Just Me And My Flip Flops

I'm at the beach. It shall remain nameless so as to keep its anonymity. You see, I am the only European here. It appears yet to be discovered by tourists. At least for today. In fact I am the only person sat here on the actual beach itself. Just me and my flip flops. The water lapping at my feet. There are Mauritians here, lots. It would appear a 'troisieme age' (senior citizen) outing. At least one bus load, maybe two. Scattered in small groups under the cooling shade of the filao trees behind me. Occasionally they'll take stroll in the shallows, ladies in twos or threes, chatting. Or alone, lost in their own thoughts. All hoisting their sarees above the waves, but no higher than their knees. "Bonjour, ça va?" They ask as they pass. "Corec merci et vous?" I reply. The conversation has begun. Mauritians love to talk and of course assume by my brazen start that I am fluent in their local patois. I'm not. Despite understanding so much,

I'm back in the country that stole my heart... 29 years and 1 month ago I first stepped foot on this island paradise - and saw that same view above - little did I know then what treasures it would behold. It was pure chance me ever coming here. My dad always told me life is a game of chance. I'm with him on that. It was chance because, despite working in the Reservations & Ticketing department at the World's Favourite Airline and travel geography being 'my thing' and despite knowing the IATA 3 letter code, how long the flight was as well as being able to tell you the cost of an off-peak super apex return fare and the dates you could travel on it, despite my love of my atlas, until that momentous October day way back in 1989 I had no idea where Mauritius was! 29*10'S 57*31'E the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation situated in the Indian Ocean, 1200 miles off the southwest coast off the African sub-continent. The next country to the west is