Beachcomber Magazine 02

S ummeriscomingtoanend.The parchedearthsoaksupthe heavyrainsthatfallintermit- tentlyfromthesky.Thedampairdif- fusesthemingledscentsofeucalyptus andfrangipanitrees.Rodrigues–hardly morethan110squarekilometres–and itslittleunspoiledisletshavetheforceful charmofforgottenplaces.Everything seemstohavebeenplacedthereforever. Thetightlyknithillswiththeirclinging hutsandcorrals,thebouquetsofscrew- pineswiththeirtentacularroots,theflat coralplain–wherethetradewindsplay, thedesertedbaysdeepdowninthe ravines.Andeverywhere,theimmense calmpresenceofthelagoon.THE HEIRS OF HISTORY Mostofthe40,000inhabitantsdescend fromtheAfricanandMadagascanslaves, importedontheslaveshipsincolonial times.Theyhaveinheritedtheirvisceral attachmenttotheCreolelanguage, andtoSega-drummusic–borninthe refugesofthe“maroonslaves”andnow partoftheworldheritage.Fewofthemarebotheredabouttheir familytree.Butthelanddoesnotforget. Forexample,thevillageofL’Union,per- chedhighupintheisland’shills,ishome toaslavecemetery.Intheshadeof ancienttrees,lavastonesareplacedhere andthere,withonlygeometricshapes inscribedonthem.THE SEA, A LAND OF REFUGE OnthisfirstofMarch,theyarecelebra- tingtheopeningoftheseinenetfishing season.Beforedaybreak,inAnseLa Baie,dozensofpiroguesglideoutinto thelagoon,wherethenetsareset.With theflowofthebigfull-moontide,the mulletswimuptothetraps,“helped” Fishing for octopus is now regulated, and forbidden at certain periods, to protect the natural reserve. All alone in the middle of the Indian ocean, 600km east of Mauritius, Rodrigues is the tenth district of the Republic of Mauritius. La pêche aux ourites est désormais réglementée avec des périodes d'interdiction pour protéger la réserve naturelle. Isolée au milieu de l’océan Indien, à 600km à l’est de Maurice, Rodrigues est le dixième district de l’île Maurice. RODRIGUES MAURITIUS ROAD TRIP BEAUTIFUL MAURITIUS 20