SV Coromandel

Important Note for Cruisers Coming this Way 

St Pierre is a lively little town, with pavement cafés all along the front, the harbour and everything one needs within walking distance.  There is even a B&Q type shop where I bought some anti-rust paint for the autopilot motor.  Our first tasks will be to prepare Coromandel for sea again - the autopilot needs fixing and there are various checks needed before we set out on the passage to South Africa.  Once those are done we will be able to play.

Having said that, when Sue and Brian offered us a place in their car to tour the Cirque de Salazie we couldn't refuse, and the next day we set off for the hamlet of Hellbourg, described as one of the most beautiful villages in France.  The sight of the mountains from the coast is wonderful enough, jagged peaks, deep ravines and thick woodland, but driving from St André to Salazie gave us a much better idea of the interior.  The whole of La Réunion is a collapsed shield volcano, and there are three cirques which represent the former calderas; Cirque de Salazie, Cirque de Mafate and Cirque de Cilaos.  These are separated by arrête-like ridges, and ravines run outwards towards the sea, often in excess of 1,000 feet deep.  Waterfalls tumble down into the rivers, vines cover everything and there is an air of tranquility despite the meandering nature of the roads which have deep gullies on each side - not a place to pull over!

From Hellbourg we took a track up to Belouve, a steep pull up the face of the hill, the track twisting and turning as it wound its way to the col where there is a gîte - a dozen or so wooden houses.  We had some glorious views of the Cirque on the way up, but unfortunately the cloud base descended as we climbed, so the top was rather misty.  Still it was lovely standing there, feeling that at last we'd both got some decent exercise!

We stayed in Salazie that night, enjoying a delicious meal the starter of which was chouchou gratiné.  This reminded me of cauliflower stalks with a cheese sauce, but chouchou turned out to be christophine, which I'd always eaten raw in salads: so now a new recipe to add to the list.  On the following day we attempted to find the start of a hike to the Piton d'Achaing, but the low-petrol warning light came on and then we found that the nearest petrol was in Salazie, so . . . !  Instead we went up the Sentier des Trois Cascades, the short, though steep, walk up to some waterfalls where there was a shrine to the Virgin Mary - Notre Dame des Trois Cascades.

So it was then back to Salazie to fill up with petrol before heading on down the east coast, where we enjoyed a coastal stroll from Ste Rose, past some wonderful pandanus trees with their strange fruits and enjoying a picnic lunch of baguettes, paté and cheese.

From Ste Rose we skirted the coast until we reached the area to the east of Piton de la Fournaise, where there were huge flows of black and purple lava which had nearly reached the village of Le Tremblet during the eruption of 1986.  There was another eruption a couple of years ago, too, and we could see emissions of steam in places.  I was squeaking about the pahoehoe lava flows I could see, and as soon as I was out of the car was on hands and knees picking up bits of lava and staring at the visible crystals of olivine (?) which were so easy to see.  As luck would have it, though, it began to rain and we had to get back into the car.  I have promised myself a day there fossicking with my hand lens, though.

So back to reality and St Pierre, where Sue and Brian dined with us the following evening - chicken with feta and spinnach, roast potatoes and cauliflower, followed by some delicious éclairs from one of the pâtisseries in the town.  On the next day I bought a book of walks in La Réunion which has proper Ordnance Survey-type maps - not the sketch maps they give to tourists.  We both wanted to be able to see the contour lines and so get an idea of the terrain we would be walking on.  All we have to do now is all the other little maintenance jobs on Coromandel: replace the tell-tales on the mainsail, oil the autopilot motor, check the battery levels, wash the carpets and curtains, repack the sterngland grease tube, clear the hull of the handful of goose barnacles which have appeared, check the inventory of stores, clean the heads' pumps.  After all that we'll be able to go and play again.  Andy is already planning a four or five day hike around the cirques.

The only downside is the cost of things here.  Telephone and internet have already set us back €80, which we hope will last us until we leave for South Africa.

The Marina at St Pierre

The Cirque de Salazie

One of Hellbourg's Creole Houses

Brian, Sue, Me and Andy

Andy beneath a Pandanus Tree

The first part took us through the streets of Port Louis, through some of the less affluent areas, before ascending the hillside to the south of the city.  The way then followed a gently-inclined, tree-shaded path to the col between La Pouce and Snail Rock, coming out onto a grassy platform with lovely views all round, and where wild guavas were in abundance.   As it crossed the col, the track became more overgrown with thick-leaved plants but it was easy enough pushing along as they had no spines or prickly things.  The flora changed again, as we had seen in the Black River Gorges National Park, with tiny-leaved dwarf trees becoming more prominent and with some fascinating new flowers.

The final pull up to the top, only about 50 metres vertically, was a hands-on scramble in places with vertiginous drops to the north.  It reminded us both of the Inaccessible Pinnacle on Skye, though with thick shrubs rather than hard rock, and it wasn't nearly as scary as the drop was only a couple of hundred feet rather than a couple of thousand!  However, it needed our full attention, especially as the soil between the boulders was damp and slippery.  The actual summit was rather like Sgurr nan Gillean - about eight metres by two metres, with drops all around.  The views were stupendous, despite the cloud cover, I could see why Andy had enjoyed it so much. It was evident that Mauritius produced its own micro-climate, as all around the island we could see clear skies and blue sea.  There was just a gentle breeze from the west, and at one point we watched as the clouds moved upwards to clear the summit.

The island was spread out all around us.  To the north we could see the offshore islands - Gunner's Quoin, Flat and Gabriel Islands; to the south west the hills around Grande Rivière Noire and Le Morne; to the east the Bambou Mountains near Grand Port; to the west an almost aerial view of Port Louis.

We sat down and dug out the sandwiches, drinking in the view along with the juice, and chatting about other tops we'd sat on, reminiscing as one does when one hasn't been up a hill for a long time, thankful that it wasn't raining, but all the same wishing that it wasn't overcast - although full sunshine would have been perhaps too hot.

La Pouce from Caudan Marina

Grand Glacis from La Pouce

Port Louis from La Pouce

20 June to 4 July 2011 Grande Rivière Noire  We had a very pleasant sail down to Grande Rivière Noire (Black River), near Mauritius’s south west corner, sailing down past some spectacular scenery and with surf crashing onto the reefs generating a fine, salty mist.  We located the entrance between the reefs quite easily and finally anchored in about 3.5m to the west of all the moored craft.  We’d meant to stay for a few days as it was close to the Black River Gorges National Park, which gave us some good walking – although still not strenuous enough for Andy.  The bay itself is a deep incision into the coast, and is coral-free, except on the margins, thanks to the presence of the Grande Rivière Noire – Great Black River, so called because its waters are very dark.   The backdrop to the bay was formed by the peaks of the national park, clothed with dark green vegetation, and deeply incised by the gorges.

We were made welcome at the Le Morne Anglers’ Club, where showers, toilets, water, diesel and petrol were available, and also where we were able to leave the dinghy safely – always a concern, especially where sharp coral could pierce the fabric.

For a time we were the only boat there, but then the catamaran Sea Rose, whom we had met in Port Louis, anchored close by and we had a couple of very pleasant evenings with Sue and Brian, Sue from New Zealand, Brian from Canada.  One evening we arranged to go for a walk to the Maccabees Viewpoint in the park, which was described as “strenuous”, and Andy was in dire need of something more energetic than the gentle strolls we were used to.  Unfortunately, however, he had a gyppy tummy the next morning, so it was just Sue, Brian and I who took the walk.

This first followed the small road leading from Grande Rivière Noire to the National Park entrance, but here we were lucky enough to hitch a lift, even though the road itself was quite pretty.  A guard at the Visitors' Centre, which was closed, was able to get us maps of the trails in the park and after a quick snack we set off along the broad track which wound its way into the gorges.  I have to add that “gorge” is perhaps too strong a term to used; it was really a steep river valley, with several tributaries.  We crossed two fords, getting slightly wet feet, then the track started to increase in gradient, meaning we had to take a number of stops to admire the views.  One of these views was back towards the bay at Grande Rivière Noire, where we could see Coromandel and Sea Rose at anchor amongst the other boats.  To the south we could see to the top of the gorge and the surrounding escarpment, whilst behind us was the escarpment leading to the viewpoint.

A couple of days later we hired a car and drove around to the south of the island, to Grand Port, the site of the original Dutch fort and where the Battle of Grand Port was fought between the English and the French during the Napoleonic Wars.  This was the only naval battle which the English lost and as a French victory it is inscribed, with French victories in other campaigns, on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.  We visited several notable viewpoints, such as the one at Gris Gris, the southernmost point of the island where rollers from a Southern Ocean storm crashed against the rocky outcrops, sending up huge plumes of spray - very exciting!  Another stop was the Museum at Mahébourg which had exhibits gleaned from wrecks in Grand Port - coins, porcelain, wine bottles, canon balls etc - together with detailed information boards about the Battle of Grand Port, and about the history of the settlement of Mauritius.

A small note on the map we had indicated that columnar basalts, like those at Kilt Rock on Skye and Fingal's Cave on Staffa, were to be seen at Rochester Falls, which I could not miss, so we made our way via dirt roads to the Falls.  The cascade tumbles down over an outcrop of beautiful basalt columns into a clear, deep pool and I would have happily watched it for hours had it not been for the unsought attentions of a chappie who was determined to be our guide.  So I felt not a little harassed and heartily wished him away, but we both endured his presence and accordingly gave him a tip at the end of the visit, though not as much as he wanted.  

Perhaps the most exciting part of the day was getting lost on the way home in the intricate grid of roads and streets around Quatre Bornes and Curepipe in what are called the Plateau Towns; there was not a signpost to be seen, it was rush hour just before dark and although we knew where we wanted to go and could see the sea most of the time, we couldn't find a road that actually went there, although there were several promising ones!  However we finally made it in one piece - whew!

On our final day at Grande Rivière Noire we took the bus to Tamarin which we had been assured was a beautiful beach.  To be fair, it was indeed beautiful: a deep cove sheltered by the reefs and with splendid views of the Matterhorn-like peak of Mont du Rempart, but we have now seen some really first class beaches with crystal clear water, and this was only an OK beach, so after walking about for half an hour or so, we decided to walk back to Grande Rivière Noire, taking a side road which took us through some affluent suburbs with gorgeous houses and stunning gardens, and which fortuitously brought us out at the supermarket where we bought ham and baguettes for supper as I didn't feel like cooking.

The Anchorage at Grande Rivière Noire

The Petite Rivière Noire

The View West from Maccabees

Typical Track in the Park

Looking South over the Reef

Rochester Falls

Columnar Basalts at Rochester Falls

18 June 2011 A Day at the Races  It promised to be a rather nice day today, so we got up early to walk to Fort Adelaide, as we did not get enough time there on our island tour.  The walk took us through some interesting parts of Port Louis, enough to give us an idea of the colonial architecture dating from Georgian times.  The fort, however, was built in the reign of William IV and was named after his wife, Queen Adelaide.  Although resplendent with a number of canon, the Fort was not used in anger and had a small garrison.  The only time it seems to have been put to good use was when local French plantation owners protested at the forcible freeing of their slaves in 1835.  After that indentured labourers were brought in from India, and apparently was the first place in the world where indentured labour was used.  We visited the World Heritage Site at Aapravisi Ghat where these people were first brought ashore.  It seems that some form of indentured labour is still used, as Mr Rashid had pointed out a textile factory where women were brought in from China, where they lived and worked for a year before either renewing their contracts or returning home. 

Looking down from Fort Adelaide we could see the Champ de Mars where horse racing takes place on Saturdays.  I had not been to the races for many years, so we decided to go along.  It was interesting to find that men were charged a 175 rupee entrance fee, but ladies paid nothing.  There was a great deal of bustling activity in and around the stands, with the betting shops doing a great deal of business.  Sadly neither of us knew how to place a bet, but we had bets with each other as to which horse would win.  Since none of our choices came in the first three places in any race, it was probably as well that we didn’t know how to bet – we’d have lost our shirts! 

It was flat racing, not over jumps, and the start line was usually in sight of the stands, with the finishing line just to our left.  The crowds began to yell wildly as the horses rounded the last bend, which reached a crescendo as they crossed the finishing line.  To have several tons of horse rush past you at high speed, the jockeys brightly-coloured jackets flashing past, was a thrilling experience, and one which we both enjoyed. 

Canon at Fort Adelaide

Le Champ de Mars, Port Louis

Racing for the Finish

16 June 2011  Port Louis  Today we took a tour of the west and south sides of the island with Mr Rashid, a taxi driver who has been working with visiting yachties for many years.  The day did not promise good weather, but we didn’t let that deter us.  Our first stop was the botanical gardens called Pamplemousses, although I would say that it was more of an arboretum – the trees were simply splendid and had nice labels attached to them, so I was at last able to identify the tree we have seen throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans: it has flowers which are rather like those of the pohutukawa – fine white stamens tipped with pink, and which produce fruits which are almost square.  It is the Barringtonia asiatica.  There was also a lily pond, where the huge round leaves covered nearly the whole of the surface.  Tree ferns, pandanus palms, royal palms – the list was endless, but sadly we didn’t have endless time, so left after taking a quick look at the giant tortoises and small herd of deer. 

From there we drove to Fort Adelaide – but more of that later – then on to Mauritius’ second largest town, Curepipe, stopping at a rum factory on the way where we sampled some of the local tipple – very palatable but expensive compared with the supermarkets. There were also stops at a couple of touristy type shops, but I was disappointed to find that apart from the lovely ships’ models, the majority of the goods on sale was imported and as I said to Andy, if I want a Kashmiri shawl or carpet, I’ll go to Kashmir and buy it there. 

In the south west part of the island is a National Park, and here we saw some stunning scenery, from the Crater Lake at Trou des Cerfs to the Coloured Earth, an outcrop of basalt wherein the breakdown of the rock produces soils of different colours – purple, blue-gray, dark terracotta.  There were also some giant tortoises here, too.  Despite its 1.2 million inhabitants, much of Mauritius is uninhabited forest, woodland clothing the steep hillsides, with outcrops of bare rock where the gradient is too steep to support vegetation, and several caprock waterfalls (like High Force in Weardale). 

Our final stop was at the estuary of the Petite Rivière Noire, where we saw a number of sailboats on moorings in addition to the many sports fishing boats.  It seemed very tranquil, with the reef protecting the bay from much of the swell, although the mangroves promised small biting insects as well.  Mr Rashid told us that dolphins were to be seen here and that it was possible to swim with them.

Lily Pond at Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens

Sugar Cane Crusher

Statue of Shiva at Ganga Talao Temple

Eroded Basalt at Coloured Earth