Accessing Information: There are unusual and interesting
things for you to look forward to here, but you should not forget
that it is a developing country and you will need help in making
the best of your stay.
Though the people are very friendly and helpful, if you want
to know something ask a policeman! Time and again visitors discover
that people here do not like to admit that they do not know
something (such as directions to a place), so they make it up!
Internet Access: Mauritius is trying hard to transform
itself into a cyber island and it has a state-of-the-art cyber
city at Ebene.
The internet does not quite stretch to Mauritius yet despite
their claims!
Driving in Mauritius: Cars and buses alike speed along
as if they are responding to a 999 call and see every vehicle
in front of them as a challenge. They are genuinely child-like
in their concept of danger and destruction. When you go out
at night, as indeed you should, pay special attention to your
fellow road users as they need looking after.
As you drive through towns and villages you will observe empty
pavements with pedestrians, dogs, goats and even chcken walking
alongside them in the middle of a road that is only just wide
enough for non-pedestrians to travel on.
I used to find this very frustrating until I started walking
about myself and realised that the pavements are often unserviceable
because the trees and bushes that overhang them are totally
obstructive and extremely prickly!
According to the daily newspaper, Le Matinal (p.12 of the 15-12-06
issue) there have been 118 deaths in 107 road accidents so far
this year, which is slightly up on last year. Two of the seven
killed in Dec. 06 were hit by buses and one of these was a police
officer on a moped.
