I spent several weeks of the summer of 1979 in Mauritius, with my good school friend Anil Biltoo and his dad, staying with many branches of their interesting family.
I want to write quite a lot about this trip, as it was the most amazing experience for a 16/17 year old youngster. It was hugely formative for me in many ways, not least sparking my lifelong interest in travel and cultures other than my own.
This posting is a quick summary and overview piece, linking to artefacts already available on-line:
All of the letters I wrote home while I was there, which doubled up as my diary/travelogue, have now been scanned, uploaded and transcribed as Ogblog entries. They make fascinating reading for me and I hope are providing interesting reading for others.
I also want to write up a few additional stories and thoughts with the benefit of hindsight, including some memories that have been triggered by going through these documents relating to matters undocumented in them.
Postscript
I have subsequently (autumn 2019) Ogblogged my journal and recollections from this whole trip, so the above links can get you started on the whole lot, if you wish to read them.
While we were there, one might have been forgiven for thinking that sega was the only local style. Wikipedia specifically describes sega thus. Indeed, one might have been forgiven for thinking that Cousin Cousine by Joss Henri was more or less the only record in the charts.
Years later, I recall a very funny sketch by Barry Grossman at NewsRevue about the Tudor charts, the punchline of which was that Greensleeves was the number one for the 2,157th (or some such) week running. That sketch always reminded me of my trip to Mauritius and Cousin Cousine, which had been number one for as long as anyone could remember while when we arrived and was still number one when we left.
Of course, the whole idea of Cousin Cousine was very suitable for Anil, who was basically on a voyage around the island visiting a myriad of cousins (and cousines) he had not met before, so I’m sure that song must conjure up our trip in his mind as well as mine.
I wrote letters to mum and dad which doubled as my diary/travelogue. By 10 August, it was clear that I’d arrive home before the letters, so I concluded my journal using scrappy note paper. Here’s a scan of the four pages that remain.
I should point out, to completists in search of my diary entries for 10th and 11th August, that it seems those have got lost. I know that, on 10th August, I did track down the Jewish businessman in Port Louis whom I had sought in vain on 9th. I strongly suspect that my notes for 10th and 11th August were stored with the article I wrote about my 10th August encounter, which, sadly, my mother threw out with other items of my juvenilia which she decided I couldn’t possibly wish to keep. No, I am not over it.
An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:
Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 17 August 1979 – my last diary entry written during the Mauritius trip.
Friday 17th of August 1979 –
Having stayed at Marraz’s, we went on a grand family picnic at Palmar (and Belle Mare). Had a terrific time there and in the evening we ended up with a sort of improvised party with Janee’s nephews, nieces and cousins. We stayed at Garçon’s last night, with a mind to finishing our shopping in Curepipe with the help the chauffeur.
Even now, with dozens of hotels along that coast, both Palmarand Belle Mare still have public beaches, where lovely people such as the Biltoos and their extended families might well still party, as we did.
This looks like Manjula’s belated birthday party. Whether this is the same as the “impromptu evening party” at the end of our trip or not I cannot be 100% sure, but based on other diary entries mentioning its postponement several times, I think it might well beManjula looks as though she has been at her daddy’s bottle of rum, but perhaps she was just tired out from all the excitement of the day.
Elements of the beach party – playing ball games, dancing, eating and generally having a good time – are charmingly recorded on cine film – to be seen towards the end of this video – c8:30 to c11:15
These gatherings/parties at the end of our stay were a highlight among many highlights for me – the culmination of unforgettable and life-forming experiences over five weeks in Mauritius.
An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:
Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 16 August 1979.
Thursday 16th of August 1979 –
Went out shopping with Ahalia (bought a tablecloth and one or two gifts). Moved back to Marraz’s about noon, whiled away the afternoon and in the evening we had a dinner party there ( Garçon, Janee and kids, Narrain, Tiffin and most of their kids).
Standing Left To Right: Anil Gooly, Tiffin Gooly, Narrain Gooly…the other five are all Anil Gooly’s siblingsSame as above with Dat Biltoo, Me, Anil Biltoo and the family dog included. Goodness knows who took the picture. I’ll guess Marraz
An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:
Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 15 August 1979.
Wednesday 15th of August 1979 –
Anil and I went shopping in Curepipe this morning, and this afternoon Jan Sooknah took us for a drive to see some beautiful places around Moka which we hadn’t seen.
This evening we went to Dan’s and got back late for a late dinner and now bed.
Perhaps this picture is Floréal or Curepipe or Moka
An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:
Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 14 August 1979.
Tuesday 14th of August 1979 –
At Sooknah’s; did very little during the day, except in the afternoon his brother in law (Dan) and his wife (Sheila) came around. They invited us over for tomorrow. Anil and I were supposed to go to the postponed party today, but it was cancelled at the last minute because of the strikes.
Instead we had another interesting chat (Ahalia is very good at those) and went to bed.
I don’t think I got any pictures of Jan Sooknah and his family. He was a wealthy barrister who lived in Floréal. I don’t think he wanted me to take pictures, otherwise I would have done.
An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:
Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 13 August 1979.
Monday 13th of August 1979 –
Went early to Shahil’s, but because of bus strike, his father had to shuttle all the workers to work et cetera and so we couldn’t make an early enough start to go to Île aux Cerfs (as planned). Instead we want we instead we went to Grand Baie and other resorts along the north coast.
We returned early to be collected by Jan Sooknah. We went to his place, had dinner there and chatted until quite late.
I’m pretty sure this picture was taken at Grand Baie that day. Left to right: Dat Biltoo, Anil Biltoo, Shahil Soniassy, Nanda Soniassy, then Mr & Mrs Soniassy with Shahil & Nanda’s two younger siblings.
An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:
Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 12 August 1979.
Sunday 12th of August 1979
Stayed at Marraz’s last night, went to Garçon’s in morning for lunch and went on to the races with Shan (sports editor of Le Mauricien) who took us (Anil and I) into the press box. We didn’t do very well at the races, but anyway, we went back to Marraz’s for dinner and the night.
I was wondering how I got such a good spot for this photo
Shan Ip Ting Wah was still hanging around the Mauritius Turf Club as recently as 2016 (interview in French/Creole):
One thing I do recall very clearly was a difference of opinion between Marraz and Garçon in the matter of introducing me and Anil to the “joys” of horse racing. Garçon was a real fan of the racing, as evidenced by much of his letter to me a couple of months later:
Marraz was not keen on racing…or at least not keen to initiate a couple of 16/17 year old lads into the scene. I recall Marraz being pleased when he learned that we had not done well that day and that he issued a stark warning about gambling.
In my case, the Marraz line of argument won. I had been a little uneasy about gambling on both of our visits to the racecourse in Mauritius and never really got the bug for it. But I can see it as a fun day out and we have several times organised days at the races for our staff – e.g. this one:
I kept detailed notes of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, but unfortunately, my notes for 10 and 11 August are lost to all time. My mother decided to throw away a heap of my juvenilia memorabilia, which inadvertently included some of my Mauritius diary pages, as I wrote up my 10 August notes…
…for the BBYO National magazine on my return. I stored those diary pages with my article notes rather than my diaries.
Anyway, by a process of elimination and a trawl through the photographs, I have concluded that the following day, 11 August 1979, must have been the postponed birthday party for Manjula Biltoo, the older of Garçon and Janee’s children. Perhaps her 5th birthday? The party was held at Garçon and Janee’s lovely Rose Hill villa – coincidentally fewer than two miles, no more than 30 minutes walk, from the Beau Bassin site where the extraordinary “Mauritian Shekel” story described in the link above had unfolded in the 1940s.
…as well as enjoying their Rose Hill home as our base for much of our other time in Mauritius.
As there is no reference to Manjula’s birthday party anywhere else in the diary…but there is a clear batch of photos from towards the end of my stay (but not right at the end), I’m pretty sure that 11 August must have been the day of that party…
…thus I have pulled together a photo wall from that party.
I have had a go at labelling up the names, but am hoping for some help from the Biltoo community (e.g. Vanisha, Manjula’s younger sister) in filling gaps and improving spellings.
Manjula with Anil BiltooManjula, Garçon, Vanisha and Anil Biltoo with assembled familyBhavesh Biltoo (Marraz &Anandani’s son)Janee, Vanisha, Manjula and Garçon Biltoo front row. Cousins (I think from Janee’s family) back row.On the left I think Mim Gooly?Baby Gooly?, Shahil Soniassy, Mim Gooly?, Anil Biltoo & Nanda SoniassyAnil G9ooly with Nanda SoniassyMe with Nanda Soniassy. The image of my head from this photo became the “Ged Ladd” avatar several decades later.
I have used several of these pictures to illustrate other write-ups from other days, but I can tell from the photo numbering that those above are from that super party.
I can also report from memory, although not from diary notes, that the party was a very jolly affair, with much of the extended family present and a good time had by children, young adults and more senior folk alike.
