In the South-Eastern corner of the former plantation Rif St. Marie is the Seru Largu located with three steep cliffs. The North-Eastern one is facing the saliña, the Eastern cliff is overlooking the sea and the South-Western cliff is overlooking the land. It is this last cliff that we went to explore. After entering the Coral Estate resort we drove to the small parking lot at the foot of the Seru Lucia. From there we first walked a path that is used by the people living here to walk their dogs and then we entered the field with Indigo plants. Hardly recognisable because everything is very dry now the rain season is coming to an end.

After a short while we reached the big rock that is lying in front of the Seru Largu. Apparantly this big rock broke off and tumbled down in the (distant) past. Hopefully no-one was around here at that time. This is an area where indians used to come. We found some traces in the form of Kiwa and pieces of Karko shells but nowhere in large quantities.
At the foot of the Seru Largu we started to go uphill. It was not our intention to reach the top, which would have been a problem if we wanted to do that because the upper part is very steep, but we stayed on the side of the cliff. We were prepared for bees but luckily the only thing bee-related that we found was an abandoned nest. I saw some remains of wasp nests but these where also empty. Probably all inhabitants moved to an area with more water.

We found a small cave in the cliff and Fred and I decided to enter this cave. We could stand upright. The cave was not very deep and at the end there were some nice stalactites. Also some bats live in this cave.
Leaving the cave appeared more difficult than entering. We both had to hand over our backpack to the other members of the group. Fred got some help to climb down and I went through another small opening to a point nearby where it was a bit easier to descend.

There were several parts along our route where we had to go under a broken-off rock or between a broken-off rock and the cliff to proceed our hike. At one point Fred said that we should be able to calculate the risk of a rock falling down while we are here based on the number of rocks that came down and the age of this area. We didn't try that but you better stay out of this area during an earthquake.

While planning our way back to the cars I saw that Kadaster had marked a well in this area more or less on the shortest route towards the path that we took in the beginning. So we decided to go for a look. The map was not very accurate in its mark and the vegetation was not really cooperating in our search but in the end we found it. First we found the wooden tower that was put over the well and a bit farther the well itself. The sides of the well were made with cement mixed with finger coral. That gives an indication of the age of the well because this construction material was used shortly after Shell came to the island in 1915.
The well was deep and contained water.
Closeby Dirk found a earthen wall with a Kadaster measuring point on top. Identification VH 1506. It didn't look like the other measuring points that we found in the past. This one was lower than usual and also the lettering was in a different format.

All in all a very nice hike through an interesting landscape and with some archaeogical finds in the end.

No rights can be derived from this report.

• In blue our trail on the Kadaster '93 map
• In the distance the Seru Largu, our target
• We are getting closer
• Piece of an old Karko shell
• At the foot of the Seru Largu
• View on the Seru Lucia and the sea
• First rest; on a sandy plateau
• Hetty (left) is looking how high this hill is
• Fred took a higher point for his overview
• I went also a bit higher to get a better view on the group
• Fred in front of a nice Wayaká
• The Wayaká
• Apparently crabs are also good climbers
• Traces of water flow in the past
• Fred inside a small cave
• See how small the cave is; Fred is taking pictures
• This is what Fred was photographing; stalactites
• Just outside the cave also the effect of water on the rocks
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• Nice natural 'paddy fields' formed by water and lime
• Another 'paddy field'
• This is how we had to walk along the side of the cliff
• Fred (front) and Dirk
• Apparently lots of goats here
• And also here the 'rare' Mammillaria mammillaris
• Next rest
• View on the higher parts of the mountain with a Wayaká in the foreground
• Eddy walking under a large fallen piece of rock
• Dirk follows through the same opening
• Another passage between the cliff and a broken-off piece
• The group coming through the passage
• Fred is leading the way
• Print of a 'Shell'-shell in the lime
• Dirk balancing on the cliff
• Luckily nobody was home in this abandoned bee's nest
• Dirk needs to sit down to pass the low-hanging branches
• An old Kiwa shell
• A nice surprise; a wooden tower for a well
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• Detail of the wooden tower
• The well itself; concrete mixed with finger coral
• Fred is looking into the well
• and this is what he sees; a deep well with water
• Another surprise, a Kadaster measuring point on an earthen dam near the well
• The Kadaster measuring point VH 1506