August 3rd, 2010
The last couple of days, I have noticed men in orange marching purposefully across Moti Bagh, carrying wooden structures festooned with bright tinsel-y paper. Of course, it is the season for “kanwarias”or pilgrims, who carry holy water from Rishikesh back to their villages – usually in Haryana and Rajasthan.
Mauritius - where we used to live – had a similar festival, though there they were called “cavadees” and their structures - for want of a better word - were much bigger and more elaborate. But as their distance from holy water source to village was much shorter, too, perhaps [...]
Click to continue reading A can of worms & snakepoint
June 19th, 2010
Sitting in the lounge at the airport in Mauritius, all checked in and ready to go. Had a moment of hope, when the check-in girl said the flight was overbooked. Visions of being offloaded and getting to spend more time here. But ’twas not to be.
So, back to Delhi it is, but only for a few days, since we leave on Friday for France and England : London & polo, Paris, then a holiday in the Dordogne with Sue Ollemans, rounding off with Hari’s graduation ceremony at Exeter – so lots more excitement to look forward to.
These [...]
Click to continue reading All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately
June 18th, 2010
Another sunny, totally un-wintery day in Mauritius. A deep blue sky, hot sunshine and a day with Lesly – what could be better ? We pottered around Port Louis – my favourite capital city in the world – and I played the nostalgic visitor to the hilt, even popping in to say hello to the stuffed dodo in the Mauritius Institute. I love that museum, which is delightfully old fashioned and timeless, and has, of course, my favourite dodo in a glass case. I always buy a postcard of him, as part of the ritual visit, but today the [...]
Click to continue reading A road trip, Mauritian style
June 16th, 2010
There is something very special about returning to where you once lived, and were so very happy.
There is a slight bitter-sweetness, because it is not actually Home any more.
There is a twinge of sadness when people don’t recognise you – like the caterer & traiteur to whom I gave a lot of business when we lived here, and who nodded blankly at me this morning.
And there is real sadness seeing where your former home was, and now isn’t – our beautiful campement was knocked down shortly after we left Mauritius, to make a shopping centre which [...]
Click to continue reading Mauritian musings
