Sports Anywhere and Anytime

This island is a real paradise for athletes, for anyone who doesn’t like staying indoors you really have the opportunity to work your body.



Scuba diving is for me the number one sport anywhere I am on the planet because it the most relaxing activity I know. To be in this calm universe is a real pleasure even though you find yourself 20 meters underwater relying on a metal bottle with air inside. I get a little bit scared before each dive and I have already done 25 dives but it disappears as soon as I hit the water. One of my favourite moments is when I release the air inside my jacket to start going into the depth of the sea. You can either grab the rope going done, let yourself fall or you can use your palms to go down fast. I love to let myself fall, you feel like you are hovering even though the water is not holding you at all. Once down there the show is never twice the same, there is no routine during a dive.



I have discovered paragliding on the island, this is one of those things you tell yourself you will do one day but the opportunity never comes. With time you are not disappointed never trying it but you miss something really interesting. When you are on the launching deck and the instructor explains what has to be done to take off, you can't help but look at other people take off or crash. Taking off looks fairly easy and it is: once the wing is up you need to run even though you feet don't touch the ground anymore. If you stop running when your feet don't touch the ground, there is a possibility that the wind may not be strong enough to carry you, you will then fall back to the ground but with no traction you will fall and tumble in the grass with your instructor. I assure you it is a really funny thing to see! Once you are soaring in the air you are comfortably sited and you can fully enjoy the sight, the only sounds you will be hearing are the wind and your digital camera when you take pictures. What can I say except that you really feel good up there and you wish that the flight would last much longer.



I tried mountain bike hiking last week-end and I loved it. You drive to Piton Maido which is 2000 meters high and you have to go down riding the bike going through mountain trails, fields and the forest. You will go from small mountain path with rocks and mud to tracks covered with grass full of dew which are very slippery, you will end up in the middle of a sugar cane field or on a narrow trail with brambles left and right that you have to avoid. I fell 7 times during the ride down but that doesn't mean I didn't have fun. Sadly I couldn't take pictures during the ride but I am working on it. If everything goes well I will have I mounted camera on my forehead next time I will go mountain bike hiking, I can't wait.



I think it would be possible to hike for at least 15 days non stop on the island. The terrain is such that there are all kinds of hikes for every kind of hikers. Still it is important to know your hiking level, the hike to le piton de la fournaise is 2h30 one way and 3h00 back; when you meet people on the way and ask them if the hike is long they will answer that it last 2 hours and forget that you have to walk back. This hike can be all the more hazardous because you are at such heights that you will need a sweater because it can be chilly and you will need sunscreen because the sun is very strong up there. Even though you will need 5h30 to complete the hike you will meet people who will make it in less than 4 hours.



I have only covered the sports I have tried on the island. Running, cycling, surfing and windsurfing are also popular here. There is so much to try here that you have to make so choices, this week-end I should have tried canyoning but it was cancelled, it is only postponed.