Pamplemousses Gardens

 Today was World Food Day, and there was a festival for it in Pamplemousses, in the Botanical Gardens. The boys and I and Melia and Neya all went, taking the bus to Port Louis, walking from Victoria Station bus terminal to the North Terminal, and then on to Pamplemousse via another bus. Total travel time: 2 hours.

The Gardens date from 1729, and until 1770 was in private ownership for spice production. In 1810 the British got it back (was called the Royal Botanic Gardens) and since 1913 the Ministry of Agriculture has manned the Garden. It is now called the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden, named after the first Prime Minister after Mauritius became independent in 1968. Many roads, parks, schools and the airport are named after this very important individual. His son is the current Prime Minister.





This is the original Creole plantation house which is located on the grounds of the Garden.  The house dates from the 1850s.




World Food Day was sort of a garden show and Moultrie combined.  Here is Will standing next to a company display of portable milking machines. 

Will sitting on the roots of one of the amazing and huge trees at the Garden.  Sam is not in the picture because he is at the back of the tree terrorizing a lizard.  Actually, as I type this he is in the kitchen doing the same thing to, thankfully, a much smaller lizard.

The University of Mauritius Faculty of Agriculture display at World Food Day.   Spending ones day staffing the booth at an ag show is an international chore. 

Heading home back through the market at Port Louis.  Look - a plethora of plastic shoes!!  This seller is actually attempting to show off his wares via model plastic feet.  Usually they are just piled up (the shoes, not feet).

The original market entrance at Port Louis, which dates from the days of Queen Victoria. 

More market scenes at Port Louis.

The typical money and ticket seller on the bus.  The driver is to his right and the ticket seller has several jobs.  First, they take money from the riders and give out a receipt, which is a slip of paper like a cash register receipt.  These are not thrown away because an inspector may come on the bus later in the ride and check that you have it.  Second, many will lean out of the bus door while it is moving and yell out the route name in case people do not know where the bus is going.  This I don't get, as the front of the bus states where it is headed.  However, many buses do not follow the same route to their final destination so you do have to ask if the bus will be going to a mid way destination such as Reduit (where I go every day).  Third, when traffic is heavy they are the 'side mirror' for the driver, and let him know if traffic is approaching on the right and if they can merge into traffic.  They act a bit as a traffic cop, and if the driver does want to merge they lean out and hold up a hand so the drivers behind know a bus is headed over their way.