Papillion - Steve McQueen

Those familiar with PAPILLION, a memoir by convicted felon and fugitive Henri Charrière, an instant Best Seller and later a Block Buster film staring

Steve McQueen as Charrière (Papillion the Butterfly)

and Dustin Hoffman as forger and embezzler Louis Dega

may remember that all prisoners deported from France to French Guyana were firstly sent to a Transportation Camp for processing. That camp is no more than a stones-throw from my hotel here in Saint-Laurent-Du-Moroni so, maybe unsurprisingly, this was not to be missed. Mostly the images will do the narration, but safe to say the only 'inmates' these days are the  

 

IGUANAS and other Wildlife.

 

 

The Outer Walls and Buildings

and strategically placed directly opposite the still functioning

MINISTRY of JUSTICE BUILDING

The austere welcome for all prisoners

the MAIN GATE

Most of the buildings still function,
this one as a RESTAURANT

La Cuisene

 

bedraggled WHITE-WINGED SWALLOW
needless to say it was raining!

a working CHAPEL

  some as Collage Classrooms,

even a HOTEL

more of those Swallows

A little light-hearted sculpture.

Yes, still pouring!

Good job there's a Well.

Classes of Prisoner

Some more of the BIRDS 'Within These Walls'

SOUTHERN HOUSE WREN

Probably just to make me feel a little more at home

(whoops, that's right I haven't got a home)

BARN SWALLOW

hands up all those who have this on their Year List,

put your hand down Lifton!

BARE-EYED THRUSH

GREY-BREASTED MARTIN

BLUE-GREY TANAGER

nothing unusual, but lovely to see.

Back outside, this 'bronze' seemed to say it all.

Maybe he was organiser of another

Failed Escape Attempt?

RINGED KINGFISHER 

was nice to see at fairly close quarters

and no ordinary Island this, in fact another

Stricken Vessel

taken over by the jungle.

What is left of the Old Port, where all prisoners, staff and families would arrive and from where those destined for the IIL du DIABLE, the infamous DEVIL'S ISLAND, would depart.

Mr IVAN HO YOU FAT the

(HYF) SHIPPING AGENT

He and I have shared a number of conversations and on one occasion paying me a very high compliment indeed. He had told me of a number of complications with a certain Russian Merchant Ship carrying Rice Husks as cargo. Apart from this being infested by Weevils, he was now getting some serious grief from the Pilot reference her draft. Knowing, from our chats, of my connection with the sea he asked my advice which fortunately I was able to sort out for him - nice to be 'hands on' again albeit for a moment.

Ivan explained to me how everything had to pass across this Weigh Bridge, including Convicts, with special attention being paid to Barrels of Wine. Don't want anyone getting away with 'sippers' do we?