BAZAAR MARKET OF PORT MATHURIN

At 11:30 a.m., it's practically over! The villagers from Maréchal, La Ferme, Saint Gabriel and the surrounding area are packing up, and there is almost nothing left of the woven fiber articles, herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, pastries, jams, preserves and other local productions, that each vendor had taken care to display in the area relative to his type of product.... as in the days when the bazaar was held in the streets before being built this covered space, which, oh miracle! has lost none of its original charm and remained good-natured, friendly, rich in color and scenes of life. Perhaps the magic lies in the scent of freshly picked herbs and fruits, the accordion tune that floats in the sea breeze, the headdress contest and the line-up of faces behind the stalls covered with foodstuffs that smell of Rodrigues' land...

On the outskirts, as if in a row of onions, stand the partially refrigerated stalls of meat, poultry and fish sellers. In the center, there are the market gardeners in a large hall open to the four winds where each vendor has a "square" (stand) rented for the year and where he can display the products of his garden. All around, there are jars, pies, dried ourites, limon peppers, etc., from Leonita Perrine, inhabitant of Citron Denis, Yolande Bégué, citizen of Soupir, Doloresse Clair from Anse Raffin... without forgetting the delicious gingerbread from Manon Delly.

YES, all this is very cheerful, and one willingly lets the hours go by...

In a corner, a small terrace invites you to have a drink or a light meal since everything is so cheap (around 100 Rs for a chicken stir-fry, ourite rougaille, biryani... and only 15 Rs for a roasted egg). A few steps away, you can eat in the open air with the street vendors gathered on a dirt square (tables and benches).

Practical tip: if you don't live in Port Mathurin, it can be nice to go to the Saturday market by taking the local buses, some of which run very early in the morning. This means getting up very early but you will travel in vehicles full of Rodriguans loaded with huge baskets of fruits and vegetables: a change of scenery guaranteed!

For the record, note that, even if it has become rare, the less fortunate Rodriguans still go to the market on foot carrying their products on their back. Those who come from the western end of the town must set off around midnight to arrive in time for the opening and have the best chance of selling everything.