Blogs from Flacq, Mauritius, Africa

“Make sure the prawns are ready, Santa’s almost here!” Perspiration clung to the foreheads of the staff as they busied themselves with adjusting table decorations. This year, I had been relieved of the pressure of Christmas at home and, for, two weeks, whilst on a once-in-a-life-time-never-to-be-repeated-for-fear-of-being-disowed-by-the-family holiday, that pressure had been consigned to someone else. The waiters re-adjusted their bow-ties as the manager announced (just a little too eagerly) to a crowded beach “Santa’s here!” Mauritius is a tropical island and I had quickly learnt that ‘tropical’ translates to ‘it will rain a lot’. After eight days of persistent rain storms and with the long-awaited arrival of clear-blue skies, the residents of Flic-en-Flac beach (myself included) were more than a little reluctant to stir from ... read more