It seems there is always a job to do. This morning we were requested to pick up our passports once again, because Reunion said we had to have them. Even though our time was supposed to be at 8am, we decided to see if the girls were in the mid elevator area before that. Yes, they were, and we had a short line at 7:45am to retrieve them. We really do not like having to pack them with us onshore, but if the locals dictate it, we have to do it. Then we were off to breakfast with our "fancy" friends.
We learned this morning that a couple we know had to leave the cruise yesterday due to a family illness at home. Sometimes things work out that way, and there are no choices but to cancel the rest of the trip. It happens more often than we know, because life continues despite being on a long vacation.
Anyway, our port of call for today was La Possession, Reunion. Actually, on previous trips, we have never seen La Possession, but usually go to St. Denis, the capital. Reunion is an Overseas Department of France with a population of 782,000 French-speaking folks. The island itself is sheer and lush. It is the tip of a massive submerged prehistoric volcano. Like Mauritius, Reunion is a tropical destination for many Europeans. Locals are a mix of French, Indian, African, and Chinese. And in our opinion, this city reminds us of Nice or Cannes, built on the hillsides with views of the ocean below. Small shops, cafes and bakeries line the streets.
There were some tours offered here today which included the wild south for $180, Salazie waterfalls for $170, the west coast and St. Giles for $110, or Piton Maido for $100. We have been to Salazie years ago, but never saw the falls during the wet season. The views from up high were spectacular though.
Today there were two free shuttles to take us to St. Denis, the capital city of Reunion. This is a weird set-up they have here. You board one bus to take you 100 yards to the terminal area with a few souvenir tents. Then you leave that bus, and join another one for the ride to town. While we were eating our breakfast, Ian announced that we could take just one bus, the white one, straight to downtown. Of course, that was what we did for the 20 minute ride to town. Coming back was handled differently.
Leaving the ship by 10:30am was about the time our veranda cleaning was happening. This seems to be happening on a weekly basis, which is good. The fellows enter from the partitions, hose and clean, then lock the partitions as they are done.
We had recalled we needed to sit on the left side of the bus to get the best views of the cliffs and the Indian Ocean on the other side. A project has been happening here to stabilize the sheer cliffs of the mountain side, and build the highway on piers further out in the ocean. Much progress has been made in the last five years, but the work is still ongoing.
The drop-off point was at the bottom of the hill, where we found the main street to downtown called Avenue de la Victoire, then turns into Rue de Paris. A few blocks up the historic area is the Cathedral of St. Denis. It was undergoing some face-lifting, but we still made our way inside. A fountain was outside surrounded by gardens with nice benches placed under very mature shade trees. Passing many old homes, we found the tourist info building, and were handed a convenient map of the city. One of the info gals pointed out the main sites for us to see, as well as recommendations for lunch. We did hit just about every icon she had circled.
Forgot to mention that it was blistering hot today with high humidity. Not quite as bad as Port Louis in Mauritius yesterday, but pretty close. The further up the street we got, there was a breeze, which really helped. We passed by many old colonial homes, a church, and some private schools on our way to Jardin de L'Etat. It is a wonderful spot for the locals to eat lunch or walk around the fountains and ponds under the massive trees. There is a museum of history there, as well as restrooms and an aviary full of large parakeets from Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Beautiful birds, but noisy.
While chatting with some familiar passengers from the ship, we saw some tropic birds fly overhead. They are so white and graceful, and identifiable with their two twisted tail feathers streaming behind them as they fly. We hoped to see more of them, but time was ticking by, and we needed to head back. We did see a very large snail outside the park, but it was nowhere as pretty as the tropic birds.
Going back downhill, we turned left on a side street to find the Grand Marche, which we thought was a produce market. However, we had forgotten it was an arts and crafts building. From the looks of the items, we think they are imported here from Madagascar. The items included straw baskets, purses, wooden trays, unique tablecloths, and lots of kitchen articles. Brilliant colors were everywhere, although we did not buy anything, we did get some nice photos.
Then we strolled back to the pedestrian street which was full of cafes, shops, boutiques, and a very imposing mosque. We had heard the call to prayers, and noticed many men and a few women on their way to join in. Friday is their holy day. We had asked the info girl if there was a pizza restaurant. Looking a bit puzzled, she did circle one behind the mosque. Finding it, we realized it was a take-away place, not a real restaurant. So we continued walking downhill all the way to the water and beach area.
We knew there was a good, but not fancy, restaurant along the waterfront, and we found it. The name was L'Arbradelis, and happened to be one that the info girl recommended. Actually, five years ago we dined there and remembered the food and beers were good. We were seated in the covered patio area, which is surrounded by iron fencing and vines. Thankfully there was a breeze blowing. We ordered beers called Leffe Blond, which was on draft. Not small ones either…..the 50cl or pints. Needless to say, they were life-saving and good. Then we ordered a black angus burger. It came with a salad and topped with tomatoes and sauteed onions. Fries were served on the side. Perfect for sharing. Then for dessert, we ordered on profiterole plate, which was so good. Relaxing for over an hour was even nicer. We were able to pick up free wifi to update the Kindle. It was slow, but it did download some updates to keep the games and puzzles going for a while. We could have paid our bill with Euro, but chose to use the credit card instead. You get the best rate that way also.
Time to leave as it was close to 3pm already. The bus stop was very close by, and we boarded the coach which left within 10 minutes. Back at the pier, we had to get off of the bus, and go through screening at the little terminal. No one asked to see the passports, but they did check our room key cards. Only one couple were pulled aside to get wanded….we do not know why. Then we had to wait for the bus to come through the gate to reboard it for the 15 second ride to the ship. Some of us thought we could walk down the street to the ship, but were stopped by a guard. Oh well, we tried.
We were happy to get back to our air-conditioned room by 3:30pm and drink some ice cold sodas. Working online, we relaxed until it was time for dinner. Around 6pm, before the ship left the harbor, Captain Friso came on the speakers to announce the cancellation of Madagascar. We were not surprised, as this has happened many times in past years. Besides the problem with possible tendering, the weather has taken a turn for the worse. He will have to skirt a brewing cyclone in order to arrive to Maputo, Mozambique in a few days from now. He warned us to expect up to 18 foot sea swells, which may begin during the course of the night. We feel bad for the folks that have never been to Madagascar, or the guests that had independent tours there. Another good reason to be covered by travel insurance.
Most all of us had stories to share about our day in Reunion. We all agreed it had been hot, but still a nice stop. Starters included salads and fried calamari. Entrees for us were a salmon plate, and another fish dish. Both good…..no bones. Desserts were tempting, but we stayed with fruit and jello, mostly because we had indulged at lunch.
So now we will have some interesting days at sea, as we try to avoid the worst of a cyclone. Captain Friso is making a wide sweep to keep us from such rough seas. Hope it works.
Entertainment this evening was the singer, Elijah Rock. We heard he has real talent with the tunes from the old time singers.
Bill & Mary Ann
PS The clocks went back one more hour tonight.
