didn't really mean all those bad things you said to her last night. I will say a prayer for you at the church, or temple, or mosque...you choose which one...."
"OK, OK." You must go now. Have a nice day...and drive carefully," he says. His compatriot brings three lanes of traffic on the motorway to a screeching halt, to let us back in. They can't get rid of us quickly enough, it seems. But, Dang! No free room. Thus we were forced to find the lovely Sun Villa in Flic en Flac, where we stayed for the next several nights. When one door closes, another opens.
