An Amazing Réunion Of a Different Sort

Square Peg Pinhole Stats

Stats from Google Analytics for Aug. 6-Sept. 6, 2010 Visits: — 282 Visits — 738 Pageviews — 2.62 Pages/Visit Traffic Sources: — Referring Sites: 238.00 (84.40%) — Direct Traffic: 29.00 (10.28%) — Search Engines: 15.00 (5.32%) Top Entries: Pinhole vs. Holga vs. Nikon It Ain't All Midway, Ya Know Get Thee to a Fair Size Doesn't Matter Nearly enough to mail a letter (in 1975)

I love geography. As a child I often played with maps and compasses. In my nerdy years that translated to creating dungeons for D&D. In my scout years it meant learning everything about U.S. Geologic Survey map symbols and markings. Despite my computer and the GPS directions on my phone, I still get real maps when I travel long distance.

In seventh grade Mr. M, my social studies teacher, played “Where in the world am I?” Each week he picked a new spot in the world and posted one clue per day until someone entered the correct answer. I loved the game and could usually guess the location by Tuesday. After I won every week the first month he made a new rule: the same student wasn't allowed to win two weeks in a row. After a month of nobody getting the answer right in the off weeks he stopped the game (ah, nothing like encouraging a child’s passion).
Despite my geographic fascination I admit I had no idea where Réunion was located until today. It's in the Indian Ocean about 700km east of Madagascar. The island has about 800,000 people with a $23,500 per capita GDP, the highest in Africa. It is a territory of France and uses the Euro for currency. More here: http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact2005/geos/re.html (Old CIA Factbook entry) and here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réunion



This blog, which is now one month old (I don't know whether the stats are good for a blog...thought it would be fun to post them), is why I know about Réunion. I looked at my stats through Google Analytics and noticed my first visit from Africa. When I took a closer look at the map I discovered the person was located in Saint-Denis, Réunion. That’s cool. I then noticed a regular poster to the F295 blog, Antonio, is from Réunion. That’s even cooler. My guess is that he noticed one of my posts on the forum and followed a link to Square Peg Pinhole. Yes, it’s all guessing. But I think it’s a solid possibility. I definitely suggest everyone have a look at Antonio’s site: http://www.zimaz.fr/index.php

Cascade du voile de la mariée, Grand Bassin, by Antonio

I’ve had a look at some of the pinholes he’s posted. His photos are beautiful and it appears Réunion is beautiful, too. The Pitons, Cirques and Remparts area, which makes up about 40 percent of the island, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site earlier this year. From the UNESCO site:

“The Pitons, cirques and remparts of Réunion Island site coincides with the core zone of La Réunion National Park. The property covers more than 100,000 ha or 40 % of La Réunion, an island comprising two adjoining volcanic massifs located in the south-west of the Indian Ocean. Dominated by two towering volcanic peaks, massive walls and three cliff-rimmed cirques, the property includes a great variety of rugged terrain and impressive escarpments, forested gorges and basins creating a visually striking landscape. It is the natural habitat for a wide diversity of plants, presenting a high level of endemism. There are subtropical rainforests, cloud forests and heaths creating a remarkable and visually appealing mosaic of ecosystems and landscape features.”

Réunion is now on my list of places to go with J. before I’m 50.

Another beautiful place:

Hawes, England