January 8, Devil's Island

Thursday, Jan. 8
It was hard to reconcile the natural beauty of Ile Royale, Ile St. Joseph and Devil's Island with the history of the islands when they served as a brutal prison settlement for France.
The day arrived rainy so we didn't hurry to get ashore until the weather had cleared and the sun began peaking out. We were anchored off a beautify, lush green island of palm trees and jungle like conditions. A short tender ride and we began our walking tour of the island. There was a rough, uneven stone and dirt path (all uphill of course) about the width of a car that took us past the children's cemetery and up to the main prison complex. Except for chapel and the building that is now a hotel and restaurant, the structures are pretty much in ruins but there is enough remaining to give one a sense of the helplessness and horror the prisoners must have felt.
The cells were made entirely of stone with small barred windows set high in the walls.
Some were about 6 x 8 and others a bit smaller. Even with a faint breeze blowing off the ocean, it was unbearably hot and extremely humid.
We stopped into the hotel bar for a coke and bit of shade. Alan continued the walk around the rest of the island while I took the “stairs’ back to the tender landing. The stairs were barely more than rough cuts in some of the stone with no handrails and as slippery as ice.
Alan wandered down a path for about 8 hot, humid minutes thinking he was on his way to the tender landing. However, just after passing several roosters, chickens and pigs he came to a dead end. It was either make a flying, deadly leap off the cliff or retrace his steps. He made the smart choice.
As they say, “A beautiful place, but you wouldn’t want to live there.” I think it was a test for how well we will be able to tolerate the heat and humidity of the Amazon.