2021.11.11 – … PREPARATIONS …

A VERY VERY IMPORTANT DAY

FROM THE CRACK OF DAWN, i.e. FROM 9:20 a.m. ONWARDS, WE DROVE AROUND THE OFFICES. OF COURSE, WE HAD A DRIVER AND A „SPECIALIST OFFICE WORKER” – 2 IN ONE. FIRST STOP – THE OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL. THE NEXT IN BAMBOO. THE SECOND ONE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF IT WASN’T FOR THE KINDNESS OF THE OFFICIAL WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO DRIVE TENS OF KILOMETRES FURTHER – TO BLACK RIVER.

NOW WE HAVE TIME FOR QUICK SHOPPING.

SHORTLY IN PORT LOUIS

RETURNING TO THE HOTEL FOR ANOTHER MEETING WE VISITED ONE OF THE BIGGEST LOCAL ATTRACTIONS – AAPRAVASI GHAT.

30 MINUTES LATER WE WERE AGAIN SPEEDING ALONG SOME NATIONAL ROAD. LESS THAN 20 km FROM OUR DESTINATION OUR TRANSPORT FIRST GOT A HICCUP AND THEN STOPPED. A BROKEN CAR IS NOT A VERY PLEASANT PROSPECT – ESPECIALLY ON HOLIDAY. WE TRIED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OURSELVES FOR A WHILE. DOESN’T WORK. ACCORDING TO MY DIAGNOSIS, THE FUEL PUMP WAS DEAD. WE HAD TO CALL FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE.

WE WERE NOT BORED AT ALL WHILE WAITING FOR THE TRANSPORT. NOT WANTING TO STRESS OUT THE DRIVER, WE WENT FOR A WALK IN THE CHINESE BOIS MARCHARD (CEMETERY) BY THE WALL OF WHICH THE NISSAN HAD RUN INTO. OF COURSE THE NISSAN – THE VEHICLE CARRYING US – NOT THE LATE Mr. AND Mrs. Sz.’s SHEEPDOG.

BEFORE THE MOST IMPORTANT MEETING WE MANAGED TO JUMP INTO THE OCEAN FOR A MOMENT. THAT MOMENT WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE MY LIPS TURN COLD.

JULIA, WITH WHOM WE DISCUSSED IMPORTANT MATTERS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, IS A PROFESSIONAL. SHE SPEAKS POLISH, FRENCH, ENGLISH AND OF COURSE GERMAN. HER FATHER LIVES IN LODZ. SHE CAME TO MAURITIUS A FEW YEARS AGO WITH AN IDEA FOR LIFE AND SHE IS REALISING IT.

WE TALKED MAINLY IN ENGLISH BECAUSE MY FRENCH IS NOT VERY COMMUNICATIVE. THE TWO OTHERS LANGUAGES ARE OFFICIAL HERE.

IT WAS ALREADY QUITE LATE WHEN THE CAR RENTAL MAN, WHOM OUR DRIVER HAD MET EARLIER, DROVE UP. I GOT A SMALL TOYOTA @ 1030 MUR/DAY (€ 1 = 48,25 MUR) FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS.

THE CAR HAS 45,000 km DONE AND LOOKS LIKE IT HAS JUST LEFT SOME SORT OF RACING TUNE-UP. WOMBAT IS DELIGHTED. I AM LESS SO, BECAUSE I AM WORRIED ABOUT „LYING COPS”. RUNNING INTO ONE WITH SUCH A LOW SUSPENSION AS THIS PSEUDO-RACE CAR CAN BE COSTLY …