BAZAAR MARKET OF PORT MATHURIN

By 11:30 a.m., it's all but over! The villagers from Maréchal, La Ferme, Saint Gabriel and surrounding areas pack up, and there's almost nothing left of the woven-fiber items, herbs, spices, fruit, vegetables, pastries, jams, preserves and other local produce, which each vendor had taken care to display in the area appropriate to his or her type of product.... as in the days when the bazaar was held in the streets, before the construction of this covered space which, oh miracle, has lost none of its original charm and has remained friendly, colorful and full of life. Perhaps the magic lies in the scent of freshly-picked herbs and fruit, the accordion tune wafting in the sea breeze, the headdress competition and the line-up of faces behind the stalls covered in local produce from Rodrigues...

On the outskirts, as if in a row of onions, stand the partially refrigerated stalls of meat, poultry and fish vendors. In the center are the market gardeners, in a large hall open to the four winds, where each vendor has a "carré" (stand) rented for the year, where they display the produce from their vegetable garden. Surrounding them are jars, pies, dried ourites, limon peppers and more, from Leonita Perrine of Citron Denis, Yolande Bégué of Soupir, Doloresse Clair of Anse Raffin... not forgetting Manon Delly's delicious gingerbread.

YES, it's all very cheerful, and we like to let the hours fly by...

In one corner, a small terrace invites you to enjoy a drink or a light meal, since everything is so inexpensive (around Rs 100 for a chicken stir-fry, ourite rougaille, biryani... and only Rs 15 for a roast egg). A few steps away, you'll find open-air refreshments from street vendors gathered in a dirt square (tables and benches).

Practical tip: if you don't live in Port Mathurin, it's a good idea to get to the Saturday market by local bus, some of which run very early in the morning. You'll have to get up very early, but you'll be travelling in vehicles packed with people from Rodrigues loaded with huge baskets of fruit and vegetables: a change of scenery guaranteed!

For the record, it's worth noting that, even though it's now rare, the less fortunate Rodriguans still go to the market on foot, carrying their produce on their backs. Those coming from the western end have to set off around midnight to arrive in time for the opening and have the best chance of selling everything.