Saturday 28th January - Devils Island and Iles du Salut - French Guiana

Iles du Salut means Salvation Islands - they got that name when several monks and nuns used them to  escape from disease on the main land.  There are three islands, Ile Royale (Royal Island), Ile Diablo (Devils Island) and Ile Saint Joseph (St Joseph's Island).  Devil's Island was made famous by the book and film Papillon, written by former prisoner Henri Charriere and telling of various attempts to escape.  We watched the film last night, something I recommended to every passenger I discussed the islands with.  There are elements in the film which make a visit much more meaningful.

The ship anchored off shore and we were tendered across to Royal Island, which was the administrative centre of the colony.  The isolation cells, warden's accommodation, hospital, church etc were all on Royal Island, and the good news was that we had an all day stay scheduled.  The even better news was that Peter and I got an early tender and were across by about 10.30.

We love this place.  The Penal Colony was abolished in 1948 and since then the island has recovered - and now can only be described as a little bit of paradise.  We started with an anti-clockwise walk right around the outside of the island. Here are the pictures.

When in use as a penal colony, all the trees on the island were cut down to prevent the prisoners using them to build boats.  Now they've grown back.

Tumbledown and overgrown buildings everywhere.  Slightly eerie.

This is an Agouti or Palm Rat.  They look like leggy guinea pigs, abundant and easily seen during our walk.

Overgrown and jungle like. Noisy with the sounds of insects.  Just awesome. 

We saw turtles, loads of birds, and these brown cappuchin monkeys.  

After our walk around the island we made our way to the centre  where most of the what's left of the penal colony buildings are.  There's a restaurant and bar there were you can sit for a cool drink, which is what we did.

And iguanas

From there, we took a look at the old prison cells.  Because we'd seen the film last night, we understood how these buildings were used, and how terrible the lives of the inmates could be. 

Entrance to the isolation cells

The cell door.  It must have instilled dread

And inside

This would have been a sleeping area.  There would have been a long wooden platform at the height of the bars you can see here.  Prisoners slept together on the platform, manacles on their wrists were chained to the bars on the walls.    

This is Devils Island. Prisoners and or guards could be transported across via a basket on a cable pulley over the water.  Sharks circled in the sea below.  Not a place you want to get stuck.  No-one is allowed across.  I wonder about the building we can see, and whether prisoners ever lived there.

Another very satisfying day on the island. This is my fifth visit.  Every time there is never enough time to see everything, and I want to go back.  Just awesome.

Tomorrow is sea day before we hit the Caribbean.   More adventures then.