The weather has indeed taken a turn. January to March signifies the onset of the rainy season, and it seems to have arrived all at once. Since we arrived in October, there has been barely a breath of wind, but that changed with the build-up and arrival of Cyclone “Balal.” Having almost experienced a devastating hurricane before, I knew the drill and stocked up on essentials.
On Sunday, we went for an early morning swim, sensing the strange swells developing, moving us around like a drain emptying. As we got out, the rain started to fall while we walked the beach and watched the last of the small boats being pulled out of the water by their respective pickup trucks—some on trailers and others just pulled out and tied to trees.
Monday morning brought news that the cyclone was still tracking between us and Reunion Island. With our housekeeper’s arrival, we decided to head to the beach for a walk, knowing we might be stuck indoors for a while. As soon as we got there, the heavens opened with rain that stings as it hits you—good fun, though, and except for a French couple we see most mornings, we were the only ones around. We waited for a break in the weather and then rushed back to the car, luckily, as we’re staying only 5 minutes from the beach, we crept back home as the roads were already flooded.
The heavy rain, propelled by high winds, arrived late that afternoon. Situated on a higher point, our first-floor apartment is well-furnished and secure, making our mandatory curfew painless. Fortunately, Mauritius was spared the full impact of the cyclone, and apart from a minor power outage, which considering the island’s overground power cables, we got very lucky! The curfew ended at midday on Monday, and we took a drive to assess how our little corner of the island and the beach had weathered the storm. We were fortunate, with scattered debris, but the sea had eroded the beach somewhat and claimed several of the beautiful trees. The normally inviting water had also turned into a thick soup, with vegetation and rubbish strewn across the beach. The north of the island, fared much better than the south, which tragically lost a number of people to the storm.
Dream Chasers 