While in Mauritius, we booked ourselves into a beach resort set in the shadow of the impressive Le Morne Brabant. Not experienced enough to hike to the tip of the mountain, we opted for a mid-point hike with a local guide.

It was at times challenging, but we climbed slowly with long silences. The descendant of a spiritual Shaman, our guide shared our philosophy and appreciation of nature.

He spoke reverently and enlightened us on the mountain’s tragic history as a shelter for runaway slaves. The cliffs were virtually inaccessible, but he showed us how they survived using the tools nature provided. On the day slavery was abolished, authorities approached the base, but fearing they would be captured, the mountain residents chose instead, to leap to their deaths....

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