Mauritius-Unity in diversity

 In Mauritius we have a lot agricultural land on which crops are grown. In the 17th century, when the Dutch found that the soil was good for the cultivation of crops, they brought in many spices and medicinal plants to cultivate on the island for trade purposes. Today about 43% of the land is used for agricultural purposes and organic farming is being encouraged on the island to protect the environment and our health. Among those crops, the locals have been focusing on the medicinal herbs for ayurvedic purposes. As everyone knows, ayurvedic is an ancient medicine system originated from India since more than 5000 years. Here are some of the medicinal herbs in Mauritius: 1.Noni tree Noni is everywhere in Mauritius and it is known as the "feuille tortues" by the local. The fruit of the noni tree is rich in vitamin C, A, BC and iron and has been used as juice and ayurvedic medicine. The juice has a good effect for diabetes Type 2 and body pain, helps to boost your immune system a...

Mauritius is considered to have one of the world's most breathtaking coral reefs and marine life. In fact, special care is taken to preserve and protect our lagoons and marine world. As Mauritius is an island, the water is very clear and is suitable for many water sport activities. For many generations, sailors and scientists have been baffled by the mystery of coral reefs scattered across the oceans. Fun fact, sand is created by coral reefs which are broken by waves along a long period of time. Mauritius is just as fun on land as under water with a plethora of activities, some of which we are going to explore below.  Sea shells are collected by the locals on the beach to make beautiful decorative items and even souvenirs for tourists. Some of the items made are bracelets, necklaces and you will notice the people living near the coast wearing many of those on a daily basis. Many water sports have been set up to explore the life under the sea.   So here are some of the top...

Often dubbed the 'Bob Marley of Seggae', Joseph Reginald Topize, was found dead in his prison cell at Alcatraz in the capital city of Mauritius, Port Louis. Also known as Kaya, he was born on the 10th August 1960 and died on 21 February 1999. He is widely known for inventing the genre of Seggae which is a mixture of Reggae and the Mauritian Sega. His early childhood was spent in Roche-Bois and at the beginning of his career, he performed mostly in wedding parties as a guitarist being inspired from the great Reggae singer Bob Marley. On 19th February 1999, Rama Valayden, the leader of Republican Movement had organised a musical concert to eradicate the consumption of cannabis, as at that time around 2000 people were sentenced due to several soft drugs and to prevent a bad image for the country. Five groups of local artists were invited to perform on that concert, including the Seggae singer Kaya. During the concert Kaya and his friends smoked the marijuana in open air and were l...

As with part 1, we shall continue to look at some of the dishes that are used in the Mauritian cuisine and how they are prepared. You can visit part 1 on this link: https://tinyurl.com/y587guv7 1.Vindaye Poisson(Fish Vindaye) Fish Vindaye, also known as Vindaye Poisson in the local language, consists of fried fish mixed with mustard seeds, garlic, turmeric, chilli to give it a distinctive taste and flavour. Ingredients: 1 Kg of fish fillet Chopped onions 5 crushed garlic cloves Chillies(optional) 2 tsp of crushed mustard seeds 2 tsp of turmeric powder Salt  Cooking oil Lemon Juice Preparation: Scale and cut the fish fillet into slices and marinate it with salt and 2tsp of lemon juice. Fry in hot oil and put aside. Heat oil in a pan or wok until medium hot and turn off. Mix the chopped onions, garlic, mustard, turmeric in the oil and add fried fish on top. Stir the pan or wok gently enough to allow the ingredients and the fish to blend into each other. NOTE: DO NOT STIR THE INGREDIE...

As you already know, the world is suffering from global warming and this is the cause for uneven weather conditions and major catastrophes. The most recent ones being the Australian wildfire from which approximatively1.25 billion animals were affected and lost most of natural habitats. Mauritius too has known many such calamities, though not as detrimental as the wildfires but they were nonetheless damaging to the country.  Floods One such calamity was the massive flood which occurred on the 30th March 2013 in city of Port Louis and claimed 11 lives. It was caused by the sudden rainfall which poured on that unfateful morning. It did not help that the city is surrounded by mountains and rivers and the drains were clogged with waste due to the numerous shops and malls which are located in the city. The flood caused a big chaos in the city as the roads were filled with debris, fallen trees and dozens of vehicles collided with ever causing a severe traffic jam and causing many accident...