can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Free & BrEasy - Two and a Half Happy Dodos



The local beer in Le Reunion is called Bourbon and has a happy looking Dodo as a logo so is known affectionately as "Dodo beer". But all that was 200 miles ago as we are now in the Indian Ocean heading for the southern tip of Madagascar, after leaving a day earlier than the rest of the fleet. Why only two and half happy Dodos? More later!
We hired a car for two days to get a good "feel" for Reunion. The volcanic mountains at the centre of the island are circled partly by a high quality motorway and even the small local roads are in extremely good condition. Most of the island is extensively populated near the coast with well maintained villages which extend up the winding roads into the mountains. These local roads need careful handling as the hairpin bends are lined with very deep trenches to carry the rains away. We arrived at the end of the dry season but still experienced rain and clouds as soon as you left the coast and went into the hills. In the rainy season it must be very wet as extensive bridges have been built over very large river beds which were currently dry. If you visit Reunion, choose your season carefully!

The island looks like a chunk of alpine France that has been thrown over Africa and landed in the Indian Ocean. Most of the locals we met spoke only French and despite the "ex-colonial melting pot" of Africans and Europeans, behaved as though it was France. There was someone carrying a French bread stick home in every village! The island appears to be heavily dependent on France and the European Union for its infrastructure. Some sugar cane is grown but is threatened by the removal of a subsidy while the all important tourist trade has been hit by a series of well publicised shark attacks. However if you want a place to combine mountain walking with tropical beach holiday then this is it!

We drove into the mountains up deep ravines which were carpeted with trees. Waterfalls spouted everywhere cascading down the ravines like scenery from Lord of the Rings. Much of the island is still covered with tropical rain forest. All the peaks, including the 3071 metre Piton des Neiges, were covered in cloud but we were able to get a glimpse of the grandeur of the mountains and the power of the rain in remodelling the volcanic landscape. In a little village called Hell Bourg, high in the mountains, we were lucky enough to stumble on a live band playing Creole music. Wollf from Chika-Lu was with us and after a picnic lunch overlooking the mountain scenery we very soon sat outside a restaurant drinking Dodos, imitating the happy Dodo logo! The next day we drove around the south part of island and experienced an "English Picnic" - sat in the car eating cheese and bread, gloomily looking at the driving rain through the windscreen! However, we were in for a surprise because the islands volcano is still active and has erupted several times in the last 10 years sending streams of molten lava down to meet the sea. Our beautifully maintained road went over recent lava fields that were already being reclaimed by the tropical vegetation. Even lava flows as recent as 6 years ago were covered in lichens and small shrubs. As a post script to the car hire adventure, we had a puncture, which needed a replacement tyre. We were obliged to pay an enormous bill by the car hire company. The lesson of this story is replace the tyre yourself rather than be screwed by the car hire company. In the end we parted amiably from Gerome at the car hire after he gave us a 20 minute lift back to the boat and chatted about the island.

We were invited for dinner on Chica-Lu and had a pleasant evening with our German friends including watching a video of their participation in the Pearl Regatta from Tahiti to Bora. It was good to see our old haunts and see the close racing which was won by the World ARC boat, Kathea! After our meal we went happily back to Free & Breasy to sleep but it was late night party night and one of the boats kept a noisy party going till the early morning. We were rafted up in a small area in the docks so there was no escape. We just had to go with the flow or go and join them!

It was now time to explore the mountains on foot. A one hour bus journey took us way up into the mountains to the start of the walking routes. Reunion has a unique method by which passengers tell the driver they want to get off at the next stop. In Fiji, a bit of string pulls on a bell by the driver's ear; in Mauritius, pressing a button activates a siren; in Reunion, all the passenger has to do is clap hands twice! After three and a half hour reconnoitre walk up the green clad hills, we returned for a seven hour trek the next day. The views from the ridge over the mountains were spectacular with deep gorges cut out by the powerful rivers. In the early morning, the peaks were still free of cloud and helicopters could be seen taking tourists up the ravines to see the magnificent waterfalls. We walked up to a mountain refuge at around 1800 metres. Reunion has a well developed mountain hut system which is linked by sign-posted paths. It's definitely a place to spend a week's walking in the hills as long as you have a good head for heights as some of the ridges are a bit exposed. The reward is being able to set off very early from your hut to climb the peaks at sunrise, before the clouds come!

After the walk, feet and legs were in rebellion, unless treated with Dodos and the local speciality curry, Carri Poisson. Next day we were up early to refuel with diesel and leave on the 1380 nm passage to Richards Bay, South Africa. So why only two and half happy Dodos? Roger's back is still causing him pain. After anti-inflammatory pills he tried Dodos. They worked briefly but the side effects prevented repeat medication! Finally Civetta II provided a special pill which seems to have done the trick so let's hope a restful cruise over the Indian Ocean will complete the cure!


Previous | Next