SSR (Pamplemousses) Botanical Garden

 

From the Cailaisson Temple, we continued travelling by bus to Pamplemousses (Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam) Botanical Garden
Bus conductors here are very helpful when they see tourists. Of course they believe I'm a tourist - pale as I am - lol! Several buses passed while we waited for the bus to take us to Pamplemousses Village and when it finally came, the conductor shouted 'Pamplemousses  Garden! Pamplemousses Garden'! Quite funny too! :)
Visiting the garden on a cloudy/rainy day is different from a sunny day. The glare from the sun doesn't do justice to the plants/flowers - especially not when taking photos (my opinion). Even if we had local showers, the visit was a pleasure.

The impressive iron-wrought entrance to the garden. 

 

Chateau de Mon Plaisir - built by the British in the middle of 19th century.
 

 

Nelumbo nucifera - Lotus

 Love this palm lane, the wet and colored palm trunks and the palm leaves, full of rain water, bending over the lane..
 

 

 

Corypha umbraculifera - Talipot Palm in full bloom.

This amazing palm blooms once in its lifetime. We didn't have a guide telling us about the garden/trees, but we were lucky to meet a guy there telling us this palm is about 60 years old... After blooming, the palm dies...

 

 

My favorite area of the garden; the old overgrown stone houses



... and the old overgrown bridge...

 

 

Erythrina pallida - Coral tree

 

Adansonia digitata - Fruits on a Baobab tree



 

The weather was so-so when we entered the garden, gradually it became better, but still....

It was lunch time, we were hungry, I was longing for the delicious 'Black Forest Cake' at

Cafe Wiener Walzer (Valse de Vienne).

Unfortunately they didn't have that cake this time. Instead I ordered an delicious omelet.

The food is delicious and service very good - a place to recommend.

 

 

After a delicious lunch, we walked it up to Beau Plan Sugar Museum

(coming soon).