The end of our South American Adventure

Devil’s Island, French Guiana

March 4, 2016

We are on the home stretch. Today we are at Devil’s Island – the infamous penal colony in French Guiana. Well, actually we are on Ile Royale, one of the three Salvation Islands, the other two being Saint-Joseph and Ile du Diable. The Salvation Islands began as a leper colony. Located seven miles off the coast of French Guiana, the penal colony was established there in 1852 by the government of Napoleon III. The original name for the colony was Bagne de Cayenne (Cayenne Penal Colony), but its prisoners coined the name “Devil’s Island.” The government stopped sending new prisoners in 1938 and closed the facility in 1952.

Our day began with a bit of adventure as the rough seas made stepping from the ship onto the tender a bit dicey. However, having survived, we began our bittersweet visit to the largest island in the archipelago. I say bittersweet because this now mostly uninhabited island saw so much hardship and death over its century of existence. 

Welcome to Devil's Island sign

Today there is a small hotel, a former guard barrack, to help accommodate the more than 50,000 tourists who visit every year, a 1928 lighthouse, and a modern radio/radar tracking station of the European Space agency where scientists monitor Ariane rocket launches from Kourou on the French Guiaa mainland seven miles away. The Guiana Space Centre has responsibility for the islands. 

Of greatest interest are the remains of the prison facilities, including housing for the wardens and their families, a small church adorned with murals painted by the prisoners, and the overgrown ruins of former prison cells. A rough dirt road allowed us to circumnavigate the island. We passed a children's cemetery. Guards and their wives who died while stationed here were buried on Ile St. Joseph and prisoners were buried at sea, which fostered the presence of sharks. 

Murals inside the church

Although the islands have no beaches, there is a "swimming pool" that was used by guards and wardens. It is protected from the heavy surf by strategically placed rocks.

The swimming pool. That's Ile du Diable in the background.

We saw squirrel monkeys and macaws – both introduced species – in the trees and around the trail, as well as agoutis, rodents native to the Caribbean and South America. They look a bit like reddish guinea pigs on stilts.

Macaw and squirrel monkey. Sorry, no pics of the agoutis.

Over the years over 80,000 prisoners were sent here, most of whom were never seen again due to harsh conditions, isolation and disease. Among its most famous residents was Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish French military officer accused of espionage and later exonerated. A recent book about this is An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris.  He was kept in isolation in a small cottage on Ile du Diable which we could see from Ile Royale.

Dreyfus isolation hut on Ile du Diable

Only three prisoners escaped successfully. The first was Clement Duval, a French anarchist who escaped in April 1901 and found sanctuary in the U.S. The second, and probably most famous, was Henri Charriere, who successfully escaped in 1941. The book, Papillion, and subsequent movie tells this story vividly. The third escapee we discovered from a framed newspaper article at the entry to the church. His name was Rene Belbenoit and he, too, received sanctuary in the U.S.

Belbenoit before (above) and after escape

At the tender pier, as we were preparing to return to the ship, we saw sea turtles nibbling at the rocks. This was a day filled with sad reminders of inhumane treatment. It was also a day filled with wildlife, for which the sea turtles provided a fitting end.

Now we are off to the Caribbean with stops scheduled on Barbados and St. Thomas. This is my final post for this blog. 

Cruising the Amazon

Thursday, February 25, 2016

After a day at sea we entered the Amazon in the wee hours of this morning and later made the second of our three crossings of the equator. The Amazon is wider than we had expected and is light brown due to all the sand and silt. We have been asked to conserve water and reuse towels until March 1 because the ship cannot produce fresh water onboard due to the poor quality of the river water and the sediment that clogs up the ship’s evaporators. We are covered in insect repellant as we sit on our balcony and enjoy the views of rainforest, houses on stilts, and the comings and goings of river busses, motorized canoes, and the occasional pink dolphin.

Amazon river scene

Santarem, Brazil

Friday, February 26, 2016

Our first stop is Santarem where we share dock space with several river busses. These are the “public transportation” of the Amazon. Boats are the only means of travel from town to town. Trips on the river busses take several days and most passengers bring their own hammocks for sleeping. The decks of the busses are filled with hammocks, next to which are bags and food for the journey.

River busses along the shore in Satarem

River bus passenger with hammocks behind

River scene in Santarem

Santarem is one of the oldest cities in the Brazilian Amazon. It was founded in 1661 and named after the historic city in Portugal. A boom and bust city, over the years the city’s fortunes have risen and fallen on timber, rubber, coffee and gold mining. Today the city is prospering due to the global demand for soybeans so there are several soybean silos at the harbor. Acres of rain forest south of town are now being cleared to allow for planting soybeans.

The city is located on the Tapajos River. There is an obvious line where the Tapajos meets the Amazon due to the contrast in water color. The Tapajos is blue and the Amazon is brown.

Meeting of the waters

As we sailed toward the city we saw pink dolphins (yes, pink) cavorting near the ship. Once docked, we took the shuttle to the center of town – the Praca do Pescadores – the walked about two miles back to the ship along the promenade past craft and food markets. We saw a number of vendors with literally hundreds of colorful hammocks for sale. As noted earlier, these are necessary for travel along the river. And due to the humid climate, they wear out quickly so people are always having to replace them.

As we walked along the shore we saw hundreds of boats large and small, as well as lots of fishermen using nets. It’s quite colorful. We also saw the charming blue church – a prominent feature. We rescued a beautiful large moth from certain death in the busy roadway. Moths are as prevalent as butterflies here, and just as beautiful.

The moth we saved (we hope)

Blue church in Satarem

When we returned to the ship in the afternoon the river busses that had been loading people, cars (in some cases) and cargo that morning were all gone. Later we saw new vessels arriving.

Boca Da Valeria, Brazil

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Today was our most interesting day so far. Boca Da Valeria is a tiny trading village along the Amazon with a population of 120 people, known as caboclos – a mix of indigenous and Portuguese heritage. The dock of the village sits near the mouth of a small tributary we accessed by tender.

The tender taking passengers to the dock

We were greeted by many children all holding small exotic pets – baby sloths, parrots, etc. The idea is you take their pictures and pay $1. I took a bag of some of the chocolates we have left on our pillows each night and became immediately popular with the children. When tourists like us visit it is a holiday – the school closes and the villagers come out enmass to sell crafts, take visitors on boat rides further up the tributary to the village, and generally make a few extra dollars. Although poor by our standards, they live in thriving, in-tact families along the tributary. BTW, the Amazon has over 1100 tributaries, with 17 being more than 1000 miles long. Anyone who has read Ann Patchett’s book, State of Wonder, will appreciate the role these tributaries play in Amazon life.

Making friends in Boca De Valeria

We hired a small boat ($10 for one hour) to take us to the village. Our guide is in his 50s and has 30 grandchildren, four of whom helped escort us around. We saw the new school and met the principal. The computer lab was filled with older equipment, but at least there was one. John got the principal’s contact information to share with local Rotarians in Sharon who may send needed funds via Rotary International. We made a small donation.

Sailing to the village

With the "grandchildren" at the village

As we traveled along the river we saw houses – most built on stilts to accommodate the high waters during rainy season. Most also had electricity and some had satellite dishes. But we also saw outhouses which leads us to assume that indoor plumbing may be a luxury most do not have. We did not ask.

The water level of this small river changes by as much as 8 feet, so the boats have outboard motors with extended propellers that can be raised and lowered to adjust to the depth of the water.

This opportunity to get up-close and personal with residents who live in isolated, difficult-to-access areas along the Amazon was very special.

Manaus, Brazil

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

We are now deep into the Amazon, approximately 850 miles from the mouth of the river, docked at Manaus, the “Paris of the Amazon,” for two days.  It is located four miles from “the meeting of the waters” where the Rio Solimoes meets the Rio Negro to become the Amazon. Population is 1.6 million.

Manaus skyline

Settled by the Portuguese in the 17^th century, the city boomed in the late 19^th century as the sole source of rubber world wide. That brought many very wealthy Europeans who built magnificent mansions and the world famous Teatro Amazonas, the Customs House (built with bricks used as ballast on the arriving ships), and the Mercado Municipal Adolfo Lisboa, a public market designed to look like the Les Halles market in Paris.

Teatro Amazona

Inside the teatro

Our tour the first day included drive-bys of the major landmarks, a tour of the Teatro – where world-famous opera stars performed – and a visit to the beach and hotel on the Rio Negro. This was a Sunday, so traffic was light. The Teatro – which still features performances – is located on an historic square surrounded by buildings that have been restored. The government pays of all up-keep on these buildings, all of which are privately owned. Also on the square, kitty-corner from the Teatro, is a lovely old church with a single spire instead of the usual two. This church was for the poor and the slaves, as opposed to the more ornate church with two spires for the wealthy. After slavery was abolished and a bit more societal equity realized, the monks who run the church were encouraged to erect the second spire. They refused and used the funds instead to feed the poor.

The single spire church on the square

The harbor is filled with the river busses alluded to earlier. Unfortunately, other buildings in the port area, some covered in beautiful Portuguese tiles, are no longer in use and have been allowed to deteriorate. Manaus, like the other Brazilian cities we have visited since Rio, is shabby and showing the effects of this massive Brazilian recession.

On the second day we walked through busy streets lined with shoe stores up the hill back to the square where the Teatro and church are located. There we had what may have been our best meal on the entire trip – grilled Piranha. Really, it was delicious!

Now we will turn around to head back toward the Atlantic. We have one more stop on the Amazon.

Parintins, Brazil

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Today we arrived at our final Amazon stop, the small city of Parintins. This little city’s claim to fame is the largest Boi Bumba competition/festival in Brazil. The special 35,000-seat stadium, built specifically for the festival is in the shape of a bull’s head. Boi Bumba involves a parade of human and animal characters, and fanciful creatures from Brazilian Indian mythology, and celebrates a 19^th century fable about a resurrected ox. In the competition two teams, Garantido and Caprichoso, compete in extended retellings of the story. Each team attempts to outdo the other with flamboyant dances, dazzling costumes, singing, and parade floats.

There are no roads to this 200-year-old city of 100,000. We anchored in the river and took the tender to the pier where we were greeted with not only a very modern terminal building, but a modern convention center across a street filled with artisan booths. Up the road a short way is the municipal market with fish, meats, vegetables and assorted herbs.

We had a small misunderstanding when John and Bob went off to find cachaça, a Brazilian brew made from sugar cane, while Toya and I waited in the artisan area. At one point we saw them crossing the bridge on the way back, and then we didn’t see them again. When it was time to take the last tender back to the ship we couldn’t wait any longer and returned to the ship where, guess what, we found both. They had assumed that we were going back to the ship, so they didn’t even look for us when they returned. All ended well, however, with just a little anxiety.

Tomorrow, March 2^nd, will be our last day cruising the Amazon. During that night the ship will reach the mouth of the Amazon. This is truly one of the most amazing rivers anywhere. The flow of its water exceeds that of the next seven largest rivers in the world combined. The river’s water enters the Atlantic in such volume it extends 120 miles into the ocean and takes six hours for the ship to reach natural salt water.

Next stop is Devil’s Island, French Guiana. 

In preparation for sailing to the Caribbean, our resident penguins got into some "island life."

Between Rio and the Amazon

Ilheus, Brazil

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

At the beach in Ilheus (pronounced eel-yea-ush)

With statue of author Jorge Amado in front of his home

Another small (by Brazilian Standards) city with the usual square, church and small shops, Ilheus is nothing special. Many of our fellow passengers agree that we could have skipped this stop. Only three memorable things: 1. Author Jorge Amado’s home where he penned his first novel, 2. good dark chocolate from the former “cocoa coast”, and 3. lunch in a “not-tourist” restaurant (thanks to John’s ability to speak Portuguese). That last, however, caused us to miss our anniversary dinner this evening as something John ate made him sick. Nothing serious, but dinner was in the cabin and consisted of broth and crackers. Neither Toya, Bob nor I were similarly afflicted. 

Salvador, Brazil

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Unlike Ilheus, Salvador is a major city and the original capital city of Brazil. We docked within walking distance of the historic district, so no shuttle busses are required. Next to our ship is The World, a ship on which all cabins are privately owned condominiums. We had heard of this and one other ship with private residences, but this is the first time we have actually seen one.

The World, a private residence cruise ship

A short walk through the Mercado Modelo – a busy tourist market housed in the original Customs House built in 1867, and we arrive at the Elevador Lacerda. Built in 1868, this tower with four elevators transports us (for the princely sum of fifteen centavos – about four cents US) to the restored historic center at the top of the mountain.

Salvador is considered the cultural capital of Brazil. It was founded in 1549 and was a major port for sugarcane and slave trade. Thousands of slaves brought to Brazil 400 ago to work in the sugarcane plantations makes Salvador Brazil’s most Africanized city. From religious traditions like Candomble to music and art, the African influence is evident everywhere.

The historic district is filled with narrow cobblestone streets, lovely squares surrounded by Colonial-era buildings, and 16 of the city’s more than 318 churches. The “ladies in white”, reminders of the slave women who tended the homes and helped raise the children, were everywhere ready to pose for pictures. This is a city that has never forgotten its slave roots and honors the memory of those who labored. In front of the old customs house is a monument to the days when cruel owners brought their recalcitrant slaves for public flogging.

With one of the lovely "ladies in white" - although not all are dressed in white.

John’s ability to speak Portuguese allowed us to hire a pedal-cab for a short tour. However, it was so hot and the streets were so hilly that we got off before the appointed time, paid off the exhausted driver and walked. In addition to sugar cane, Salvador was an important port for the country’s gemstones and gold, so jewelry shops are everywhere. Gemstone prices in Brazil are quite a bargain and we picked up some green Amethyst earrings for a song!

We stopped at a little café for a beer where we saw a beautiful elderly woman in African-style dress. She appeared to be known to the staff and held court in one corner of the dining room. Here, near the Equator, beer is served in glass bottles encased in individual coolers (see the picture) to keep it cold.

Keeping cool in Salvador

A little more shopping and then back to the ship.

Belem, Brazil

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

We stopped in two more cities – Maceio on the 19^th and Recife on the 20^th – and spent two days at sea before arriving in Belem. This is our last port before entering the Amazon. Rubber made Belem rich in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Today it is an important trading center for fish, shrimp and timber. This is a tender port, but near the pier are the markets and a delightfully restored dock area filled with shops and restaurants.

We wandered through the market past vast quantities of dried and fresh fish, meats, vegetables and other assorted foods as well as crafts and, of course, souvenir tee shirts and caps. Then we walked through several blocks filled with various shops selling shoes, clothing and other retail items. Belem is an  infrastructure-challenged city where stepping off a curb requires stepping over an open drainage conduit. No wonder mosquitoes thrive here.

In the restored Docks complex we enjoyed a little air-conditioned shopping, caprinas and snacks while waiting out the rain before boarding the tender for our trip back to the ship. We sailed at 9:00 p.m. through several thunder storms. The lightening was spectacular! Now it’s on to the Amazon for a week.