October 29
I film a night scene in Port Louis


October 30
At about mid afternoon I discover my video camera gone.
I go to the security office and inform them. A statement is taken:
a. 'At around 1030 AM, this morning, I talk to head of security who is making his rounds and comes by the boat.'
b. 'At about 1045 I head to the bathrooms for my mid morning shower.'
c. 'At about 1110 I return to the bathroom to pick up my forgotten shampoo.'
d. 'I return to the boat about 1120 or so.'

Thinking that's the sad end of the story, I try to forget the incident and not linger uselessly. But a little later, passing by another security officer, he shouts: 'we have the guy on camera'. Amazed, I rush over to the office. Before long, we are briskly walking up three flights of stairs to a room high up in the Caudan Marina Complex commanding a birds eye view of the harbor. As we turn the corner into the room we find a man seated at a desk watching a big TV screen. And there in front of him is arrayed not just one, not a couple, not even 10 but FORTY moving images of FORTY cameras, all bringing into that small space, simultaneously, the complete goings on in the Caudan Marina Complex.

And there, ready to go, is 'my' video! Hit the button and sure enough there's Shearwater, a few hours ago, calmly lolling at the side of the dock, and sure enough, there's a figure of a man walking along the dock, he reaches Shearwater, he enters the boat without hesitation at 11:15 and almost exactly one minute later, exits. Jump to camera 15 - high above we see the man enter the screen at the top, now in the middle of the complex, and disappear the opposite side. Jump to camera 27 - we now see the man reaching the end of the complex walking directly toward us-each camera revealing more details.

Enter three plain clothes detectives. After a bit of discussion and after watching the first three cameras, they ask for camera 27, nothing. Then camera 17 and sure enough there's the man again at 11:12, BEFORE the robbery. But, still no clear view of his face. Another bit of discussion, they trace the mans path going backwards - we look at camera 9, then camera 8 and by golly there he is at 11:11. Backing up again... camera 5...camera 7 - we hit the jackpot....a clear picture of his face on camera 7! The detectives issue directives to the security officers, inform me they will start disseminating a picture of the guy, and with hand shakes all around they leave as quickly as they came.

And as I wander back to the boat, in a tiny marina, on a tiny island in the remote middle of the massive Indian Ocean, I realize , rather awe-struck, that, even here, even here! the ubiquitous camera eye is calmly, constantly recording every step we take.