[Dietmar]

Hi there Titus,

hope you had a nice week end next there in Reunion. Here up north in Mauritius we are not having any beneficial rain of the cyclone which could have been beneficial. I still hope some of it will drop by for my lawn to grow

"But damn, no "real" taxi system. Had to make an appointment with my "assigned hotel driver" to pick me up. Shit, if it's boring there, you're stuck => if it's just fun, you got that driver waiting for you outside."

They got their taxi act a bit more organised now, a taximetre system was once introduced but then removed again, it kind of didn't work out. But the taxi system isn't like it is in Germany where you can call a call centre and they organise you a taxi which comes by in 10mins. Its still more kind of a personal business where you ask around. And once you have a good driver who doesn't rip you off, you stick with that one only for all your drives.

"Well, I don't enjoy really making party under those circumstances. But anyhow, "l'ambiance" was quite frosty. So it didn't really matter. Was somewhere in the north, don't remember the name."

Mauritius is not the party place to be Am sure the frost is still available. But it depends, if you go to certain birthdays or weddings it can get very lively and nice.

"Another time I was in a night club somewhere in the center/South, Curepipe or Rosehill (don't remember too). But was almost the same."

Maybe that was Saxophone...

"well, what else to do in Mauritius? Beach: not really my stuff (except if there's at least half a dozen of lovely girls wearing string Tangas around me - and me in the middle of them, of course !)"

...with a good cocktail lol!

"Mauritius is ok for mid-age tourists, couples, 50 and up but was so boring to me."

Yep, mauritius, depending on what young people are looking for, might not be THE destination that will fullfill all wishes and wants that young people like to enjoy and experience. Yes, retired people love it here, get addicted with mauritius and often try to stay here 6 months a year to avoid the european weather.

"I've been twice this year, but only for 2x 1 night in transit in Mahébourg. damn, I had the bad luck, first time was a holiday, and the other time a Sunday. I was walking around the whole day in Mahébourg, just one restaurant was open... no bars, no beer ( ) no shops, nothing to do for a whole day."

Yes, thats often the case, sometimes even during the week, i think on thursdays many shops are closed. Have been eating there a few times, and sometimes had difficulty findind a place to eat as like in your case, everything was closed, during the week... I like Mahebourg, its a bit more the calm and less stressy kind of town. If you go to other towns its often more bustling.

"Yes, an ice cream van passed along, I bought some coconut too, I watched a little bit the fishermen, but that's all I could do."

lol! it probably got your attention with its nice music

"But I also avoid to go to Mauritius for some other problems:
I hate being spoiled ! And that's what Air Mauritius and Air Austral (and Coraline) are doing. We pay almost 70-80% more expensive our tickets on our end - and already those bought at your end are very expensive for that short distance (compared to other routes of the same distance).
There are some politicians (on your and our end) that are earning a lot on our back. I avoid throwing my money after them (I hope they'll read it here, you'd say in German: "in den Rachen stopfen" it's a much more appropriated term)"

hmm, actually we don't even think of going to Reunion here, among friends, its never a topic of discussion, probably due to the fact of the expensive prices. But am sure if it would be cheaper, we would be in groups going to Reunion. Actually, both countries would benefit. Reunion would get more of its empty hotels filled, and Mauritius more Euros...

"By the way, it's not really infrastructure that's missing. Mauritius is good for quite beach holidays, somewhere hidden in a hotel, all-in. But that's not my stuff, I'm looking for something else. The infrastructure is OK."

It depends what this something else is, for some people its ok to drive around, have a nice chat with some people for a few mins, receive some smiles, do some sight seeing, see a sega show, travel to an island, and then fly back home with lots of souvenirs from shopping...

"What's mainly missing are human relations. Mauritians are always very polite, very friendly (nothing to complain about) but somehow relationship's kept cool, kind of client/employee relation. And with relations to the people I have it much easier here in Reunion, and also in most places in Africa where I had been, including Madagascar (where infrastructures, as you mentioned, are almost inexisting)."

Yeah, i think thats what also makes the country. A country can have nice shops and buildings but unfriendly people, won't be that nice then to be there... Better nice interesting people than only material assets.
But I get the picture what you mean with the people issue here. For a short trip here you might actually not stumble into the people you could have a good chat with... You might need to stay longer and you don't bounce into them everywhere either. So in the end you might need to live here first, and after a longer time you might get to bounce into them... or not! But well, we are not talking about making some deep friends, but just having a good in depth chat, well yep, thats not something you can have here around any street corner... But you can talk to anybody, but it would be more like you said above.

"Some 2 years ago I drove around a business partner from Mauritius here in Reunion for some 3 days. He had been here for the first time (a Chineseman). He noticed (and mentioned) something to me that made me think:
-he was astonished that unknown people greeted him.
Yes, that made me think too (I didn't realize this anymore), and it's true, wherever you go, at Boutique Chinoise, or snackbar's, it's very common to salute everybody, to go around and shake hands. Somehow there's another kind of approach to strangers."

Yes, people usually greet people they know. And in shops you do get greeted with a "Bonjour" here to. And it also varies. Sometimes you don't get a hello back, or no good bye. I've been here a while so I don't pay to much attention to that. But when I went to France I also had a similar feeling. Usually I would travel from Germany to France, not to say that Germany they don't say hello, but in France I found them more polite and friendly in shops, buses etc. In Germany, the service was quite often not so good, sometimes its like the client is not king but a nuisance wasting the shopkeepers time

"but also the people, mixed culture, open minded people.
YES, exactly that's what I like most here. I can get stuck in a chat with strangers in the supermarket, have a nice talk to anybody, of all races or mixes, almost everywhere. That's what I'm missing a bit in Mauritius.
You're a little stuck in Indians/Muslims/General Populations (what horribly term)."

Yep. It will still take a while to get to this level. Or maybe never exactly on that same level as you know it.

"By the way, I would like to have more LINKS between Reunion and Mauritius. It's a pity that such a few Mauritians come over here (or can effort the travel). Would be good for you too to get out and see something else more frequently."

That would be great! Good idea actually, should consider Reunion for a future trip, need to talk to some friends. Would be fun.

"But this could only be changed with some more good will from the politicians
(that I don't see to come so soon)"

"Quote:
Like in Grand Baie where I stay, it was a chaotic development
Last time I was in Grand Baie was maybe (?) around 2001-2003 (was about a year after the "bombing", pardon, "accidental explosion" of that supermarket.
It was still in ruins. I think it had improved compared to 10 years ago. Are sidewalks still missing along the main road ?"

They have built a new shopping complex there, looks nice. Its already opened. There are still not sidewalks everywhere, i still miss those.
Now they are building some in Pereybere.

"Quote:
And many Mauritian artists in that time used to go to Reunion to get their stuff recorded.
I think for recording there are today more Reunion artists that go to Mauritius nowadays (it's cheaper).
But the Mauritian still like to come here for concerts, there's public and (mainly!) they get paid. Seems to be a problem at your end, some hotels give you some pennies to play every evening the same stuff for the tourists. But that's it already.
(I had some discussions on this with the band of one hotel "near Grand Baie" )"

Interesting that they are coming here now. Maybe in future this will also happen in some other sectors. Maybe plastic surgery...

"I'd been 10-15 times in Madagascar, mostly for one month. But that's a long time ago (last time maybe some 10 years ago). I wonder if it's changed, and I wonder if I won't be disappointed."

Difficult for me to say, haven't been there 15 years ago. But while I was there this year and travelling through the brousse, there were lots of road works going on. Its mainly done by the Chinese Railroad Corporation. I foung their trucks interesting, they looked like Mercedes Benz trucks, but instead of the Benz Star it had a reversed V, i wonder if its a copy... But I am still impressed that the chinese are doing constructions everywhere in places you wouldn't imagine and in many african countries. In mauritius also, some construction is being done by chinese. Mada also lacks a good highway. But the new president is pushing the progress forward. To the people I talked, most of them seem to like their new president and are happy with his new developments.

"But looks like I got some connection problems. I ' am about to go to a city somewhere in the "bush" that was heavily destroyed b y a cyclon last season - and I'd have to stay a whole week there due to flight schedules. I riks getting mad for such a long time without anything to do there. And I'm worried that they ain't got enough THB in stock in that town for me spending a whole week there."

lol!

"I would like to see some friends from Tana again, but I hate that city. So I will avoid it if I can. I prefer the cities at the coast. I would love to got to Nosy Bé and Diego one day (never been to those places)."

Been in Tana, big city, seen stuff there i haven't ever seen before, like its poverty level. In the coast I was in Morondava. I found it very interesting to see that most people stayed in simple huts. There is also a lot we can learn from them, from this simple way of life with little material possesions. I also enjoyed the long travels through the brousse, the nature and mountains, the rice fields, the Baobabs , hope to see those places you mentioned to. Mauritius is a small country, you can't travel much, nor drive endlessly. Thats possible in Mada. I also a lot of Fish in the coastal town Morondava, its called "Merlin", its till now one of the best fish i've ever eaten.