Huge strike of luck in that Katherine, one of the other assistants was casually off to the airport to head to La Reunion (!), and I ended up sneaking a lift with her, meaning I could meet her at the airport as a surprise. Turns out it wasn't as surprising as it would been had I not sent her a drunken fb at 4 in the morning announcing that I might be able to come. Either way, I was there and saved her from negotiating a car rental, 3 large bags and a 15km drive back to the centre of cayenne all on her lonesome. After her allowed 20 mins disco snooze, she was back on top form, driving a carload of assistants over to Remire-Montjoly for Lucy's birthday party.
The house for the party was ridiculously nice and we made ourselves at home by the pool with some tasty bbq'ed burgers. I did warn Polly that this was just a little bit not the same as my normal lifestyle in SLM. Everyone around the table laughed. I don't know what they are talking about! I am living the life of luxury.
Lolcano. The highlight of the night was heading down to the beach at midnight to watch some HUGEEE sea turtles laying their eggs. Apparently seeing the big ones is very unusual- now- I don't know how big they get, but I'm pretty sure we saw a BIG one. He was like 2m long and tres wide. Clearly not loving life while he was laying his eggs. Pollz sais she even saw a turtle tear. Turns out even the biggest most increds sea turtles are not enough to keep you interested when its almost 2am and you are jetlagged (Polly A) and hungover (Polly J). We rounded up the troops and snuck back for a good nights sleep.
Sunday we were determined to make the most of the car so headed out to check out some beaches. Pollz lasted approximately 6 seconds before the first "I'm sooooooo hot" was uttered. Hasn't really stopped since if I'm being honest! We drove to Roura to go canoeing. The place was closed. Classic. A tourist destination shut on a weekend- coz that makes sense! We had a chilled picnic on a jetty and then due to my amazing directional skills we ended up at another canoeing place and after a couple of hours training for Rio 2k16, me and Pollz decided we had got caught in one mangrove too many and headed back.
We picked up a cheeky Macdo (WORLDS SMALLEST STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE) on the way home, packed up our things and went on our way to pick up the randomers we were driving 3 and a half hours across the country. I am always using these car pool things when I come to Cayenne so I thought, If we have a car, why not give back to the community (Read: why should we pay for petrol when randomers can cover the cost?) At first they looked a little apprehensive when our car rocked up. " It's YOU driving to St. Laurent ?? Yes... well, be careful!" What have they never seen two white english girls (one a lot whiter than the other) driving half way across Guyane in a peugeot 206?? On second thought, probs not. We made it there though! Conversation was a little tense for the first hour or 2, but after a misunderstanding and Polly A thinking one of our high-school aged companions was actually the headteacher at the school- they were cracking up all over the place. They guy even asked if he could come to Brazil with us. I told him that sadly, its a girls holiday, so he threw all his crisps over the floor as he was eating them. Great.
We rounded off the weekend with an hour at choir (Pollz bagged a solo and doesn't even speak the language- not bad!) and an hour marking english tests at the bar on the boat.
The last three days have been spent in St. Laurent. Im showing Polly the delights of being an English teacher here, she has been asked the same simple questions by about 9 classes so far... only 2 left this week as friday we are off for Good Friday. Tomorrow she is private tutoring by herself as I am busy with another student. She has so much more of a clue about grammar than I do!
Today was fairly eventful. We went to the market this morn and filled up on delish roti, spring rolls, rambutan, and some other unidentified goodies. We then drove to the beach for a nice afternoon tanning, reading and playing cards. Well... the burning sun stopped any tanning from being possible, the gust of wind stopped any chance of playing cards and the weird men who kept coming over to talk to us stopped any reading that could have happened. We are talking seriously weird. The first one offered us some fish from their bbq- it looked rank, so that was a no. He explained how he was smoking tobacco and not weed- hmm, his unfocused dilated eyes told another story. He finally gave up when it was clear Polly A did not speak French and was more interested in her rambutans than him. Not for long though. The moment that the towels were down, suncream out and shades on, he said over his friend, who luckily (not!) for us, was from Guyana so spoke English. From then on, a very surreal 30 mins ensued. He started by asking me to explain the history of his country. Im sorry, I don't know. But you must know! You went to some big international school (did I) In my country they do not teach us.... we then moved onto his family in England, who apparently never write to him. No seriously, NEVER. he started CRYING. like awkward baby crying. He then got over it soon enough to offer us his amerindien things.
Im not an expert, but Im pretty sure that going to his house for him to give me something that will "show me the world" is not a great idea. I said no politely a couple of times, and then no a little less politely a couple more times. After much fist pumping and hand kissing and general awkwardness he finally left us alone. Unfortunately we had to walk past him again to get the car, which we did fairly sharply when we saw the third one in the group coming to try his luck.
We escaped to another beach, where we put up with a brief sandstorm, a serious ocean current, some dirty water and almost got involved in a random film about SOMETHING that was going on. It all got too much and we retreated to the car- where the SAME weird man was waiting for us. We exited quickly.
Pollz let me steer the car at 130km on the way back- brave lady! We stopped for a drink in the sleepy town of Mana before they kicked us out of the restaurant as it was time for their lunch break and headed back.
We have another couple of exciting days left in Guyane before the brazilian adventure begins on saturday. Who knows where the next post will be from!
xxx
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