The Savannah of the Petrifications
It looks like it’s going to be a hot, cloudless day for a hike through the petrified rocks.
We’re heading from Sainte-Anne toward Les Salines, in the far south of the island, for a short hike estimated to take about 2 hours.
We drive to the Anse à Prunes parking lot, but the last few meters are difficult due to the road conditions. We leave the car and Grandpa behind, and begin our hike through a cool grove of trees along the beach.
After walking a good kilometer, we approach the edge of the woods. In the distance, a small bridge appears over a stream. Since the rocks were incredibly slippery, we decided to take off our shoes and wade through the shallow river for safety until we reached the bridge.
Once across the bridge, I make my way across the almost lunar landscape dotted with cacti toward Anse Trabaud; the wild landscapes, each so different from the next, unfold with every step I take. Sometimes green, sometimes rocky.
Suddenly, the path began to climb, and I found myself high up on the cliffs. A breathtaking panorama—both literally and figuratively—reminiscent of the cliffs of Étretat.
Off in the distance lies the Table du Diable. This volcanic islet owes its name to its rectangular shape and the crashing Atlantic waves that batter it daily.
Pointe d’Enfer comes into view before me; the ground takes on an autumnal hue, arid and dry. The wind caresses my face with almost as much force as the waves crashing against the cliff. This headland certainly lives up to its name.
The wind is so powerful that I struggle to move forward. Despite everything, I enjoy this majestic view while waiting for the others to catch up. We’ll keep descending until we reach a beach where the water’s spray and foam settle on the shore.
Then we decided to cut across several fields because my son didn’t want to go any further. Eventually, we lost sight of the trail and simply got lost for nearly an hour.
In the end, what was supposed to be a two-hour hike turned into three hours. Under the blazing sun, it certainly wasn’t pleasant for the little one.
Despite the hot, at times arid land and the rough sea along the extremely windy coast, I was captivated by the diversity of these landscapes. A 4-kilometer walk—or perhaps a little longer—that was very satisfying for me.
We eventually found our way back and arrived on the north side of the starting bridge, which we crossed again.
As we walked back through the woods, I heard some really pleasant music and decided to go check it out. A filming session with a DJ (DJ San Fifty) was underway.
On the way back, a water main burst and lifted up the pavement. When we got home, we found that the running water had been shut off. According to our neighbor, it happened around 3:00 p.m., which was when we drove past the water spilling onto the road. We assume this means we won’t have running water for several days following this incident.
See you soon for more adventures,
Ninve
