Le Morne-ing Of The Earth

After 11 hours in a stress position, otherwise known as coach class, Valentin Illichmann and I finally land in Mauritius. Flung out in the Indian Ocean some 800km offof Madagascar with only Reunion for company, its closest neighbour in the other direction is Australia (where interestingly they also drive on the left).

- Paulina Herpel

Touch down was at 0500 hours as a spark starts to glow in the dawn sky. We had thought we’d be greeted with a light, warm breeze and lilting birdsong but after two hours of revving engines, car horns and sluggish traffic we flop into our beds, keen to claw back our sleep deficit but we’re too wired to rest. We slept well for the first time on the beach of Le Morne. Tall kangaroo trees (their proper name, even though the closest ones are on the next island to the east a.k.a Australia) line the public beach and provide luxurious shade. At the weekend, large groups of Mauritians sit in the shade of the trees, barbecuing, playing football and gazing over the sea. And every morning they sweep the place clean – a most encouraging site. We hardly saw any litter during our time here. The water is similarly pristine, as turquoise and clear and when the sun hits it, you could be forgiven that it wouldn’t take much talent to take a photo of Le Morne that looks just like the ones in a brochure. But then the real beauty starts. About 500 meters from the beach, small playful waves are running and further out we see the white water corona on the reef edge.