More Mardi Gras photos

Here are a few more moments of the Mardi Gras parade that I found memorable. One of the first groups to march is proudly waving the flag of French Guiana. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

A few more costumes I particularly liked were these...

Another famous character in the Mardi Gras parade is the Nègre Marron, the descendant of the runaway slaves from Suriname. They are smeared in black grease and pretend to touch the spectators as they go by, giving them a good scare.

The next series of photos are faces of participants whom I found particularly expressive...

The highlight of the parade are the Brazilian dancers. There's a very large Brazilian community in French Guiana; in fact some people believe they will outnumber all the other ethnic groups in the upcoming years. However, Brazilian culture is very lively and festive and they bring a special touch to the Mardi Gras celebration. Let's just say that the temperature starts to sizzle...

I actually know this lady because she goes to the same gym as I do. She's really friendly and always says hello to me.

Mardi Gras in Cayenne

The carnival season is in full swing and will last six weeks this year. Some people are a bit discouraged because it had lasted eight weeks last year. Anyways, French Guiana can boast of having the longest Mardi Gras season in the entire world.

I took nearly a hundred photos of today's parade through the streets of Cayenne, the capital. I've selected some photos I'd particularly like to share. (Click on photos to enlarge).

The parade is full of characters known in the Guianese culture and traditions. The first characters to appear are the "sweepers" who symbolically clean the streets and prepare for the festivities.

 These colorful ladies dance and sweep to the sound of the bands' drums. They can really move their booties and give everyone a great laugh.

 I didn't understand these characters. Are they supposed to be Creole smurfs?

 Lastly, the parades are full of men in drag. The guys parade around and act as ridiculous as possible to get everybody's attention.

 Lastly, this character is called a Touloulou. She's covered from head to foot so as to completely disguise herself and avoid recognition. Touloulous are the real queens of the parade. If one of them asks you to dance, then you can't say no... you're not allowed to refuse a Touloulou's wish!

More to come next week...

The Salvation Islands

During our Christmas vacation, Jack and I spent five days on the Salvation Islands and even celebrated New Year's Eve there. The three islands are just 14 kms off the coast of Kourou where France launches the Ariane rocket. Getting to the islands is actually a rough ride on the small ferry as we're sailing against a strong current. Many people were sick... except me! Having been to the islands before, I took my motion sickness pills before leaving and was even able to almost enjoy the ride. (Click to enlarge)

Royal Island is the only one of the three Salvation Islands with tourist capacity. There's a wonderful hotel with a view of Devil's Island from the balcony.

Saint Joseph's Island is visible near the port and offers some lovely pictures as well.

There's a lot of wildlife on the islands to discover, but it was mostly introduced by man. Therefore, the birds and monkeys are quite used to seeing tourists and don't run away. There was even one macaw that would come visit the tourists as they were eating at the island's only restaurant, hoping to get a few scraps off plates.

Royal Island is very small and it only takes about an hour and a half to walk around the entire island. There's also a museum on the history of France's penal colony.

All three of the Salvation Islands were occupied by the French penal colony. Prisoners were held there in appalling sanitary conditions and death was common. Moreover, the prison staff disposed of dead bodies by dropping them into the sea: this attracted large sharks which made escape by swimming quite impossible. The ruins of the prison are still visible but are rapidly deteriorating since being abandoned in the 1940's.

During our stay, we enjoyed quiet walks around the island's interior to spot the monkeys and birds. There are a number of paths like this one.

We also went swimming every day in the convicts' pool, a swimming basin created by the convicts to protect themselves from shark attacks. There are rocks that surround the basin and there's a fantastic view of Devil's Island.

All in all, the Salvation Islands are one of the most beautiful and peaceful places to visit in French Guiana today-- and such a paradox in light of its reputation as "hell on earth" during the penal colony years.

Christmas Day in Cayenne

Merry Christmas everyone! Jack and I had a very quiet day trying to stay out of the heat and humidity. However, the sun and good weather finally drew us outside in the afternoon and off we went to the beach. Would you like to come with us on our little walk? Once we leave our apartment complex, we go down the street to the roundabout and then turn right. (Click on photos to enlarge)

Next, we'll go straight along this road for about five minutes...

...and we'll turn left down the first dirt road.

After another right then another left, we arrive at this street. If you look carefully, you can see the ocean at the end of the street.

In just another two minutes, here we are at the beach! Along the way, one of the houses seems to emerge from the luxurious vegetation.

This will be the first time we ever go swimming in the ocean on Christmas Day. The water was actually quite nice and warm, and we had fun splashing around.

We wrote you a little message in the sand just before a wave came to wipe it away. Can you make out what it says?

As we left to return home, we admired the sunset through the palm trees.

In just three days, we'll be leaving for the Salvation Islands about one hour by ferry off the coast of French Guiana. I promise lots of photos. Until then, merry Christmas once again!

Merry Christmas...

Finally! School vacation began yesterday and I've got until January 5th to rest, do housework, prepare lessons and correct papers AT MY OWN PACE!

The rainy season has also started and our backyard is flooding more and more often these days... (Click on pictures to enlarge)

 The rainy season, however, is not mansoon season like in Bangladesh with continuous rains for months. Here, it's just storms every day ranging between 10 minutes to a couple of hours. Temperatures are cooler so it's easier to stay outside during the afternoon.

The rainy season is also bringing more critters into the backyard... mostly giant sized such as this grasshopper...

or this moth.

 Frogs and toads are everywhere. This frog decided to stick to our sliding glass door for a couple of hours...

...and we found another small frog hiding amongst the dishes in our kitchen sink.

One positive side to the frequent rains, humid atmosphere, and steady heat is the general effect on my garden. My plants are thriving and I can enjoy many flowers in full bloom such as my orchids...

or hibiscus...

and a few others.

Next week, Jack and I will be leaving for the Salvation Islands to spend four days together on this little tropical paradise (but with a dark history). I promise lots of pictures and some explanations about what you can see and do there. Until then... merry Chistmas!