Saturday, September 17, 2022

Day 40 - No Boats, No Customs, No immigration

Today, we had a short 200 kms ride to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni on the border with Suriname. Before leaving Kourou, we visited Dreyfus Tower, the nice and big beach front park called La Cocoteraie because of all the tall palm trees around.

The ride was uneventful, on great pavement, with great views of the jungle on both sides … saw a black monkey running across the road, lots of stands selling watermelons, and a series of burned out cars on the side of the road every few kilometers all looking the same … hoods open, rusted, no wheels, and all that remains is the shell. Very strange. So out of place on an otherwise pristine setting.
We stopped in Iracoubo, half way to our destination, for a bite and a drink, some conversation with the locals, and a peek at the Church of St. Joseph D’Iracoubo with its great painted wood altar … we also needed some reprieve from the jungle’s midday humidity and heat.

After arriving at Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, we found out that customs, immigration on both sides do not work on weekends and that the only boat that takes you across does not run on Saturday or Sunday … either there are very few people trying to cross this border or life just runs at a different pace and the weekend is the weekend.

Today, I realized that not being subject to schedules, or days of the week, or anything related to how we manage our lives at home is a very interesting experience … an experience that makes you enjoy life’s moments longer … and more fully … and for as long as they hold their magic on your being … and not on some sort of timeframe … seeing children dancing, or a rainbow above the jungle, or a river island, or a conversation with a stranger … just let the moment be.

So, we are stuck here until Monday.

Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is actually a very interesting town on the Maroni River. Founded in 1858, it was the arrival point for prisoners from France destined to prison here or in Devil’s Island. We went to visit the central plaza and park in town, in front of the river, to see people have some fun with their families.

We had a nice dinner at a restaurant overlooking the river in the shape of a boat.

Tomorrow, unable to cross the river or enter Suriname, we will get to know the town a bit better … especially the prison.

Dreyfus Tower at the Pointe des Roches in Kourou 

The 3 explorers

The Grand Parc de la Cocoteraie - a nice town playground

Our first rest stop in Iracoubo

A fellow big motorcycle rider from Haiti

Having something to eat away from the heat and humidity

The Church of Saint Joseph D'Iracoubo

The decorated wood panels inside the church in Iracoubo

Water, Bridges and Jungle

Rusted, abandoned, ransacked cars on the side of the road at regular intervals 

A view of the Maroni River from Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni

A wrecked boat turned into an island

Kids practicing their break dancing at the town's main plaza kiosk

The party

Wow - an Amazon rainbow over the city and the river

The outside of the famous and historical prison facility in town

A sad statue of a prisoner's dispair in the main plaza

A view of our restaurant on the river - Suriname is across the water

The kitchen staff at our restaurant

And, yes, we are all still together through thick and thin

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