Port Louis — With less and less people travelling and the current economic situation fraught with uncertainties, is travelling still an enjoyable experience? The incidents recounted below took place at SSR International airport last Sunday. And they go to show that if things have changed, they are not necessarily for the better

In this time of recession when the number of tourist arrivals and air passengers could shrink, courtesy at our duty free shop is more than ever needed.

"I'm sorry, where exactly do you live in the X?" asked the immigration officer, rudely interrupting gossip of extreme importance.

"Oh I'm so sorry, here is the complete address. I couldn't write it all in because of the limited space on the embarkation card I'm afraid", I replied with a charming smile and an apologetic tone.

I was going on vacation and who cared if the embarkation card was badly designed? I was in a good mood and nothing was going to ruin this. Not even a bad-tempered immigration officer who had no respect for gossip.

Well that was my state of mind at this precise minute but little did I realize that this was just about to change.

"You shouldn't say this to me; I didn't print the card!" snapped the immigration officer 1. I slowly looked at the guy, thinking he was trying to be funny. Oh but no. He was dead serious. So serious in fact that for once, I didn't know what to say and I kept on staring at him. Luckily - for him I like to think - his boss came over and started to make light of the situation.

Alright, I thought, I'll let this pass; after all, I had vowed to keep my confrontational attitude at home so that my vacation is not ruined.

"They were unabashedly staring at usmaking comments that seemed to be highly amusing, but which I suspect would have been deeply offensive, had we heard them."

A few minutes later, we'd done the whole customs and security thing and were proceeding to the duty free "paradise" as they pompously like to call it. Paradise, it definitely wasn't anymore by the way; duty free prices are not what they used to be if you know what I mean

Anyway so, we are strolling leisurely past all those goodies, still deeply engrossed in our gossip when we realized that a group of male employees of the "paradise" had suddenly found something to occupy their boring routine - us.

So, they all stood together - there must have been five or six of them - and they were unabashedly staring at us, making comments that seemed to be highly amusing, but which I suspect would have been deeply offensive, had we heard them.

"Ignore them?" my friend asked me. I looked at her and smiled: "Yeah, to hell with them!" I replied.

But those employees of the Mauritius Duty Free Paradise weren't to be ignored. So, they followed us. Yes, right in the heart of the airport, them wearing their name badges and all, they followed us. And then, they sent one of their friends to come and offer us a basket.

"No, thank you", I replied through clenched teeth but trying not to sound too offish.

Then number two stalker comes along and stands just behind us, close enough to touch us if he wanted to, but with his back to us. While his colleague with the basket stood there, staring with an insolent smile on his face.

I couldn't stand this anymore and I turned around and asked those two uncouth people if there was a problem.

The guy with the basket suddenly lost his smile and simply said, "We're working".

"I'm not asking you what you are doing, I'm asking if there is a problem!", I snapped.

"No there isn't", replied the second one.

"Good then", I said before leaving "paradise".

But before that we had to go to the tills to pay for our purchases. And by the looks exchanged none too subtly between the guys at the till and our stalkers, my friend and I understood that this was going to be another unpleasant experience.

Which it was. We weren't going to let this ruin our moods, we decided as we proceeded to board the airplane.

So, our spirits still high, we made ourselves comfortable on the plane and enjoyed the new cost cutting service offered nowadays by airlines, recession and the price of petrol oblige.

I hasten to precise that we were not travelling with Air Mauritius. This fact soon became blatantly clear. "Can we order some more drinks?" I asked the steward. You will never believe what he told me: "Not now, I'm serving food at the moment."

My eyes wide open, I asked again - "And so you can't get me something to drink?"

The answer had at least the benefit of being clear - "No," he said.

Customer service, professionalism, courtesy. Three words that seemed conspicuously absent at SSR international airport and in the Mauritian sky on this Sunday afternoon.