Moritz P: LA RÉUNION, the most unique Erasmus+ spot in the history of HAK1 Works Abroad

Where the heck is La Réunion? Probably your reaction right now, no worrys I'll explain everything.

Since everyone is already bravely writing their blog posts, you can tell it's this time of the year. So, I decided the time has come to show the world, my/our world (at least temporarily). I noticed that everyone is writing in the same style, day 1 that, day 2 that and so on. By reason of that I will do it differently, like a Q&A.

Why we? Because I'm here together with my classmates Alejandro and Adem.

Where am I? La Réunion.

Where the heck is that? Near Mauritius and Madagascar, in the Indian Ocean.

How long? One month

How did we end up here? Honestly, I don't really know. But somehow thanks to Adem and Mr. Crewe.

Connection to the EU? Well, Réunion is an overseas department of France. This means that we are basically in France right now, pay in euros, and enjoy European infrastructure and food standards.

Let's get a bit into the history of the island and how France was able to pull such a baddie of an island?

• Phase 1: The Great Chill Zone (Until ~1600) For thousands of years, there was absolutely no one here except giant tortoises, birds, and some very relaxed palm trees. Arab and Portuguese sailors cruised past but basically thought: "Nice place, but we've got places to be."

• Phase 2: "Dibs!" (1642) The French arrived, saw the island, and planted their flag. They named it "Île Bourbon"—and no, sadly not after the whiskey, but after the French royal House of Bourbon.

• Phase 3: Coffee, Sugar & the Uncool Part (1700–1800) The French East India Company took over. First, they grew tons of coffee, and then they switched to sugarcane. For the backbreaking labour, they brought in enslaved people from Africa and Madagascar. A deeply dark chapter, but one that shaped the island's incredible cultural mix today.

• Phase 4: The Name Game (1793–1848) After the French Revolution, anything related to kings was canceled, so they renamed it La Réunion. Then the British popped in for a quick five-year tea break, then it went back to France, back to the name Bourbon, and finally, in 1848, it became Réunion for good.

• Phase 5: The Great Vanilla Breakthrough (1841) A 12-year-old enslaved boy named Edmond Albius cracked a botanical puzzle that had Europe's smartest scientists scratching their heads: he figured out how to hand-pollinate vanilla orchids. Boom—the world-famous Bourbon Vanilla was born.

• Phase 6: Bonjour, Département 974! (1946) Since 1946, Réunion has officially been an overseas department of France. Which is why we are paying in euros and enjoy European infrastructure and food quality standards.

Back to my story and the long travel to the island. How long do you think we traveled from door to door?

a) 10 hours

b) 15 hours

c) 20 hours

d) 25 hours

After a drive to Munich (with serious troubles for Adem, more on that in Alejandro's post), a flight to Dubai, to Mauritius, to Réunion, and a long bus drive, we finally arrived at our apartment. So, the correct answer is d, 25 hours.

Was it worth it? Absolutely

Isn't there another way to come here? Yes, actually you can fly directly from Paris. But that would have cost about 300 euros more, and since our MUC -> DXB flight was not at all full, the travel was overall rather chill.

Now, what does the island offer? NATURE, the island exists due to two volcanoes. The Piton des Neiges (inactive for 12,000 years) and the Piton de la Fournaise, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Besides that, the island offers beautiful beaches on the west coast, where we are based. Unfortunately, sharks are a big thing over here, which is why there aren't that many spots where you can go for a swim. During our first days, we were: hiking, at the beach, in Saint-Denis (capital), Saint-Pierre (second biggest city), and at many more stunning places.

What were the best things till now? Since I am a huge football fan, I must mention the World Cup. Watching it together with friends makes it so much more fun and enjoyable. Further, the hike was unbelievable, with so many spiders and flora completely different from everything familiar to me.

Work? Of course, we also have to work.

Where are we working? Thankfully, the Austrian company BWT was so kind to take us for a month.

What are our tasks? Together with the team, we have the pleasure to conduct, evaluate, and present a study on the water market in Réunion.

Our focus:·

• Commercial, tertiary, and agricultural markets

• HORECA (Hotel, Restaurants, Cafés) and Residential Sector

• Industrial Market Priority

Above all of these, our main focus is on the segments: ECO-MX technologies & Alternative Chemistry. In the future, they will probably play a vital role in the company, especially from an environmental perspective. They are awesome.

I think that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed reading. See you in two weeks.