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1. Mark
Twain’s Idea of Heaven
Mauritius is a petit Indian Ocean island
that is one of the world’s finest sun, sand and
sea destinations. The American writer Mark Twain was
so enchanted by the islands exceptional beauty that
he wrote: "You gather
the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven,
and that heaven was copied after Mauritius".
Just like your image of heaven, Mauritius
is far away, serene, and most fair. The small island
country lies 1,800 km east of the African continent,
beyond the eastern shores of Madagascar, and in the
middle of the Indian Ocean. It covers an area of 1860
sq km, and has 330 km of coastline. It includes the
100 sq km island of Rodrigues, which is 600 km to the
North East.
Hassan ibn Ali –an Arab trader,
was probably the first explorer to berth his ship on
the island in 975 AD. Finding the island uninhabited,
he had little cause to linger, as he had nobody to trade
with or convert to
Islam. The island was then only home to luxuriant tropical
vegetation, few reptile species and birds – including
the legendary dodo. The dodo was a flightless member
of the pigeon family native only to the island.
Hunted to extinction by the Dutch in the early 17th
century, it is today Mauritius national symbol.
Pedro Mascarenhas – a Portuguese
navigator, is credited with officially discovering the
island in 1505. Like the Arabs before, the Portuguese
were discouraged by the dearth of opportunities for
trade and spreading the Catholic doctrine, and they
did not settle as well. But as a major sea faring nation,
with growing interest in the Far East, they realised
that the island could be useful as a stop between the
Cape and India. This
was especially if food and livestock was available;
they were thus the first introduce livestock to the
island.
The Dutch were the first to make permanent
settlement on the island, staying over between 1598
and 1712. They eventually lost their nerve after facing
many trials brought by the forces of nature - cyclones,
droughts floods. The French filled the void in the period
1715-1810,
but lost out to Great Britain in the 1814 Treaty of
Paris that followed the end of the Napoleonic Wars.
The British remained in charge until independence in
1968.
Following the first human settlement,
Mauritius was soon traversed by peoples from three continents:
Chinese and Indian Asians who came in as merchants and
immigrant labourers, black Africans who worked as slaves
for in the plantations, and Europeans who at one time
or another were
masters of the island.
Today, Mauritius is a melting pot with
four prominent ethnic groups: Indo-Mauritians –whose
origins are in India; Creoles- of mixed African and
European ancestry; Franco-Mauritians, the descendents
of the original French settlers; and Sino-Mauritians,
whose forbearers can be traced back to China. All these
people have multiplied with time, and had reached a
count of 1.2 million by 2005.
The national life of Mauritius today
reflects a diversity of cultures and religion. Hindu,
Chinese, Christian, and Muslim festivals are recognised
as public holidays. The people are bound by some distinct
strands that cut across their diversity- a hospitable
outlook, enchanting music,
and spoken Creole- the Lingua Franca.
The islands have enriched the world
with a unique style of music beat known as Sega. Sega
music and dance is onspicuously African in rhythm and
beat, and goes with Creole lyrics. It is accompanied
by drumbeats and other rhythmic instruments, and by
the swinging of hips and
chafing of feet. The erotic Sega dance has its origins
in the days when African slaves worked the sugar fields.
You will not fail to experience Sega anywhere on the
island, and is showcased as nightly entertainment in
tourist resorts.
Being such a small place, Mauritius
has unexpected geographical diversity. Ranging from
a coastline almost entirely surrounded by coral reef,
the rest of the island is taken up by tropical savannah,
mountainous ranges, flat plains, and a central plateau.
The central plateau reaches
its highest point of 828 metres at Piton de la Rivière
Noire.
The island is part of the Mascarene
group of islands, which also include: Réunion,
Rodrigues, Cargados Carajos, and Agalega islands. All
but Réunion are considered as part of Mauritius.
These peaceful islands had violent and turbulent beginnings
as they were formed as a result
volcanic action from about 8 million years ago.
For the visitor, the most rewarding
activities in Mauritius are anchored on sun, sand and
sea. The island's maritime zone boasts more than 1,000
species of marine life- fishes, shells and molluscs,
in numbers beyond count. Scuba divers will have an excellent
time, and the island has over forty dive centres operated
by experienced dive masters. Outstanding dive sites
can be found at Grand Baie, Blue Bay, and offshore from
Flic-en-Flac.
The spectacular way to explore the spectacular
underwater world is onboard a submarine. The sub also
allows you to see some ship wrecks dating back to the
Dutch Mauritius is a leading destination for deep-sea
fishing, and indeed holds several big game world records.
You can swim at various places at beaches,
lagoons and inlets. Swimming beaches are best to the
north, though there are other good sites to the southwest
and to the west near Flic en Flac. The west coast offers
good sites for surfing at Tamarin, and diving at Flic
en Flac. Golfers have a chance to play in heaven, as
Mauritius offers six magnificent international standard
18-hole courses, and a number of good 9–hole courses.
Port Louis, the country’s bustling
capital and main harbour nestles on the northwest of
the island. The city has its feet on the ocean shores,
and its back to the hills and mountains. Founded in
1735 by the French Governor, François Mahé
de La Bourdonnais, it was named after King Louis XV.
It started out as a French military base, and from here
attacks
against the British army in India were prosecuted. Over
the years, the port adapted to peaceful enterprise,
despite numerous catastrophic setbacks.
Page
2 Article on Mauritius Travel: Mark Twain's Idea of
Heaven
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