As promised last time, here’s the saga of how we obtained
WiFi in Reunion. The SFR shop told us we had to go to HQ. They were open
Mon-Fri. It was Saturday. On the following Monday we walked to an out of town
industrial estate about 6 km away. HQ was closed (for the annual stock taking) until
2.00pm. We caught the bus back, discovering the bus station in Le Port, and
noting the times of buses for our afternoon expedition. On our second attempt,
we met a very friendly assistant who only spoke French, but used her phone to
translate information into English. Because we did not have a Reunion bank
account the only package available was a 6 hour, 500mb deal limited to one
month at a cost of 19 euros. We bought it and since then we’ve been careful to
be online for as short a time as possible. One day gone on WiFi access.
We soon learnt that local buses cost the same as long
distance buses. Both are the cheapest way of getting around. Only once did we
have a misunderstanding with a driver about our destination and spent an extra
hour on the bus going round Le Port before he could take us to the marina. We
had a day out in the capital, St Denis, admiring French colonial buildings, an
art gallery, churches and markets. At the Office de Tourisme we collected maps
and bus timetables. We managed to find a café serving local food for 5 or 6
euros each and didn’t mind at all that it was also a gambling shop. We didn’t
gamble, not even for 37 euro millions!
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| One of the properties of note in St Denis |
We hired a car for four days at a cost of 130 euros, so that
we could explore the mountains and do some walking. My vertigo had improved and
as I’d stopped taking Stugeron, I could share the driving. We were both
uncomfortable about each other’s driving. I found roundabouts quite challenging
and managed to go south on an autoroute instead of north. Fortunately, we
didn’t have to go too far before we could turn round. The mountain roads
consist of bends and hairpins that zigzag up and down the slopes like a
switchback. The first time I drove down, I didn’t get out of second gear. At
the passenger side of these roads are deep, unfenced storm drains, walls or
cliff faces and you meet buses and lorries as well as other cars. It was almost
worth the heart attacks and the frustrating traffic jams in towns to reach the
beautiful mountain trails.
Our first walk, a circular 5 and a half hour trail from Hell
Bourg, was up and down steep tracks and through forest, giving us breath-taking
views. Our map showed us where to turn for our return walk, but the sign said
Trou Blanc, which we could not find on the map. We asked a passing hiker and he
said the only way back to Hell Bourg was the way we’d come. Do we believe our
map or the hiker? We followed the map. The trail was marked, we could see a
piton (mountain) that we had to go round, so we kept going. No more signs until,
almost one and a half hours later, one sign pointed to the way we’d come and
behind it a red sign said “Sentier Ferme” (Path Closed).
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| Not a good sign after four hours of walking |
Our map showed a trail
going off ours. I thought the sign referred to that one. Jeremy was not so
sure. To our relief we soon picked up our trail markers, but it took another
half hour before we saw the one and only sign that said Hell Bourg, pointing in
the direction we were going. We gave thanks and with light hearts and big
smiles we completed our walk. At the end of the walk a red sign said “Sentier Ferme”.
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| At last a sign showing we were going the correct way |
Other walks were less demanding but still enjoyable. We
walked around a lake called Grand Etang and into the beautiful Cirque de
Marfate, which is only accessible on foot or by helicopter. Unfortunately, the
mist had come down and we could see very little.
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| A blowhole on the south coast before it got rough! |
We left Le Port on Friday 14th September having
paid our bill of just under 178 euros for 2 weeks. We anchored in St Paul’s Bay
for a night finding the anchorage tolerable but not comfortable. The next day
we motorsailed in light winds, looking at the marine park moorings bouncing in
the swell and decided against staying on them. We carried on to St Pierre. Once
around a headland called Pointe d’Etang Sale, the wind increased from 6 knots
to 30 knots within minutes. Soon it was blowing a gale and continued force 7 or
8 the rest of the way. We struggled to get the mainsail down and almost turned
around to return to Le Port, when we saw a yacht emerge from St Pierre.
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| The entrance to St Pierre from the safety of a breakwater |
