 | Off the Beaten Path in Reunion 
 
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 | Pirate's Grave   |  | |
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 |  on July 11, 2004 |
In the town of St. Paul (once the capital of Reunion) is Cimetiere Martin. In this cementery lies Oliver 'La Buse' Levasseur. La Buse means The Buzzard. La Buse pirated the Indian Ocean from around 1720 to 1730. He was finally caught in St. Paul and was hung there. His grave is often covered with coins, cigarettes and booze as part of black magic rituals by the superstitious Reunionnais. People are still searching for his treasures in the nearby islands. |
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| Spa Ruins  | | |
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| on July 12, 2004 |
An old thermal bath spa that has been abandoned because apparantly the springs dried up. Theres not too much left anymore but it is a nice place to explore for a bit. Watch out for the insanely big palm spider spider webs. The ruins are located just southwest of the town of Hell-Bourg. |
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| trekking & wandering - 6 - | | |
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 |  on February 22, 2005 |
Six. Well, except for your hiking boots. They have to cope with all the changes. They should be Goretex and waterproof. I would not advise you to bring new boots. Better boots that you have worn before, that are broken in, and that you are sure are not going to give you blisters. As well, bring several pairs of socks so you can switch pairs if one gives you hot spots, and a set of Compeed bandages to put over any blisters that you may get after having the same boots on everyday. Don’t bring regular Bandaids. They are not as effective and they rub-off when they get moist and due to friction from the sock. Bring Compeeds. You apply them once, and then they stay on for several days. They will keep the wound from the blister clean and provide some cushion from chafing. Once you have used them you will understand why I insist on them. You do not want to under any circumstances hike 4-6 hours a day for several days with an open blister. One person in our group had problems with her boots and with blisters, and of course, she was wearing regular socks, not hiking socks, and she had her boots laced up wrong. Not just her problem if she holds the whole group up and takes too much of the guide’s time. |
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| trekking & wandering - 9 - | | |
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| on February 22, 2005 |
Here are Alexa Lorenz and our other guide Jacques Kammerer Nine. I am not saying there is one way to hike. There are many individuals in a group. But, you have to find the group dynamic that works for the most people. Not too fast, not too slow, and always safe. That is also the advantage of an experienced guide who knows the terrain and who can estimate how far the next destination is. Sometimes they push the group if the weather looks like it is going to change. Sometimes they slow it down to give the stragglers time to catch their wind. Sometimes you have to stop to smell the flowers, and sometimes you have to get out of an avalanche area as quick as possible. That is worth the price of a guide in my opinion. |
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| trekking & wandering - 5 - | | |
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| on February 22, 2005 |
Five. The climate posed problems. In La Reunion there are four major climate zones. Volcanic, sub-tropical rain forest, mountainous, and dry and arid in addition to the beach. However, as it is also a small island with high mountains, you also have the sub-climate zones due to elevation and distance from water or the side of the mountain for example. I think there are 20 sub-climate zones in all. Plus, you start in the morning, hike through the heat of the midday, and then arrive at your destination in the late afternoon or evening. Therefore, you have to be prepared for constant changes in temperature from roasting under the noonday sun to pouring rain in the forest and everything in between. You need lots of layers to take on and leave off as the case may be. |
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| trekking & wandering - 4 - | | |
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| on February 22, 2005 |
Four. Sometimes we hiked from town to town, or hut to hut, and other days we stayed put in one hotel and made day trips. Making day trips is preferable, as you can leave all your stuff and then just hike with a daypack. On the days when we went hut to hut, we had to carry everything. However, ASI organized our larger suitcases to be transported by bus to our next major hotel. Therefore, we were like 2-3 days under way with the same clothes and then had a chance to get cleaned up and changed. It was not too bad. Most of the group were experienced hikers so they knew what to bring and what to leave at home, and so long as everyone is grubby, there is no problem. |
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| trekking & wandering - 8 - | | |
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| on February 22, 2005 |
Here is our guide Alexa Lorenz who did a fantastic job. She does mountain biking and trekking tours in La Reunion as well as some canyoning. Eight. Also, as we had to carry our own food, this added extra weight that each person had to carry in addition to their own packs. It seemed that the same people were always carrying the largest bundles and the most weight. Fair enough, but then at least go at a decent pace. I sweat like a pig. When I am wet and when we take too many breaks, I immediately start to get cold. I prefer to take my breaks in the sun or take off my wet clothes and change into something dry. However, that only makes sense when you have reached your destination not during the day. |
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| trekking & wandering in the mountains | | |
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| on February 22, 2005 |
One. We flew to La Reunion for two weeks in October-November 2004 with Alpine Schule Innsbruck (ASI). We had been hiking with them the year previously in Mallorca and liked their style. Generally, you have a chance to hike with a group of similar minded people and enjoy seeing somewhere new. We usually go for an advanced group which typically means hiking 4-6 hours a day. This gives you plenty of time to get up, eat breakfast and get ready to go. A few good hours on the hills. A break for lunch. And, then another few hours to wherever you are headed to that day as a destination. |
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| trekking & wandering - 2 - | | |
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| on February 22, 2005 |
Two. Essentially you are paying Alpine Schule Innsbruck for their expertise, for organizing the ground transport, and for the experienced guide. There is no reason with enough planning and preparation on your part that you could not plan such a trip yourself. But, it is a daunting task to land in a new place and to know instinctively where to go and what to see. Plus the learning curve is very steep, so you’re always wiser after the fact. If you have lots of time, then this might be preferable. For us, we were on a tight schedule with work, with holidays, with flights, etc., that we prefer to travel this way. Also, there is a ready-made group of between 10-15 people with whom you can go hiking with. |
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| AlpinSchule Innsbruck trekking & wandering tours | | |
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| on February 22, 2005 |
Introduction. I am going to write the next ten tips in the form of one long summary of our experiences in La Reunion hiking. I don’t think that hiking in La Reunion is necessarily any different than anywhere else and the basics still apply. However, perhaps due to the climate differences over relatively short distances one has to be prepared for changes in weather and conditions. Also, I don’t pretend to be an expert on the island. At different times during the year, the conditions may be other than those I have described. However, the next ten tips are meant to be read together and not in isolation, so I hope you can follow them and that they are useful. |
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More Reunion Tips
| Overview | General Tips Tips: 22 - Photos: 14 |
| Restaurants Tips: 8 - Photos: 4 | Hotels and Accommodations Tips: 15 - Photos: 13 |
| Things To Do Tips: 30 - Photos: 22 | Nightlife Tips: 2 - Photos: 1 |
| Off the Beaten Path Tips: 29 - Photos: 26 | Tourist Traps Tips: 1 - Photos: 0 |
| Warnings or Dangers Tips: 10 - Photos: 8 | Transportation Tips: 10 - Photos: 6 |
| Local Customs Tips: 9 - Photos: 7 | Packing Lists Tips: 5 - Photos: 3 |
| Shopping Tips: 4 - Photos: 2 | Sports Travel Tips: 8 - Photos: 13 |
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