Arne and I got picked up at Albergo Alberga in Parbo by a guy called Robbie, a taxi collectif operator, Arne met him when they crossed to Albina from FG and his asking price for transport is cheaper than others, at 40 SRD compared to 60 SRD average. He was half hour early and he drove us to the Central market where all collectifs wait for fare, we waited there for almost an hour him doing his best to fill up the van 7 people max but failed, meanwhile his fellow drivers were yelling at him for some reasons we can't [View Full Entry]

---

---

My hammock was out, the mosquito net ready and I was about to look for my wind-up torch when the first rain drop hit me. It was then I was reminded: the little dry season was late in Guyane. Like every night it would rain a little here and there with a stronger deluge in the morning and another early afternoon. Sleeping in the car it would be then. For the third night in a row. I hadn't intended it to be this way. I had known that Guyane was expensive. The guidebooks warned me even more-so than Paris. But 43 [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today we visited Devil's Island, well actually it was Isle Royale, tourists aren't allowed on actual Devil's Island still. Isle Royal once served the headquarters for the prison on Devils island which was opened by Napoleon III and became a horrific place of exile. I guess somewhere around 80,000 prisoners were sent there but only 30,000 ever made it out alive. Although it was cool to see some of the old prison facilities, the highlight of the island for me was the wild life!!! We saw agoutis, and lots of monkeys!!! I had a pear in my bag that I was [View Full Entry]

---

---

Mi servirebbero venti pagine per descrivere ciò che ho fatto nelle ultime due settimane. Cercherò d'esser breve. Lasciata Belem in direzione nord mi sono addentrato nella parte più fitta della foresta pluviale amazzonica. Un mondo a sè dove una guida locale diventa indispensabile anche per gli arci-ultra-indipendenti come me. La regione dell'Amapà, la più settentrionale della costa brasiliana è uno spettacolo, un ridotto di ciò che 50 o 100 anni fa si sarebbe potuto vedere in gran parte del mondo e che presto (ahimè) smetterà d'esistere. Il passaggio di frontiera dal Brasile alla Guiana o -st [View Full Entry]

---

---

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything went ok... just the flight from Sao Paulo to Macapa was a little bad... because we stoped at Brasilia and Berlim in the way... and it is awful to the ears when the plane takes off and lands to many times.... :( I arived in Macapa at 4am a weird schedule.. anyways it was the best I could get.... I went to a hotel in Macapa as far as I hadn't had much sleep in the airplane it was nice to get a bed but unfortunately I overslept.... didn't got down for breakfast... and didn't had much time to [View Full Entry]

---

---

Because of the huge lack of public transport we had to hitch hike to Cayenne. Valerie dropped us on the road to Cayenne and I stood with my thumb out for only 5 minutes again before were picked up by a nice, smiley frenchman in a jeep. No english so it was a quiet trip. He dropped us on the edge of town and walked to the hotel, stopping for coffee and croissants on the way. We booked at the Hotel Central, a little pricey at 59 euros a night but a nice room with a balcony and a cool shower [View Full Entry]

---

---

Zus & Zo arranged a taxi for us to French Guiana. The taxi was 150 SRD for the 2.5 hour trip to Albina and we could have got it cheaper if we waited for other people but that could have taken all day. The taxi man then arranged a boat for us and a taxi on the other side. This was much easier than the last border crossing. We were first taken to an old wooden building in need of a paint. We climbed the stairs over the sleeping dog to where the immigration man at a desk on the balcony. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Today was our last day in the Guianas, but our flight wasn't until 7:40PM so we still had a whole day to explore. We first went to the Cayenne market nearby, which was probably one of the most organized markets I've ever seen. However it was either too early, or not the busiest day (Friday), there were lots of fruit/vegetable vendors but not many handicrafts. We then started driving towards Cacao, a town of Hmong refugees from Laos settled there back in the 1970s. Sunday is the best time to visit, when there is a local market. We decided to go [View Full Entry]

---

---

May 31, 2007 Hotel: Central Hotel; Cayenne, French Guiana; 67 Euro We were finally able to pick up a rental car this morning, the local Europcar office was at the Mercure hotel nearby and they had a car. We ended up with a Renault Twingo, which although isn't the smallest car I've driven (Smart), it probably was the least featured. It only had a clock and a speedometer. No trip odo, and the A/C only worked sporadically (usually when the windows were down). But we only needed the car for a few days so it would suit our needs. Our first [View Full Entry]

---

---

5-29 Hotel: Hotel Ballahou, Kourou, French Guiana, 55 Euro (triple) (http://www.destination.fr/guyane/hotelleballahoug.html) This morning we woke up early to examine our options for getting to Kourou, the launch point for visiting the Space Center Guyanais and the Iles du Salut. Having re-read our guidebook only to find out the bus for Cayenne had already left at 7 that morning and the next one wouldn't leave until nearly 2PM! We went down to the dock anyway where the minibuses departed, as we were arriving some boys started running towards us, one losing a shoe in the process! They [View Full Entry]

---

---