ROAD TRIP THE ART OF ENCOUNTER 26 his homemade drinks. “It’s fruit flavoured ‘arranged’ rum, and if you drink a bit too much of it, you’re not much arranged yourself anymore!” he laughs. We would definitely stay there, chatting and remaking the world but the wind whispers that it’s time to go. We have an early start tomorrow. TOWARDS LE MORNE AND… INFINITY! The forest slowly awakens with the dawn chorus of chirping birds. The Chamarel waterfall is still in the night shadow. The sun paints the sky an electric pink. Quick, on to Coloured Earth! These velvetysmooth dunes are a geological curiosity. They take on hues of ochre or violet as the light changes. The sun is already high in the sky when we return to the private Ebony forest, a sanctuary of the island’s endemic species. One of these is the ebony tree. We walk in heavy silence. The birds have stopped singing. It was in the little museum that we found the causes of the massive deforestation on the island: the frantic cultivation of ebony and large trees, ship building in the 18th century, slash-and-burn agriculture, intensive sugar cane farming, the introduction of animals, including monkeys… Today only 2% of the original forest remains. Some parts have been protected, for example the Black River Gorges National Park. At Pétrin, Vincent Florens, professor of ecology at the University of Mauritius, visits the site with his students. “This forest is protected,” he says, “but that may not be enough to save it. The fauna has disappeared. There are only nine species of indigenous birds left, where once there were 44, including the dodo.” At dawn the following day, we cross the village of Le Morne just as a moped drives past, horn honking loudly. This is one of the last curd sellers. Le Morne Brabant mountain comes into view, amazingly imposing. Once the refuge of slaves on the run, it is now a memorial, and part of the UNESCO world heritage. The mountain is no easy conquest. The climb is steep. Leaning into the 40° slope, clinging on, climbing without looking down. And suddenly the magnificent view opens out. The lagoon, the ocean and the swathes of green in the mountains… We are on the rooftop of the world. Alone with the wind. Inaugurated in 1910, the lighthouse at Pointe aux Caves (also called the “Albion lighthouse”) is 30 metres high and continues to scan the horizon. Inauguré en 1910, le phare de la Pointe aux Caves (appelé aussi phare d’Albion) s’élève à 30 mètres de haut et continue de balayer l’horizon. Spanning the Belle Eau river at Albion, the footbridge leads to a fine sandy beach. Enjambant la rivière Belle Eau à Albion, la passerelle mène à une plage de sable fin.
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