Yes, we also thought it to be all done and dusted
but find we cannot sally forth before highlighting the most
Magic Moment of that whole Caribbean adventure and of course the lead-up to it!
Of 146 days duration (04/12/2012 - 29/04/2013) and with the prospect of visiting
34 Countries or Island Nations and fulfilling a number of ambitions.
Of these, regular readers will know that the 2 most important were to
Transit the Atlantic Ocean in its entirity and then the same for the Panama Canal!
Additionally, and if time allowed, there was also the prospect of conquering all of the
outstanding countries of the Total America's still not visited of which one was
Haiti.
Of the others and not really wishing to mention favourites for fear of being disappointed
Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana
(the final one there not being recognised by the United Nations as a true independant
country, only a department of France) were high on the anticipation list but who would visit Greenland for instance and come home to tell your mates you had been to Denmark??
It was all heady stuff!
Not given to composing 'wants lists' either, after studying the various
Field Guides
before leaving there were those species, especially birds, that were sticking out like a sore thumb.
Guyana was to be an unaccompanied visit but high on the 'hoped for list' was the diminutive
BLOOD-COLOURED WOODPECKER
which is about the same size as our own Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
or maybe more familiarly the House Sparrow
It took 3 days to find across 5 visits to the public park in the capital
Georgetown
From there it was onward to the capital of
Suriname, Paramaribo to meet my guide for 11 days
Dutchman Otte Ottema
Georgetown
From there it was onward to the capital of
Suriname, Paramaribo to meet my guide for 11 days
Dutchman Otte Ottema
and with high hopes of seeing the
CAPUCHINBIRD
also known as the Cowbird as its call is really a moo,
it took 7 days in the finding on Tonka Island but took
great satisfaction in being the finder.
More delight was found there as encountering a
MUSICIAN WREN
and desperately hope this link of one singing works for you?
Next it was crossing the Moroni River into French Guiana where a note was tacked to the
customs post instructing all passengers to report to the Police Station a mile and a half away.
A killer walk in the hot sun but then there was a room to find. Approaching a lady in the township of Sinnamary for direction she said she had a guest house which was locked during the off season, but gave me the key saying to leave the money on the table after staying as long as you like.
Enroute to the capital Cayenne visits were made to
but more particularly
Ile du Diable
DEVIL'S ISLAND
where once resided
Henry Chareiere
or more familiarly
PAPILLON
and where
GOLDEN HAND TAMARINE
still do
before heading off to
CAYENNE CITY
which, had I not been to Singapore
would have qualified for me as the cleanest city in the world.
Due to an extreme mistake between the Tourist Office and the
More delight was found there as encountering a
and desperately hope this link of one singing works for you?
Next it was crossing the Moroni River into French Guiana where a note was tacked to the
customs post instructing all passengers to report to the Police Station a mile and a half away.
A killer walk in the hot sun but then there was a room to find. Approaching a lady in the township of Sinnamary for direction she said she had a guest house which was locked during the off season, but gave me the key saying to leave the money on the table after staying as long as you like.
Enroute to the capital Cayenne visits were made to
and where
still do
Due to an extreme mistake between the Tourist Office and the
Space Centre
the few of us booked on the tour saw our money refunded and a
Free Visit Extended
What a Complex
TheKourou Spaceport
What a Day
The Battle Between
SOYUS
and
ARIANE
With time now seriously at a premium as far as being the
Lone Ranger
was concerned, there was little to do but enjoy what Birding there was around the
Capital City of Cayenne
but what came next still takes a lot of believing and will need to shake myself before embarking on
THE UNBELIEVABLE
to be continued
the few of us booked on the tour saw our money refunded and a
Free Visit Extended
TheKourou Spaceport
and
With time now seriously at a premium as far as being the
Lone Ranger
was concerned, there was little to do but enjoy what Birding there was around the
Capital City of Cayenne
but what came next still takes a lot of believing and will need to shake myself before embarking on
THE UNBELIEVABLE
to be continued
