Colonial Coin
Posted in Uncategorized on 02/18/2004 07:13 am by admin
Colonial Coin
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 1730 Half Penny Used In Early America Colonial Large Coin  US $10.49
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 1788 8 Real COLONIAL Mexico coin GREAT COIN Mexican coin US $98.00
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In the west of Mauritius, sheltering under the protective enclave of the Moka Mountain range, lies the capital city of Port Louis. This city, which is the largest on the island and is also the main port, was founded in 1735 by the French and named in honor of their king, Louis XV. Due to its strategic location it became an important naval base for the French fleet; one hundred years later the British, recognizing its powerful position, built Fort Adelaide, or more commonly La Citadelle, on one of the hilltops overlooking the port and city.
Port Louis is also home to the national derby, the Champ de Mars which lays claim to being the second oldest racecourse in the southern hemisphere as well as being the oldest in the Indian Ocean; no small feat for an island with a total area of just 2040 km2. During the racing season, thousands of people, locals and tourists alike, throng to the course to watch the valuable thoroughbreds thundering down the track and more often than not, to make a wager on the outcome.
The Caudan Waterfront, which is one of the cleanest harbors in the Indian Ocean, is home to an exciting array of shops and restaurants as well as a cinema complex and even a casino. On the fiscal side of the Caudan coin, the port is the largest container handling facility in the Indian Ocean and comes second only to Cape Town in the entire African region.
There are three main museums in Port Louis: the Mauritius Natural History Museum wherein can be found a stuffed dodo, the Blue Penny Museum and the Mauritius Stamp Museum, all of which are well worth a visit. Chinatown, which is about ten minutes' walk away from the waterfront, shows the vibrant Chinese subculture which is alive and flourishing in Mauritius: authentic Chinese cuisine, traditionally dressed elderly Chinese people and small, beguiling shops whose brightly lit red and gold interiors will entice even the most hardened of pedestrians in for a closer look.
Almost everybody will agree that the Place D'Armes is the best place to start any tour of the city as it is the convergence point of all traffic from the north and south. With its tall, palm lined avenue, a surprisingly harmonious blend of modern and colonial architecture and also the oldest theater in the Indian Ocean, this area is saturated both visually and historically.
For the chance to haggle and bargain over Mauritian craft and handiwork there is no better place than the Port Louis Bazaar. Jars of explosive chillies from Rodrigues Island, brightly colored sarongs, exquisitely carved wooden ornaments, coral jewelery and hand-woven baskets from Rodrigues are just a few of the attractions to be found in the bazaar. Even if buying is not on your agenda, it is an interesting and rewarding market around which to wander.
Sarah Townshend