Bambous is a small town on the west coast, the administrative centre of the Black River district and a location of the basalt industry. The A3 road to the south of the island carries heavy traffic through the city centre, causing daily traffic jams.
Medine has been a leader in the Mauritian sugar cane industry since the days of the British colony. The company has reinvented itself beyond agriculture and is now a major player in property development, leisure and education. This beautifully designed bus stop at the western end of Bambous, on a road leading to Medine's facilities, tells a story about the company's role in the public eye. It even has a ramp, possibly for wheelchairs, which I don't see very often in Mauritius.
The town hall and library in Bambous is a building that fascinates me for reasons I don't really understand. It's in a prominent position because it's on the A3, the main coastal road in the west of the island. I pass it almost every day. Perhaps it's the promise of participation and progress, in stark contrast to the reality I see in Bambous, that captivates me.
Years ago, Mauritius opened a modern metro line running from Curepipe in the centre to the capital Port Louis, passing through the main urban areas of Quatre Bornes and Beau Bassin - Rose Hill. But most Mauritians without private cars still have to rely on very old diesel buses like this one, without air conditioning, for their daily errands and to get to work. Such buses are privately owned and this particular one, called "Perle Sawarr" by it's owner, seems to be in pretty good shape compared to others.
