Hell and heaven are states of being, not destinations. They are worlds we carry within. – Angela Panayotopulos
Today is a late arrival, so we get sleep in AND go ashore. Win – win! Our destination is Îles du Salut, a trio of islands off the coast of French Guiana. It is better known as Devil’s Island, the notorious and deadly penal colony made famous by Steve McQueen in Papillon. The old prison is actually on Ile Royale, not Devil’s Island. The prison was nicknamed Devil’s Island due its evil reputation, and the actual Devil’s Island is a smaller island across a narrow and dangerous channel.
We’ve been here before, visiting the prison ruins and learning of it’s cruel and tortured history. Today we step off the tender and choose the perimeter trail to see the flowers, birds and animals that we missed on our first visit. Today, on the same tiny island, we visit the heaven of Ile Royale instead of the hell of Devil’s Island.
The first thing I notice as we step off the tender is the familiar blast of heat. With it is a thundering chorus of cicada song. My daughter once told me that cicadas only sing above a certain temperature. Beyond that, the volume of the cicadas soars as the temperature does. I don’t know what the temperature is today, but my ears tell me it must be a scorcher. It is too hot for mosquitoes to venture out, but the sun is fierce on the south side of the island. My parasol gets a real workout today!
Most of our shipmates take the stone stairs up to the ruins and history of the island’s human past. We follow the smaller and flatter trail near the shore. As we get farther from the dock, the shade closes in. Caribbean almond trees litter the ground with their shells, and coconuts are everywhere. The fallen coconuts have been carved open by some sort of animal.
Soon we see a cat sized animal in the undergrowth. It looks like a giant hamster. In the next few hours, I’m told by several people that it is a Capybara. I’m also told firmly by one man that it is NOT. I’m siding with the majority. For the rest of this post, they will be called Capys, whatever they may be.
There is intriguing birdsong in the canopy, and two birds that look like small parrots shoot past in a flash of yellow. I see them once more, but too briefly to take a picture. We see monkeys, as well. The monkeys are shy, staying far away from the humans on the trails. They seem to avoid the crowded, tourist oriented ruins and cafe entirely.
One of the most interesting things I see is the monkeys deliberately dropping coconuts from the trees. The Capys home in on the fresh coconuts and chew them open. The monkeys now have open coconuts to eat and drink from. There is plenty to go round, so the Capys don’t go without. This symbiotic relationship ensures a constant food source for both species. What a different society than the one humans have created on this same small spur of rock jutting from the sea!
And the flowers! The heat and humidity that create a hell for humans also creates a heaven for plants. Lush growth and flowers are everywhere. Even on the shore trail there are many examples of stone structures being returned to nature the moment they aren’t carefully maintained. Once again, the stones sustain plants that are breaking walls into individual rocks in the landscape.
The sheer rocky shores and strong seas that make escape almost impossible are also why this wasn’t a chosen spot for our beach day plans. A stone enclosure was built in the water in a relatively calm spot. It was where the guards and wardens could swim. Outside of that, swimming is not encouraged, to say the least. This is made abundantly clear – there are warning signs everywhere for everything!
David patiently waits, time and again, while I check out and photograph one plant or another. I try to find spots where a shady bench is not too far. Finally, we find ourselves back at the pier, and board a tender back to the Amsterdam. The ride is smooth, but the ship is anchored in shallow water and can’t deploy the stabilizers. This make stepping from tender to platform tricky, as both are moving and not the same way!
Our last visit here was somber and a little depressing. This time, the focus is on natures heaven, not mans hell, and I leave in a happier mood. The monkeys and Capys must be happier too, now that the strangers that make them so wary have gone.
UPDATE: So it turns out my capybaras are actually Agoutis. I should have listened to that solitary voice of dissent. To be fair, he didn’t know the right name, just that they weren’t Capybaras.
Let this be a lesson that if you are too shy to come out and introduce yourself, people will get your name wrong. Sorry, Agoutis.
Now we’re off to Brazil. See you in Belem!
Senses of Today: The sight of the Capy watching for the monkeys to drop him coconuts. The sound of cicadas rising to a crescendo in the hot sun. The feel of the intense heat of the sun. The smell of the sun heated jungle, mixed with salt spray of the crashing waves. The taste of mosquito repellent that got a little too close to my mouth. Personally, I preferred the taste of chocolate Pavlova, but you get what the day has to offer, not what you what you wish it did.
Today’s Tip: Rigid expectations for a port set you up for disappointment. Stay open to what may come and enjoy what the day offers!
A Passport in my Parasol 