Vedi, Veni, Visa

Vedi, Veni, Vici - I came, I saw, I conquered ... Julius Caesar (for more of Caesar's classic latin quotes, refer to the Asterix comic series)

I had gone to Mauritius for a 8 day sojourn in mid-2007. This was my first overseas trip as far as holidaying was concerned. Had planned this one to the last detail as I was being accompanied by milady. As we embarked our flight, I was in high spirits; probably like Caesar when he embarked on his conquest; and was looking forward to a few peaceful days away from the troubles & strifes of everyday life.

The idea was to do a little bit of sightseeing and just chill-out at the hotel the remaining time. Upon arrival at our hotel I was greeted by the site of white sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters. The days went by exploring various parts of the island punctuated by sumptuous breakfasts, afternoon naps and walks on the beach.

As far as shopping went, all i had planned was to get a few souvenirs but the wife had other ideas. And there we were - scouting, window-shopping, bargaining (very important in Mauritius as everybody is out to rip-u-off) and actual shopping whenever the tour guides allowed us to. Not in our favor was the fact that public sector hours in Mauritius are from 9 am - 4 pm (how I wish that were the case with the IT industry in India). Shopkeepers just don't give a damn after 5 pm and its shutters down ... even if customers are jostling to get into shops. As a result we were not able to complete all things on the shopping agenda.

I had no choice but to dip into one of the reserve (read chill-out) days for this mission. So, instead of lying on the white sandy beach sipping bottomless margaritas, we were on our way to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, in a local bus akin to our beloved PMT. Off and running we went, ticking items off our list (prepared meticulously by the wife) till we were finally done and wiped-out at the end of it.

While packing our bags that night, I realized that I had conquered it ... the shopping district I mean ... Vedi, Vini, Visa - I came, I saw, I shopped.

PS: Mauritius, by the way, is like a paradise on earth. Worth visiting once in your life.