First Impressions

Mauritius lies in the Indian Ocean, about 2,400 km off the south-east coast of Africa. It is roughly 65km from North to South and 45km from East to West. 


It's a Goldilocks of a territory - not too big: not too small, but just right. 

It's a volcanic island of lagoons and palm-fringed beaches, with coral reefs surrounding most of the coastline.


Technically, it's "densely populated," but nowhere feels crowded. There are rich and poor, but without the extreme poverty that can be found in parts of India and Africa.

It is best summed up by one of the official websites:

"Mauritius has a reputation for stability and racial harmony among its mixed population. Mauritius is known as a plural society where all the ethnic groups present: Hindus, Muslims, Creoles, Chinese and Europeans live in peace and where all the ancestral cultures have been preserved. These features make the island a unique place in the world, and the Mauritians known for their tolerance and kindness towards all people."

Charles Darwin

One can be forgiven for thinking all this is too good to be true... but both Charles Darwin and Mark Twain described the island as a paradise, and it is soon easy to concur. If I search for the reasons that make this place so welcoming, I think the answer lies in the fact that Mauritius was uninhabited until the middle of the 17th century so that the many ethnic groups who have subsequently arrived here can all define themselves as Mauritian. 

Today, Mauritius has a Westminster-style democracy with one smart refinement. While 60 of the 70 seats are apportioned according to the results of elections, there are eight "best-loser" seats in the assembly that are reserved for  the "best losers" among the nonelected candidates, according to their ethno/religious affiliation--two each for Hindus, Muslims, Chinese, and two for the general population. The other two seats are reserved for representatives of the island of Rodrigues. Yes, as if being a Paradise were not enough, Mauritius even has its own island paradise, Rodrigues, 650km to the east.

A wonderful mix of cultures with a common culture of  gentleness

The constitution seems to work well, and the island has a good feeling about it. It is difficult to explain, and I have been trying to find words to describe the mood of the place, and don't find it easy. Islands in the Caribbean are described as  "relaxed" and "laid-back" and both of these could be applied to Mauritius, but there is another aspect here, and the only word that comes anywhere near is "gentle." 

Since the dodo was the only creature to lose out in the scramble to populate the island, there is no racial group that feels dispossessed. Hence the people don't behave as if they always had to prove something, or as if they always expected to be (to use an awful word) disrespected. Yes, there are rivalries and disputes that have flared up over the years and have inevitably become polarised along ethno/religious lines, but that could equally well happen in UK between neighbouring  housing estates or two local schools. 

Some days it might rain - some days it will rain

The other key word to use in talking or writing about Mauritius would be "acceptance." People don't concern themselves about things over things they cannot influence: they just accept. They don't worry over the weather, because they know they have calm days, they have hot days, wet days and typhoons. 

... but when the rain moves on, the sun comes out.

If you come to Mauritius, or indeed most anywhere in the tropics, you need to remember that rain brings green foliage, and that rain will stop - maybe soon, maybe later, and will be followed by sunshine.

Hibiscus

Today's weather has been varied. 
One moment, grey skies and a light shower, then blue skies break through the cloud and the sun dries the damp earth.

I can hear the surf on the beach, a couple of hundred metres down the lane, and the birds are chirping and trilling in all the trees.

Without the rain, we wouldn't have the wonderful flowers, and the grass would be a dusty brown.

I'm not complaining... like I said, Mauritius is all about acceptance: gentle acceptance.