I'm finally back in Mauritius after almost two and a half years. Each time I visit the island and my family living here, we are staying in the north of the island, so I take the bus to the capital Port Louis. It's always one of the first excursions I do. The pandemic has left its mark here as well. It is very special to walk around and see shops, cafes etc. which are closed. After a walk through Chinatown and the center of the city, I went to the Central Market. A colorful place. Usually noisy, but with a smell of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs that does make your mouth water.
Most towns have their own local markets where the products grown on the island are sold. The Central Market in Port Louis is the largest market on the island. It's also one of the oldest, which dates back to the 1820s when the island was under British rule. Besides selling fruit and vegetables there is also a part selling souvenirs mainly for tourists. These vendors can be very persistent, but friendly.
The market hall has on the main floor a doble -height ceiling, which gives both an airy and grand feeling. I always walk up to the second floor to stand among the souvenir sellers looking down into the main hall. I love to stand up there watching the vendors and the customers who make their purchases. The photos are taken from up here, but from different postions. Some are taken with flash or high ISO because of the lack of light in certain places.
When one of the vendors saw me with the camera,he came to me to suggest a better place from where I could take photos. Very kind of him and he was right!
Many of the people who work in Port Louis lives in the outskirts of the city. Because the market includes food stalls selling local food and juices, many will come here to buy a snack or drink for lunch. Usually the market area is crowded during the week. I was here around lunchtime, but this time less people than I remember. It might be due to the pandemic situation. Many people still work from homeoffice.
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Latest photo shoot, check out :
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All the photoes are mine, Ulla Jensen (flickr, Instagram and facebook)
[//]:# (!pinmapple -20.188736 lat 57.506585 long People photography – the colorful market in Port Louis (Mauritius) d3scr)
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