Macao, or Beyond the Sea

Max and Chrige, a married couple of Swiss linguists, hike the Alps searching for rare words still uttered by the rural population. While on his way to a conference, the husband's plane disappears over the sea. Chrige is advised to give up hope of ever seeing him alive, but her heart tells her otherwise. Max comes ashore on a tropical island with another survivor, the plane's pilot. But where are they in reality?