The drive from Andavadoaka to Salary turns out to be a little more of a challenge than what some have said: deep sand makes the going tough. At the same time, it is a beautiful drive, with plenty of baobabs and other reasons for short stops. When we finally stand o top of a sand dune, chatting to the Italian owner of a hotel, we feel a pleasant breeze coming through to cool us off. In the distance, we see high sand dunes, we see the reef, and we see the beach right below us. We drop our stuff in our bungalow, and head down to the surf. Walking south, we come across part of the fishing village, with a row of pirogues lying on the white sand beach. We then sit on the sand to watch the sun touch the horizon, and quickly disappear from our view. Time for dinner!

During the night, we hear the constant sound of the waves breaking on the reef, one of the best sounds to sleep on. I am up early the next morning, run down the steep white sand of a sand dune, and then walk the beach towards the south. When I pass the pirogues we have seen the day before, fishermen are busy pulling their boats out into the sea, and raising their hand-made sails on top of them. The high sand dunes that have drawn my attention the day before, are my goal, and when I walk around the bay, to the next, I reach a bigger part of Salary. The beach is littered with pirogues, and I am now right at the foot of the sand dunes. Climbing them is good exercise as they are steep and the sand is fine. The view is a good reward. From here, I have the perfect view of the village, the pirogues, and the beaches north and south. At sea, I see what looks like a small armada of sailing boats: pirogues with make-shift sails made out of used rice bags.

The beaches further south look so attractive, I cannot resist their call, so I walk down to the beach and continue my early morning walk. The village of Salary now lies behind me, and I am often completely alone on the beach. Behind every bend in the coastline, a new white-sand beach comes up, and it is impossible to stop. After a few more bays, I see the ruins of a building a little higher up, climb to it, and see that the beaches further south are just more stretches of deserted, white sand bordering turquoise waters. A treat to the eye! I also realize that I could probably continue walking for hours here, but reality is: I am getting hungry, and have to head back for breakfast. Afterwards, we finally dip into the sea, and enjoy the soft sands of one of the many beaches of Salary, enjoying the pleasant warmth of the rays of sunlight on our skins.