A story about a second hike

Apparently not tired out from the 9+ km we hiked yesterday, Mario and I planned yet another big hike for today! And why not? There are so many interesting things to see and discover on 2 feet, wandering through the "backlots" of the island. This time, we return to Château Murat, an old plantation house from the days when sugar ruled the island and not rhum. A hiking trail departs from here and climbs up the slope to the plateau of the island, near the "Mare au Punch", named because it was the site of the Guadeloupe equivalent of a "Boston Tea Party". Here, freed slaves threw rhum and sugar into the pond in revolt of a fixed election post-emancipation. But before we get to the top of the trail, we have to start at the bottom.

Look's like the trail is this way!	We've got an audience
Hiking up through cane fields
Mario is lost in the rainforest

This hiking trail is a particularly good one: up through farm fields, past pig stalls and munching cows. It runs through a field of sugar cane into the coolness of the forest surrounding the Coolée Ouliée, a limestone run-off bed in a valley, so quite isolated from all the agricultural activity happening around us. We climb over limestone, first rocks and then boulders, coated with moss from the residual moisture in the air. The trees get bigger, too, their aerials roots hanging down to grab a hold of unsuspecting hikers who stand still for too long. 

Finding the Fromager trees

These buttress roots are 1 metre tall

Eventually, we come upon the massive Fromager, or Kapok, trees. Considered to be sacred, these trees have massive root structures to hold their 200 foot-tall trunks straight, and since they can't grown under the limestone base, the buttress roots are almost complete exposed. Which makes for quite the sight when you are hiking down a riverbed, and are stopped in your tracks by a metre-tall root wall! However, they also make great benches, so we take the opportunity to sit down for a snack of bonbon siwo cake. Climbing over all of those limestone boulders is hard work!

Giant bamboo towering over us

Egret in the Mare au Punch

Soon, the boulders turn to rocks, which give way to roots and forest floor. The tall jungle gives way to smaller forests, which eventually open up into a grassy field where cows are grazing, and the sun beats down. We dip one more into the forest, in a patch of giant bamboo, before we once again return to walking through fields, under the blazing sun. It's a hot one out there, and so arriving at the mare au punch, high on the plateau where the breeze from the ocean can reach it, is very welcome. We find a bench in the shade and take a moment to cool off, and enjoy our baguette sandwiches.

Walking past houses on the plateau	Under construction
Chateau Murat	Artwork on the sugar factory ruins

Rested, we begin the rest of the trek back down the slope towards Château Murat. It's easier, as everything is downhill from here, but most of it is on paved or gravel farm roads, which is good, but in the blazing sun, which is bad. We enjoy the walk, taking the time to observe the brightly painted houses we pass, remarking on beautiful plants in one garden, or an abundance of fruit trees in another. Mario pauses a while at a place currently under re-construction, observing the materials and techniques used. Meanwhile, I get distracted by the use of pretty coloured tiles on someone front wall. We both remark on the beautiful vistas that these places have, being on top of the plateau, and having unobstructed views of the ocean below. But it is oh so hot, and soon we are wishing that the hike was maybe that one mile shorter today...

Finally, we reach the fence surrounding Château Murat, and head through the site to the car. We've visited here before, and there are no new exhibitions, no newly restored areas. In fact, there are barely any old exhibits - like many historical places on this island, things are in a constant state of slight decay. Things rarely get better, but slowly age into eventual nothingness. But we've noticed that this may no longer be true, as we've seen a significant inprovement in Grand-Bourg since our last visit. A sports complex and skate park are almost complete, from the gravel field they were 2 years ago. A new wing is under construction at the port arrivals building, maybe to accomodate the possible influx of tourists from new inter-islands crossings. More restaurants have opened up along the major streets, and are open in the evenings, when once there was only one option for food in town after the last ferry. There is major improvement of the municipal beach, which rather than being a host to fishermen and piles of garbage, now has carbets, a public washroom, a floating pier and actually SAND. Heck, even the boulodrome, the gravel pit for playing pétanque, and where we always find parking, has gotten a facelift, and is actually BUSY! We notice all of this and more on our walk about town, after our hike, and a refreshing shower. We have dinner at one of the new places, Kreyol Fish, a success story themselves. They once were a simple takeout place up the hill from town, but specialized in products showcasing their smoked fish. They are still just as good, but now have a presence in town, and not just in town, but right on the corner facing the port, so they, and their big outdoor dining area, are the first thing you see as you get off the ferry to Marie-Galante. It's also a great place to watch the weary travellers getting OFF the ferry as we sip our cocktails and enjoy delicious fish burgers. I highly recommend it. 

The church in the middle of Grand-Bourg	Église de l'Immaculé-Conception-de-Notre-Dame
Creole tasting platter at Kreyol Fish	Fish burgers

One more full day in Marie-Galante - one last chance to get in some quiet relaxation before returning to busier places. I wonder what tomorrow has in store for us...