Moka lived up to its name, a great place to spend a rainy day by the fireplace. Not for us, we braved the elements, explored it all, and were rewarded with some real treats and finally a glorious sunny day. We did start at the brand new Mcdonalds, which was a funny surprise.
Our next stop was the post office or old Moka railway station. Beautiful preserved, with a couple of railway support houses that have also been looked after. A short stop at the Telfair campus and on to the amphitheater with its sundial, that doesn’t quite tell the right time. Still, a beautiful place for a picnic and a show
Telfair sugar mill chimney built-in 1816, Riki said as a joke. Actually made in 2016, they really did a grand job on it. Made in the style of La Union and almost as high, it has archways surrounding it, give a sugar mill feel. It is the perfect spot for selfies, even in the rain. Next to it is an office park, with a restaurant, which is a must-visit, even if you are not hungry. It has a huge model of the future smart city, complete with scale models of the chimneys and Bagatelle Mall.
No time to waste, we were off to Dodo quest, escape rooms inspired by Mauritius. Wow, what a great place, and worthy of its own video, which we did. Moka office park has a great shop and some restaurants, and next door is a church.
Notre Dame du Bon Conseil Chapel is the first reinforced concrete structure made in Mauritius. The best thing about it is that it has not been ravaged by time or cyclones. All the fittings and woodwork are from the time it was completed in 1911. Across the road is the Tamil associations building, with way too many stairs and a great gold statue.
A quick stop at the old District courthouse and police station to see the fantastic building, which I hope are soon to be repaired and incorporated into the smart city as a coffee shop.
I talk about Reza Chateau, the second oldest reinforced concrete build in Mauritius, but the truth is, it’s not in Mauritius. Due to a strange set of circumstances, it is actually in Iran, well the land belongs to Iran.
A really narrow road brought us to a greenhouse filled with flowers and Ti Chevrette restaurant. On the river, it is the perfect spot for a late lunch as you are watched over by the mountains. We did a drive-by of Escale Créole, unfortunately, closed on a Saturday.
In Mount Ory we explored an old house or chapel or theater, it was small but beautiful. What wasn’t small was the huge tree outback. We made our way to Eureka – La Maison Creole, the largest example of Creole architecture with its 4 waterfalls, but it had a cover charge of 200 Rupees, so off to Bagatelle.
We ate some Wonton soup and Pad Thai but decided that Bagatelle the Mall of Mauritius deserved its own video, so off to 42 Market Street, which also got its own video and Riki’s art of the day, so it was off to the Flying Dodo, brewing company, which is also getting its own vide
Moka seems to be the place to make videos, but more than that, it’s going to make a great smart city. Whatever you preference in exploring, Moka will cater to you, from historic to modern, shopping to beer, it is the smart choice for a visit.