Dialog - Seite 61

One of the most exciting trips was our day's excursion to the Piton de la Fournaise (or just: "le Volcan":-)). Having gotten up early in the morning, we arrived at the parking space at the end of the "Rue de Volcan" at 10 o'clock and hiked through fog until we reached the "Cratère Dolomieu" and the sun started breaking through. If you look at satellite imagery, it all looks black and gray, but in real it's a bit more colorful.

Spending a day at the beach in La Saline-les-Bains, relaxing, reading and preparing for our big trip to the "Piton de la Fournaise" volcano the next day.

Hiking from Entre-Deux down towards the "Bras de la Plaine" river, where our travel guide advertised a natural arch made of lava stone we never saw. On the way back, we learned the meaning of rain in "rain forest", but also that most showers don't take long.

Driving down south to the Cap Méchant ("the malicious cape") in cloudy and windy (but nonetheless warm) weather. On the way back, we thought of visiting Entre-Deux but turned around after landing in a rain shower (and decided to come back later).

In Saint-Gilles-les Bains, the next bigger town, for souvenir shopping.

A small trip to a series of three basins near St. Gilles les Bains. The hiking paths go alongside aqueducts, one of them leading throught tunnels! On our way back we caught a glimpse of the paille en queue bird.

In the Takamaka valley, famous for its waterfalls down the more than 800 meters high vertical walls covered with green vegetation.

Our first exhibition lead us southwards towards Saint-Pierre and from there via the only road to cross the island over the mountain pass, down via the Plaine des Palmistes to Saint-Benoît and back home, passing Le Grand Brûlé (where lava flows from Réunion's active volcano into the Indian ocean) and lots of small villafes along the island's south coast.