A Hike and a Hindu Festival

This is holiday time for Hindus, and we have seen decorations, fancy clothes, and parades in the street for many days. A few days ago was Vijayadashami (also known as Dussehra) and I caught their procession as it stopped traffic.

Meanwhile our little branch has also been active but not as colorful! We gathered at the local City Hall: below are four Young Adults and one older adult, getting ready for our hike and waiting for the others. We finally had a total of nine.

We hiked up the nearby Corps de Garde mountain, at least I made it to the first ridge where we could see the whole city behind us

Jonathan and Luc made it a lot higher

Then on the way down I saw some monkeys on the ridge but only caught one silhouetted in the photo

Incidentally, the mountain is said to have a giant on top, where you can see his head on the left, crossed arms, and his feet.

I also read some history of this area, which has a tragic heritage. Escaped slaves lived on this mountain, always in desperate fear of being recaptured.

Here is one account from https://www.indian-ocean.com/corps-de-garde-mountain-mauritius/

 ". . . Many maroons-turned-bandits roamed the hamlets of the vicinity. They lived a miserable life, hiding during daylight and moving in groups, coming out at night in search of food, thereby attacking even innocent people. It is told that they usually called on a village nearby and ate their fill prepared especially for them The villagers grew tired as the corvèe began to tell upon their purse so one day they laid a trap. Food was served to them as usual. But well-built and strong muscled police officers were also invited leading to the arrest of the whole lot The maroons’ lives sometimes inspired pity as they lived in perpetual fear of the military tnat might arrest and punish them according to Code Noir, a law passed by Colbert in 1685 to protect the slaves. . . "

We are fortunate to live here in calmer times, with relative safety and peace.