The Bushiningue people of French Guiana

One of the largest ethnic groups of French Guiana is the Bushiningue. The word Bushiningue is actually a generic word that refers to the ancestors of the African slaves who risked their lives and fled from the sugar plantations in Surinam and into the jungle, often crossing over into French Guiana territory. These peoples have passed down their old traditions from generation to generation and still speak "Sranan Tongo" as their mother tongue. This was the language used on the Surinamese plantations centuries ago as the slaves weren't allowed to speak Dutch.

The Bushiningue are divided into many tribes such as the Aluku, Saramaca, the Boni, and more. They live mostly in western French Guiana, near the border with Surinam, but more and more live today in the cities of Cayenne and Kourou.

I have a lot of Bushiningue students at school and I've already learned a few Sranan Tongo words.

In the video below, I wanted to share with you the reality of French Guiana. A famous Bushiningue singer has just released a new song and the music video depicts traditional Bushiningue villages and dances. The video gives you also some high-quality images of what French Guiana looks like... Even if you don't like the song, please enjoy the dances and nature views.

Meteor in the sky...

Jack and I were mesmerized at 6:38 pm yesterday by a giant ball of fire that we saw crossing the evening sky. We took some photos in our backyard of this incredible sight to share the unique experience with you. Can you guess what it is? (Click on photos to enlarge) I'll give you some clues...

 Clue #1: This phenomenon occurs about every three months.

Clue #2: This ball of fire originates from the city of Kourou, about 80 kilometers from Cayenne where we live.

Clue #3: The ball of fire leaves behind it a trail of smoke that slowly dissipates into the atmosphere.

Answer: It's the Ariane rocket launch! Kourou is the "Cape Canaveral" of French Guiana where the European Space Center is located. The Ariane rocket has been successfully sending satellites into space for decades now and has proved itself as the world's most reliable rocket. The space industry is also French Guiana's most important economic sector worth several billions of dollars.

Below is a photo of last evening's launch taken by some of Jack's friends. They were down at the beach and had an excellent view of the Ariane rocket as it lifted into space.

A trip to the zoo

There's only one zoo in French Guiana, and it's located about 25 minutes by car from our home. One of the particularities of this zoo is that it only displays animals that are actually found in French Guiana. However, as you wander from one display to another, you are quickly amazed by the gigantic diversity of Guiana's native species. In fact, experts say that there is more flora and fauna diversity in one square kilometer of Guianese rainforest that in all of western Europe.

For example, did you know that French Guiana is home to two different species of toucans? Look carefully at these two males and spot their differences...! (Click on photos to enlarge)

Out of all of Guiana's native species, the jaguar is usually the big favorite for most jungle tourists.

Jack and I have already spotted a few caimen and crocodiles while visiting the Kaw marsh in eastern Guiana. These reptiles keep growing all their lives and can become huge.

The tapir is the largest mammal in South America and can weigh up to 300 kilos. This animal is hunted in French Guiana and you can find its meat served in Creole restaurants.

 Brightly colored parrots and parokeets are also a common sight here.

Wait...! I've forgotten the name of this specimen, but judging from its stealthy gait and stately appearance, I'd say we're in the presence of the king of the jungle...

... oops. No, it's just Jack having fun on the treetop bridges adventure trail. Although we were a bit high off the ground, I enjoyed it too!

Celebrating the ramboutan

One of the best things about living in French Guiana is the incredible variety of delicious tropical fruit you can buy all year long. At the market today, Jack and I bought my favorite fruit in the whole world: the ramboutan. And to think: before coming to French Guiana, I had never even heard of this fruit! (click on photos to enlarge)

The ramboutan is available seasonly-- it appears only from February to May (during our rainy season). The ramboutan is not native to French Guiana but was brought here by the Hmong people when they immigrated to this territory after the French Indochinese war. Today, the ramboutan has become so popular in French Guiana that there is even a famous ramboutan festival organized every year in April.

Ramboutans are oval and look somewhat like litchis. However, they're light reddish to deep red in color.

Although they're a prickly fruit, their prickles are very soft and can be handled without being scratched. Either you take a knife or you use your fingernail to help you peel off the skin.

Inside, you'll find a white fruit you can pop into your mouth; however, you have to spit out the pit.
The taste is delicate, juicy and sweet. It's very refreshing to eat ramboutans you've stored in the refrigerator on a hot day.

Spring break on Saint Martin

For our spring break this year, Jack and I decided to visit Saint Martin.

Although the island of Saint Martin is just a three-hour flight from Cayenne, it actually takes over five hours to get there with a stop-over in Fort-de-France (Martinique) then a change of planes in Point-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe). However, Saint Martin is one of the ultimate Caribbean destinations for those who love the beach, water sports, and duty-free shopping.

This small island was also colonized by France and the Netherlands, and today it is split into two parts. The Dutch side drains nearly 80% of the island's economy because it caters to mass tourism, cruise ship passengers, and party-goers. Casinos, prostitution, and stripping bars are all legal there. Moreover, taxes and the minimum wage are half as high on the Dutch side as on the French side which also favors business owners to operate on the Dutch side.

Anyways, here a few highlights of our ten-day stay on this very cosmopolitan English-speaking island.  (Click on photos to enlarge)

Like most people, we enjoyed a little shopping in Philipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side.

Another big thrill is Maho Beach, which is located just next to the airport. Planes are literally dropping on swimmers and sunbathers. Strangely, people don't even seem to mind the jet blasts of sand...

Just a five-minute boat ride from Saint Martin is Pinel Island (French side) part of a nature reserve.  Unlike the Dutch side with its rampant urbanism, the French side is striving to protect the environment and create sustainable (but more expensive) tourism.

Here's the town of Marigot, the capital of the French side. There's a great open-air market in town most days and life is a lot more slow-paced than in Philipsburg.

The town of Grand Case (French side) is also highly reputed for its restaurants, considered some of the best in the Caribbean. Jack and I decided to treat ourselves to a tasty lunch with a fantastic view over the beach.

Here's Mullet Bay (Dutch side), a popular place for nudists. As I was taking pictures of the scenery, I saw some naked people sunbathing and OH MY GOD, I got so worried that they might think I was taking photos of them!!
 

With such a craggy coastline, it's always easy to find a secluded beach on Saint Martin and imagine yourself as Robinson Crusoe.

What a place, eh?!

A regular visitor...

One of my favorite garden friends is Big Jim-- that's the name we've given to the giant toad that lurks around in our backyard gobbling up all sorts of pesky insects like grasshoppers. He's built a nest behind our red Alpinia plants. We haven't taken a picture of him yet but we'll try to soon.

Another interesting little visitor friend we've got is this rather big green lizard with rainbow colors on its tail. (Click on picture to enlarge.) It likes to come up to our sliding glass window and take a peek inside the house to see what's going on. Then, it usually just walks away into the backyard vegetation.

Hm.... what should we call him? Linny the lizard? Larry the lizard? Lewis the lizard? Any suggestions...?!

Visit along the Salines Trail

Just a twenty-minute walk from our apartment is a really nice trail near the beach that meanders through some mangrove. The path has been nicely designed to take you through different parts of the mangrove and has various explanation boards which present the local flora and fauna. Its name in French is le sentier des Salines.

Come for a little walk with Jack and me as we explore this fascinating trail together. (Click on photos to enlarge)

First, let's follow the boardwalk to a large saltwater pond.

From the gazebo, we can look out at the dark waters which reflect the sky like a mirror. This is definitely a very peaceful place and it's calming to simply stare and observe the scenery.

On the other side of the gazebo, we've got a very different view. The sun brightly illuminates the vegetation from this angle and we can see birds fishing here and there.

After contemplating this quiet nature scene, let's go back down the boardwalk...

The vegetation is getting thicker and the boardwalk has given way to a sandy path. If you're not careful, you might miss the right direction. Fortunately, here's Jack to point the way...

Now, the vegetation completely surrounds us and we seem to penetrate into the rain forest. Actually, it's just the shadowy mangrove. There is no more wind but there are plenty of mosquitos here who have decided to tag along with us. We'll have to hurry up-- and yet it is so alluring to look at the sun dancing through the maze of roots...

Thank goodness the boardwalk has returned. It was starting to get muddy. Jack and I are really starting to get bit by mosquitos. We'll have to hurry up. In fact, Jack's already speeding up and is waiting way in front of us. Come on!

Unfortunately, the mosquitos have seriously outnumbered us and are becoming very pesky. We didn't prepare with the proper gear to go through the mangroves. We'd better leave. Let's just take one last look down the empty boardwalk...

We definitely will have to come back, but with the proper clothes! Although we couldn't do the whole trail together, we did see some beautiful areas.

This was actually a rather nice Easter Sunday. In just another three weeks, Jack and I will be leaving for the island of Saint Martin which we're really looking forward to. However, I'll try to get another post published before we leave on our Caribbean vacation....