DAY 13 - CUREPIPE ON A PUBLIC HOLIDAY

As suspected, no chance of flying so it's off to Blue Bay.  Plus, today is a public holiday: the Festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, and some Hindu temples are festooned with banners and preparing to parade their god.  We're warned to watch for disruptions to the traffic.

Once we're settled in tonight's self-catering studio, chez Harald et Maryse

with its nice little outside courtyard

(and snorkelling trip is arranged for tomorrow), we head inland to the central plateau city of Curepipe 

Despite being a public holiday, we share the botanical gardens with only one or two picnicking families and it's very tranquil

The guidebook refers us to the Trou aux Cerfs crater lake but the area is so heavily wooded that it's hard to see inside 

but the surroundiong countryside and views are very lovely. 

We're unsure whether the national flag is flying for the public holiday or they're always up (whichever, they're a fine sight)

He's obviously advertising a parade

 

Into Curepipe centre, where we find a library sponsored by Carnegie

the cathedral

and rather woebegone (derelict?) city hall

And finally, on the way home, the traffic finally does snarl up good and proper with a series of parades