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Where it's at
Port Louis is the capital of Mauritius - star and key
of the Indian Ocean. The capital was moved from Grand Port
to Port Louis by the fifth French Governor of the island,
Mahé de La Bourdonnais, back in 1735 who established
a great, big harbour to encourage trade. As a result of his
efforts, Mauritius became the most important port in the Western
Indian Ocean.
Port Louis has had a face-lift in recent years, making the
city more appealing to travellers, with lots of shiny new
buildings, cinemas, restaurants, shops and cafés in
the new Caudan Waterfront. But for a more authentic
Mauritian shopping experience, head to the bustling Central
Market on Farquahar Street where everything goes.
It has lost some of its edginess after a renovation in 2004
from its 1844 construction - the marketplace's original ironwork
gates are dedicated to Queen Victoria - but it's still a great
place to spend a few hours for its many people, sights, sounds,
and smells.
What's in store at the Central Market
Hawkers representing all of the island's ethnic groups -
Muslims traders, Indian touts, Chinese, and Creoles - shout
to flog their wares which include lottery tickets, meat, patisseries,
herbal teas, and a rainbow array of exotic fruit and vegetables
(mangos, papayas, pineapples, coconuts, star fruits, jicamas,
chiles, and coriander) - all neatly presented to command your
attention. This amazing, bustling market has plenty of colour,
distinctive smells, and fresh appetizing produce - perfect
for cooking curries with.
Central Market street food
There are lots of great typical street foods here to sample
like river shrimps, Gateaux Piments (deep fried lentil
balls), Dholl Puri (a spicy pancake filled with lentils),
and Bimbalou Confit (a very bitter fruit dressed with
vinegar). The intrepid can also sample srevettes -
tiny shrimps that are washed down with agar alouda
- a jelly-like seaweed drink that has a habit of hanging out
of your mouth.
After this, you may have a necessity to visit one of the
market's Indian herbal medicinal stall. Car-sized number plates
announce cures for hernia, wind, constipation, aphrodisiac,
and bad smells. The latter will hold you in good stead to
visit the fishmongers' warehouse - a smelly collection
of octopus (fresh and dried), shark, wahoo, lobster, marlin,
and other marine life caught in the warm waters of the Indian
Ocean which provides the staple diet for Mauritius's islanders.
The market opens daily from 6am; get there early before the
smells and heat become unbearable.
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