We Basically Threw a Dart at the Map, And Ended up Here

   

We were getting ready to board the plane from Singapore to Mauritius and we noticed a large contingent of single men as passengers.   There were probably a hundred of them, and they seemed to know each other. 

They looked rather "informal" and most had a single backpack and a transfer pass from a flight from Bangladesh via Bangkok.  They looked a bit scruffy, obviously not tourists.  It didn't take long to realize they were workers.  Laborers, going to work in Mauritius.  

One Way or Another, The Work Will Get Done.  History Is Not a Straight Line.

It also didn't take long - once we landed on this remote island in the South Indian Ocean - to realize they were invited, as a group.   And after driving around a bit here, you can see why. 

At this point, as modern history plays out, there is a lot of building going on here in Mauritius, things are booming here and they need help to get things done.  Hence the number of workers coming by plane; this is not a new concept here. 

Over the history of this island, there were workers brought in here to do the manual labor required to build this country.   Most were brought against their will.  In other words, slaves.   The genetic pool of most Mauritians are Indian, African, Arab, and Island people (Polynesian, Indonesian, other islands).

Things got started here in 1589 when the Dutch showed up, and started a settlement here.  You can see the remains in the picture above.  Before that, no one lived on this island or the surrounding ones, it's just so far away.  But that early founding gives this place a history going back beyond the beginnings of America. 

So the Dutch struggled to survive and eventually gave way to the French, who then gave way to the the British.  They "imported" workers in addition to their own settlers and soldiers.  And when they left, those abandoned workers stayed behind.  

They didn't have a choice.  You can see the influence of the different people groups that were brought here over the years.  There are a lot of Hindus here, as evidence by the numerous religious symbols 

That's the makeup of the vibrant and mixed race of people who call themselves Mauritians.   

Mauritius is a small island, far away from anywhere.

   

We had needed a stop in the middle of the ocean on our trip between Asia and Africa, and this was it.  We came to find out that this place has an interesting history going back hundreds of years, interwoven into world history, even to this day. 

In the meantime this island has been at times, conquered, ignored, ruled by others, exploited, fought over, and used as a military base ... and as recently as 1968, achieved independence as a country (from Britain).   French is a key language spoken here along with English and Creole.  It has a rather strategic location originally for trade and then military purposes.

To travel here today gives a rich understanding of an isolated tropical island - it has rich rain-blessed volcanic soil to grow many crops such as sugar cane, pineapples, tea, fruits, and some grains.  The island is hilly and mountainous by nature, and has some spectacular sites.

There are many beautiful beaches, which bring tourists, and outdoor enthusiasts.  But the hills are full of waterfalls and tall mountains rising out of the sea with breathtaking vistas.  

We had no idea of the rich history and current economic vitality of this place.  It was a just a tiny island, a dot on the map.  When you get here and look around and do a little research, you find out amazing things.   It's very unique. 

We are leaving tomorrow to head to Madagascar.