The Montabo walking trail

 One of the really easy and picturesque walks to do around Cayenne is along the Mantabo trail.  It takes about two hours round trip and you progressively walk through luxuriant plant life along the beach front into rain forest before arriving at the beach on the other side of the mountain.  (Click on photos to enlarge)

 We were surprised to spot lots of flowers we'd never seen before like this reddish cluster that sort of ressembled honeysuckle.

 We also caught a glimpse of the giant blue morpho butterfly, here with its wings closed. (Sorry!)

 On the other side of the mountain, we overlooked the beach where Jack and I regularly go for a swim. Here it's high tide so it doesn't look like much of a beach.

 Unfortunately, we found no garbage cans or bags along the trail. As in many countries, the unconcerned hiker just carelessly throws their trash onto the forest ground and spoils the landscape. Yet if man can do such incredible things like send satellites into space, create new and amazing computer technology or discover cures for mortel diseases, why is it impossible for him to just keep a forest clean?!

Visiting Montenegro

During our summer holidays in July, we went back to France to see family and friends. We were also lucky enough to be able to schedule a one-week guided tour through Montenegro with Niels and Julia.

Montenegro is part of ex-Yugoslavia and it is also a very mountainous country that borders the Adriatic Sea. The landscapes are truly marvelous. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

 We visited a 17th century monastery called Ostrog built high up on a high vertical cliff...

 The churches are mostly Orthodox and some are very small like here in Cetinje (Montenegro's former capital).

 One of our favorite sites was the Black Lake near Mount Durmitor.

 We were 15 people in all on our guided tour, and everyone got along well.

Prices are a lot lower in Montenegro than in France which made eating out and buying souvenirs very affordable. I guess our one disappointment was the difficulty we faced communicating and the somewhat cold reactions given by many people. Although our tour guide had taught us how to say "Hello" and "Thank you" and "Please" and "Goodbye" the most frequent response we received from Montenegrans was just silence and a scowl. Hmm... we were not too sure how to interpret that.

Chou-aï, the sloth sanctuary

The rainy season is officially over, and the dry season is now bringing more sun and heat... but the humidity is slightly lower.

One of the exciting things Jack and I recently did was to visit a sloth sanctuary just outside of Cayenne. (Click on pictures to enlarge)

 Here's a mommy with her baby...

 As the population in French Guiana grows, more and more trees are being cut down to clear space for construction. With their habitat shrinking, sloths are becoming an endangered species due to this increase of human activity. Some sloths are found wandering on roads here about to be hit by cars or near housing developments where dogs will attack them. Concerned people pick up the stray and sometimes injured sloths and turn them over to Chou-aï, the only sloth sanctuary in French Guiana.

 This sanctuary does a really good job at informing the public all about sloths and how we can try to protect them better. What really impressed us was the possibility to take a sloth in our arms. I can honestly say they are one of the mildest and most inoffensive creatures I've met. They love three things: sleeping, eating leaves, and being cuddled...

The Kaw Marshland

One of the most interesting places to visit in French Guiana is the Kaw marshland park just an hour and a half from Cayenne by car. It's part of a vast nature preserve where you can spot some of Guiana's diverse wildlife, from brightly colored birds (such as the red ibis) to crocodiles and water buffalo. A definite must for all those who visit French Guiana.

Jack and I decided to do an overnight tour of the marshes. We spent the night on a boat that meandered its way down the river. Our guide stopped regularly to give us explanations and show  different wildlife species. Fortunately, there are barely no mosquitos in the marshes as the water acidity isn't favorable for mosquito reproduction. (Click on photos to enlarge).

As the evening approached, our local guide anchored the boat so we could have a drink and a swim before dinner.

Swimming was extra exciting due to the presence of crocodiles and piranha. Also, the water is very dark and impossible to see through but the temperature was so refreshing.

Sunset was one of the most magical moments of all...

We also did a little night tour through the marshes in search of caymen and crocodiles. Yup, we found plenty...

The trip cost about 150 euros per person for two days and one night (meals included) but was worth it for us. We left the area with lots of good memories of its beauty and mystery.

May in Cayenne

 My hernia operation went well, and I'm currently at home recuperating. I don't have to go back to work until June 15th which should allow me to fully recover.

May, however, is definitely the rainiest month of the year here in French Guiana. The rainy season itself doesn't officially stop until the end of July.

Contrary to other months, rain doesn't come on and off in May. I've already seen pouring rain, but it usually stops after ten minutes or so. Now, the pouring rain will last for hours and that floods our entire apartment complex.

This picture is of our back yard... (Click on photos to enlarge)

Even the worms are migrating to our back porch seeking shelter.

One advantage of the rainy season, however, is that the temperature drops somewhat. Average highs are around 30°C (86°F). Unfortunately, mosquitos particularly enjoy the rainy season too...

Saint Lucia

For the spring vacation, Jack and I went to Saint Lucia and met up with my dad and step-mother. Saint Lucia is just two and a half hours away from Cayenne by plane with a stop-over in Fort-de-France (Martinique).

We rented a nice villa for the length of our stay. (Click on pictures to enlarge)

Some parts of the island were dry while others were covered with rainforest.

 We saw a lot of orchids...

 and heliconia flowers. This variety is called the Sexy Pink Heliconia.

The island is very mountainous and has some great views.

 This is the city of Soufrière and its pitons.

There were also some secluded bays with luxury hotels, perfect for couples on honeymoon.

However, our favorite visits were to the mudbaths at Sulphur Springs and playing in the waterfalls.

We highly recommend Saint Lucia as the inhabitants are also very welcoming and friendly. We didn't meet a single rude person; instead everybody seemed full of good humor, patient, and helpful towards tourists.

Alas, now that vacation is over I'm getting my hernia operation done at the hospital in Cayenne. I probably won't be able to write another entry for at least two or three weeks.... Until then!

the heliconia

The expertise was done on my crashed Opel Corsa. It would cost €8500 euros to fix whereas it's worth €1250 euros. Our insurance company will buy the Corsa for €1000 euros. So, we're going to have to purchase a used-car soon.

Our upstairs neighbor told us that she's had 4 crashes over the past 5 years, and each time it wasn't her fault. She asserts that driving here is a lot more dangerous than in France because the population is so much younger. In fact, over 50% of the population in French Guiana is less than 26 years old, just like in many African countries.

Luckily, I'm able to garden in my backyard to cheer me up.  One of my favorite flowers in my garden is the heliconia, a curious orange flower I'd never seen before coming to French Guiana. (Click on pictures to enlarge)

The heliconia is very common here and you'll find giant patches of them along roadsides or in vacant lots.

As it opens, it begins to look like a flame. The flower also lasts for several weeks and then a new heliconia sprouts up alongside the old one. They reproduce fast!

On Sundays, Jack and I like to go out for a walk. In this picture, we'd gone to downtown Cayenne (place des amandiers) and decided to stop for a drink at a café.