We’ve left the Amazon heading to the Northern Hemisphere. Our next stop is what is commonly known as Devil’s Island. We’re actually stopping on Île Royale, one of the three islands in this grouping that make up the Salvation Islands off the coast of French Guiana. Royale has the remains of the infamous French penal colony that operated here for 100 years - until the 1950’s. Devil’s and Saint Joseph Islands are not generally accessible to visitors but are clearly visible nearby. Royale is a destination for locals from the mainland of French Guiana, who can stay at the one hotel on the island. They can swim in protected ocean pools, visit the remains of historic buildings and jails, spot monkeys, peacocks and agouti that roam around, and pay their respects at the cemeteries.
We have been here many times and have a favorite spot that we expect to visit not far from the tender landing.
We headed out on one of the first tenders shortly before 8:00 am, hoping to beat the heat. A sudden downpour and cloudy skies kept it cool for a while, but the humidity was oppressive. We wandered along the muddy but scenic path, making our way up to the areas of the historic buildings.
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After a quick geocaching event at the hospital, we wandered back to Wendy’s favorite spot. Walking to the right from the tender landing, it is hard to believe that this beautiful scenery belongs to a prison! A solitary concrete bench is a lovely resting place, with views of Devil’s Island, palm trees blowing in the breeze, and waves crashing against the rocky shoreline. People seem confused when we describe this former penal colony as beautiful but at least some parts of it really are.
Crossing the Atlantic
We then left South America behind, having four days at sea while crossing the Atlantic. As you might imagine, each day was packed with activities. Our favorite was a very unusual “Behind the Scenes Tour,” scheduled in small groups but offered to all 800 guests. This was the most inclusive tour we have experienced. Starting on the Bridge with a short talk by one of the cadets, our group of about 25 was escorted around by the Assistant Hotel General Manager.
We visited the Neptune Lounge, the exclusive venue for the Neptune Suite guests, which many of us had never been in before. Then it was down to the lower decks to the laundry, provision storage rooms, freezers, cold pantries, liquor storage, engine control room, and the main galleys of the Kitchen.
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Snacks were offered in the galley, and champagne or mimosas were a welcome treat in the liquor room. The heads of each department talked about their work and showcased their hard-working team members. We even got a glimpse of the crew dining room and crew bar. We walked staircases and corridors usually off limits to guests and discovered where some of those doorways marked “Crew Only” led. Everyone was so impressed and appreciated the opportunity to see behind the scenes.
Cape Verde
Consisting of 10 volcanic islands, Cape Verde is an island country in the central Atlantic Ocean and considered part of West Africa. A former colony of Portugal, the official language is Portuguese, but we are told they speak English, French, Spanish, as well as their local Creole. We have been here before but have only vague memories of the visits.
Mindelo, São Vicente
Our first stop is Mindelo, on the Island of São Vicente. Their tourist information page suggests going to the beach, hiking to Monte Verde, visiting a fish market, or walking on Avenida Marginal to see the sunset.
Looking back at our journal from 2014, we had a taxi take us to the top of Monte Verde. Their version of a taxi back then was a pickup truck with bench seats in the back.
This time there was an Adventure Lab here that would get us to a few of the recommended places to visit. So, we bypassed the ship shuttle and walked out of the port heading left.
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Our very uphill walk took us past dozens of construction sites, working on building modern style luxury apartment buildings, hotels and condos. The paved road ended but we kept walking among the earth movers, piles of gravel, and building materials. Finally, at the very end of the road, we found the old bunkers and cannons and were able to answer the geocaching question. It looks like this whole hill will eventually be developed into luxury housing. The views of the harbor are gorgeous, and we assume a real road will follow when the work is over.
Walking back to the town, we strolled Avenida Marginal past the fish market, the replica of Lisbon’s Tower of Belem, and the statue of Diogo Afonso - an early explorer of Cape Verde. The houses are painted every wonderful pastel shade: lilac, salmon, rose, and lemony yellow; as well as the bolder oranges, greens, and blues. Very appealing!
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Overall, Mindelo was a much more interesting and colorful city than we remembered from 2014.
Praia, Ilha de Santiago
Our second stop in Cape Verde is the city of Praia, on Ilha de Santiago. It is the largest city but with a population of only about 200,000, not very big. Previous visits here in 2014 and 2018, had us walking along the shore several miles to a large lighthouse at the end of a peninsula and taking a taxi 10 miles to the Cidade Velha or Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - to explore the fortress and stone streets.
The ship was docked in the usual container port, but walking was permitted. It appeared to be a long way with nothing interesting to see. So, we decided to take the shuttle into the city, which deposited us high up on the plateau at the Post Office. Our shuttle was met with "enthusiastic" taxi drivers and tour guides wanting to provide tours. We managed to get through the crowd by politely saying no many times. We walked a few blocks to see the Presidential Palace, with a commanding view over the city and manicured gardens that were lovely to look at but not open to the public. Nearby was the Pró-Catedral Nossa Senhora da Graça, busy on this Palm Sunday, with people arriving for an outdoor service.
Markets here are closed on Sundays and the often-bustling square was almost deserted. So, we simply retraced our steps and took the shuttle back to our ship. Perhaps it was the holiday, but an indicator of how interesting a place will be is looking at the tours offered. There were only two options here. One was a 4x4 adventure up into the hills - not recommended for most of us seniors. The second, an 8-hour exploration of the nature and culture of the island, including the Botanical Gardens, the Handicrafts Expo at the Cultural Center, and a drive up to 3,200 feet in the Sierra Malagueta Nature Park. All these places were a long way out of the city and not easily accessible on your own, but perhaps a good option to get out of the city and see some beautiful scenery.
Fondly,
Wendy and Steve
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A Bon Voyage! | Costa Rica & Panama | Ecuador and Northern Peru | Wendy's Adventures in Peru | Steve's Adventure in Machu Picchu | Arica and San Antonio, Chile | Robinson Crusoe & Southern Chile | More Chile & Argentina | Antarctica | Falkland Islands | Montevideo & Punta del Este | Brazil | The Amazon | Salvation Islands | Arriving in Africa | Canary Islands & Morocco | Gibraltar and Barcelona | Spain & Portugal | France, Belgium and The Netherlands | Scotland and Norway | More Norway | Iceland | Greenland | Canada & New England | Voyage Summary
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