The curse's dawn
The Salvation Islands (Îles du Salut in french), are a group of three small islands of volcanic origin, near to Kourou in French Guiana. These islands were uninhabited, until the arrival of the French colonizers in the XVII century. The extreme conditions, deseases and humidity of French Guiana, were not on the invaders favor. But these islands were more welcoming, and allowed them survive at the very beginning.
The islands were not a cursed place until 1793, just after the La Première République. The ones against the new regime, were brought here as prisoners. Slowly the place started to be called l’enfer vert (the green hell).
The cursed triangle was divided in three main cores:
- Île Royal (Royal Island): Administration and Hospital.
- Île Saint-Joseph (Saint-Joseph Island): Prison for rebels and fugitives.
- Île du Diable (Devil's Island): Prison for political enemies and spies.
St. Joseph's Island
St. Joseph's Island, was known as the Island of Silence. The prisoners that were brought there, were not allowed to speak, and kept in cells of one or two square metres. Forced to live in extreme conditions, temperatures exceeding 40°C, tropical storms and deseases.
Nowadays, the nature leads this place. Spiders, snakes and all sort of plants and roots occupy the cells that once were a source of despair.
The prison is huge and the more time you spend walking around, the more you start to feel the chills. From everywhere you hear the sound of the sea, the sound of hope? Maybe that's what kept some of them alive, dreaming that one day someone might arrive on a boat to set them free...
Beside all the atrocities, the island is magnificent. You can make a walking tour around it, spend time on the beach and open some coconuts easily with your own hands. To reach it, you can a take a boat from Royal Island for 5 euros (round trip).
These prisoners were a couple of meters from reaching the paradise. This place made me think that maybe hell and paradise are not so far from each other...
Devil's Island
Maybe you've heard about Papillon? A well known novel written by Henri Charrière that was convicted in 1931 as a murderer by the French courts. The novel talks about his escape from the island against all odds.
Another well-known prisoner in this island was Alfred Dreyfus. His imprisonment became one of the most polarising political dramas in modern French history.
Nowadays, the Devil's Island is a protected place. Tourists can't visit it, but from the other islands we can still see the house where Alfred Dreyfus lived.
Royal Island
The Royal Island, was once the administrative headquarters of the prison system, home of the hospital and several buildings, that have been restored, including one that has even been converted into a restaurant and hotel.
It is now property of CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales), and the main attraction for the tourists that visit the islands. People come here to enjoy the beautiful fauna and flora. And a lot of fishermen, come on their boats to catch fishes, such as: le mérou, l'acoupa and sharks.
The monkeys and agoutis are all over the island, they are quite curious and may even approach you for something to eat. It's better not to give it to them as they have a lot of resources on the island and may get aggressive if you spoil them. During the night, don't leave your stuff outside, certainly not food 😆
To reach the islands, you can take a boat from Kourou for 47 euros (round trip). Don't forget to book it in advance, mostly during the dry season.
In a nutshell, the Salvation Islands are a place of mixed feelings, where one can enjoy both the peacefulness of nature, watch the animals, swim, fish or simply read a book. And, at the same time, to remember, the atrocities of which humanity is capable.
“I shall struggle against the decline of body and brain and heart so long as a shadow of force is left me, so long as they leave me a spark of life. I must see the end of this dark tragedy.” - Alfred Dreyfus, Five Years Of My Life
References
- https://kourou.ensma.fr/le-salut-guyanais-petite-histoire-de-la-colonisation-guyanaise-et-des-iles-du-salut/
- https://criminocorpus.org/fr/expositions/anciennes/bagnes/bagne-des-iles-du-salut/
- https://www.entreprendre-en-guyane.fr/lile-du-diable-dans-larchipel-des-iles-du-salut/
- https://www.monnuage.fr/point-d-interet/bagne-des-iles-du-salut-guyane-francaise-a88708
- https://www.afar.com/places/devils-island-37e78922-5293-4f0e-944d-41a08be764fb
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_Islands
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Charri%C3%A8re