African Adventure

I got home late Friday October 24th from Nairobi and then early Sunday morning Mom and I flew out of Johannesburg to Reunion Island. After working most of Monday meeting attorneys, Mom and I started looking around St. Denis, Reunion Island. Amazingly, she was able to immediately find Le Casa de Chocolat. I have to admit this place had some great chocolates.

Reunion has a population of just less that one million people. Originally, when discovered by the Portuguese in 1507 there were no indigenous people living on the island. A century later the French took the island over and started colonizing it in 1665 for the French East India Company. This picture is of the northeastern shoreline looking south.

At one time Reunion was named Ile Bonaparte after Napoleon. This picture is of the northern tip of the island. The capital St. Denis is immediately to the left.

During World War II the Vichy French controlled the island but eventually the Free French took it over. The island is 39 miles long and 28 miles wide. You can drive around the entire island in about 4 hours.

La Reunion is considered one of the 27 regions of France. It is part of the European Union and everyone wants you to know that the island is not part of Africa. The architecture is very French.

The yellow administrative building in downtown St. Denis.

While walking the streets of St. Denis we ran into the Madagascar Mission President and his wife: President and Sister Adams. The Adams, you may remember, are the in-laws of Ally Passmore. We all went to dinner that evening. The Adams on right. Senior missionary couple the Madsens in center and a new Area Seventy from Johannesburg behind Mom.

Mom and I drove to the village Salazie which is located in the center of the island. The vegetation is amazingly tropical. It reminded me of Hawaii.

Coming into the village of Salazie. This little village was first established in 1829 when a cyclone had devastated nearby coastline communities.

Some of the agricultural growing is done on plats which have been cut out of the mountain sides.

Just southwest of Salazie is Piton de Neiges the highest point on the island where in 1966, 73.62 inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period. The highest level of rain ever recorded to fallen on the earth in 24 hours.

The Catholic Church in Salazie.

The Salazie Hotel.

One of the most interesting Catholic churches on the island. The LDS Church has 4 branches on the island with a total Church membership of about 800.

Part of the eastern coastline. Between 2011 and 2013, there were 12 reported shark attacks around Reunion. As a result, the government ordered that no one is to go into the water.