For the second year in a row, we enjoyed the premier horse race in Mauritius, the Maiden Cup. Mauritians are passionate about the races! It is said when the races are on, all Mauritian hearts beat as one. If they are unable to get to the Champs de Mars racetrack, folks are huddled around transistor radios in the sugar cane fields listening. Nearly anyone on the street can give you "chio" (tips) on which horse will win, place, and show. They almost always know the jockey and the training stables of each horse. We were fortunate that our friend, Raj Dassaye, a Port Louis City Councilor, took us to the Racing Commissioner's suite . . . we enjoyed the sport of kings among the titans of Indian Ocean industry. So, you may ask, did we win? Yes! It was totally random: I bet on one horse because it belonged to a friend, another because my fruit vendor gave me "chio" on it, another because its name was clever, and another because it was a long shot; and they all won some rupees! More than anything, though, it was a great afternoon under a blue Mauritian sky, our hearts beating as one with the whole country!
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