Christmas 2015 on the Salvation Islands

After visiting Oiapoque in Brazil, Jack and I spent six days in my favorite spot in all of French Guiana: the Salvation Islands. These islands (Royal Island, Devil's Island, and St. Joseph Island) are three small land masses seperated from each other by only a short swim. They're located 14 kilometers off the coast of French Guiana, and it takes an hour by ferry to get there. Royal Island is the only island with a hotel and that's where we celebrated Christmas Eve and Day, in 30°C weather, and a refreshing dip in the Caribbean Sea.

I had a lot of papers to correct during my stay, however. My hotel room had a nice balcony with a view of the sea and Devil's Island. The sound of the waves pounding actually made correcting a very pleasant experience... for once! (Click on photos to enlarge)

Another much needed activity was relaxing. There are a few spots on the island where we like to go to look out at the sea and enjoy the calm.

Since it was the holidays, I decided to grow a mustache! 

Many palm trees grow in awkward places...

Here's a better view of Devil's Island from the hotel restaurant's balcony. In the 19th century, Alfred Dreyfus was imprisoned on Devil's Island which was supposed to unescapable.

Lots of monkeys inhabit the islands. Here are two fellows who were as much curious about us as we were of them. They liked the look of our backpacks, probably thinking we had a snack to give.

Who's greener? Jack or this wall of plants?

One of my favorite times of the day was sunset which we never missed. The clouds and the colors changed every few minutes and it was a spectacle worth watching. I already miss the islands and can't wait for our next trip back...