Devil's Island French Guiana on the way to Bridgetown Barbados

Ile du Diable, better known as Devil’s Island is one of 3 closely spaced small islands lying 6 miles off the Coast of French Guiana, they formed part of the infamous penal colony that functioned in French Guiana from1852 until 1946.

It was the island known as Ile Royale that served as the main administrative centre and where the vast majority of surviving buildings have been preserved and maintained. The island is well known as the place where Papillon the movie was portrayed. We tendered ashore and began a walk around the island which takes approx. 2 hours depending on how much time you spend exploring the buildings and museums. In a way it was a bit like Port Arthur, a place all prisoners were given a hard time, lots in solitary confinement cells, death row  and a site for the guillotine. The bars on the cells and the irons for chaining prisoners to their beds indicate the harshness of the prison regime.  It is a very pretty place although very hot and humid whilst we were there.

We are at sea today on our way to Bridgetown Barbados where we arrive at 9 tomorrow.

We’ve had some fun times, last night they held an auction for the “crew welfare fund” where they auctioned off heaps of articles like the charts of the cruise to Amazon River , flags all signed by the crew, the Captains jackets and epaulettes, but the highlight was when he dropped his trousers and auctioned them off! He did have another pair underneath so no dramas there.

The function raised over $8000 so well worthwhile.

Captain Felice a lovely man next to Terry Breen a lecturer on board.

Today we had “The old Country Fair” where the crew set up a number of games for everyone to participate in, like balloons filled with water that you threw at them, darts, basketball, the casino crew had a blackjack comp. horse racing where you wound a cotton reel with a horse on the end to the wining post. Gloria even threw into the basketball ring and won every time. Old skills eh!

Good fun enjoyed by all.

Unfortunately time is slipping by too quickly now and in a week we should be domiciled in Southport. We are now looking forward to coming home. We realise that 72 days is a long time and we have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. We could not answer the question of “ what was the highlight of the cruise”? there have bee so many, so varied and each one has been an amazing experience. A lot of our friends have already signed up for new cruise next year of durations from 78 days to 130 days. We are not quite ready to do that, except we know that cruises of 14  maybe 20 days are now too short.