I wish I could say I got to visit a new country today, but Ile de la Reunion is actually department 974 of France. We had another calm night sailing here. Land was already on the port side and ahead when we woke up before 6 am. We didn't ever see it from the sea. But what we saw on land, wow! Spectacular landscapes and views, world-class winding mountain roads and really friendly French speakers. It was also a really hot tropical island. Rain had been predicted but we never saw any.
We were on a full day tour today. We picked a good one today. Le Port where we docked is 8 miles from the capital city of St. Denis. Crystal ran a complimentary shuttle but St. Denis wasn't the attraction and it was a lot hotter there than the part of the island we visited. Pasted below is a description of our tour. We paid $179 each for the tour.
EXCURSION
THE WATERFALLS & RIVERS OF CIRQUE OF SALAZIE
Situated in the heart of the island is the caldera of
Salazie, a dramatically beautiful canyon with high, sheer-walled cliffs and
waterfalls tumbling down on every side. Come with us to marvel at the natural
scenery and experience the Creole village of Hellbourg, considered one of the
prettiest villages on the island, if not in the world. Yet another highlight is
a visit to a vanilla plantation.
DURATION
8 HOURS
In fact, the vanilla plantation is your first stop on
today’s itinerary. Arriving after a journey of approximately 75 minutes, become
acquainted with the business and culture surrounding the production and trade
of vanilla.
From here, travel to Salazie caldera. Located in the
wettest, most lush part of the island, the canyon is home to a profusion of
vegetation, including bamboo, watercress and banana trees. With water so
prevalent, waterfalls are everywhere, and rivers rush and meander their way
through the canyon. Among the most breathtaking sights of the cirque is the
towering waterfall known as Le Voile de la Mariée.
Stop to appreciate the beauty of the waterfall before
heading to the picturesque village of Hellbourg, where you will have a
delicious lunch prepared with local ingredients.
Traveling back to your Crystal ship, stop in St-Denis. Here,
you may either explore the town on your own or join a guide for an introduction
to its main streets and landmarks.
It is recommended that guests wear a hat, sunscreen and
flat, comfortable shoes. Guests should also bring along raingear in case of
inclement weather and to provide protection from the spray of the waterfalls.
The order of sights visited may vary.
The tour ran pretty much as described above. We drove at first along a new motorway construction project that was an engineering marvel. Our first stop was in St. Andre, the Roulof Vanilla Plantation. It was interesting. Our next stop was a roadside photostop at Bridal Veil Falls. No walking required, and no way to get wet unless it had been raining. Next stop was a visit to a charming historic village in the Salazie caldera, Hell-bourg. That was were I found a Reunion flag patch with 974 on it and learned about the French numbered departments. This is also where Clay learned about Bourbon Dodo beer, but he didn't get one here and they didn't serve any at lunch! Lunch was a nice affair at Les Jardin's d'Heva. It was not a spectacular view or as good food as yesterday but it was still very pleasant. (Except for the giant spiders!) On the way back down the dramatic and hairpin turn filled road, we stopped for a last photo op at White Falls. Again no walking. Last stop was an hour at the Grand Marche in St. Denis. I found a watch battery and Clay got his beer. It was really hot this afternoon, but at least out of the sun with seating too. The historic structure reminded me of somewhere else we'd been but I can't recall where, something about Eiffel... I don't know.
It was a great day in a brand new place, even if sweaty!
We had a new experience arriving back at the port by bus. We entered one gate and drove to another gate by a shelter. We were told to gather all our belongings and with keycards in hand exit the bus single file to pass inspection to either enter the port or leave the country. The bus was checked with us all in the shelter. The gate opened and the bus picked us up again and drove us back to the ship area. They didn't care about us entering but checked as we left?
We had dinner at Umi Uma tonight as we sailed away. We move the clocks back another hour tonight. Tomorrow is a sea day. The captain announced that we should only have 3-6 foot swells from the aft. Fingers crossed.
It was a great day in a brand new place, even if sweaty!
We had a new experience arriving back at the port by bus. We entered one gate and drove to another gate by a shelter. We were told to gather all our belongings and with keycards in hand exit the bus single file to pass inspection to either enter the port or leave the country. The bus was checked with us all in the shelter. The gate opened and the bus picked us up again and drove us back to the ship area. They didn't care about us entering but checked as we left?
We had dinner at Umi Uma tonight as we sailed away. We move the clocks back another hour tonight. Tomorrow is a sea day. The captain announced that we should only have 3-6 foot swells from the aft. Fingers crossed.
