13.10.2013 – 15.10.2013
106,923 km since the beginning of the journey
Route: Paramaribo - Albina - St.Laurent Du Moroni - Mana - Aouara (226 km).
In the morning we drive to the French side to find out about the crossing, as there are other travelers wishing the same, as well. Aleksey and Dawen have been traveling in their small Peugeot along South America for a year already.
On the spot, we learn that no special permission for this small barge is nowhere to be got, and it 's not really needed. Customs said that the necessary items are: your own passport and your car passport and the car insurance. And that's just about all. But the crossing will be on Monday and then there will be the second shift at work there, so it is recommended before the take-over to present the documents to them as well.. To make it safer.
On Monday, we'll show the papers to the new officials, and they also confirm that anyone can ride over the river, and of course on your own risk. It is a sensible attitude, no overregulation and everyone is responsible for their own actions.
We formalize the vehicles out of Suriname, which means that the customs officer takes temporary car admission papers away. And the border guards add another stamp into the passport.
Then, it takes an hour before the " barge " arrives, and the smaller and lighter Peugeot is the first to drive over.
I am waiting and waiting and waiting. The ferry does not appear in sigh for a long time, but finally it is back, and the bus will drive on the ferry.
Several men push the barge away from the shore, and the journey can begin.
The river-crossing takes a half an hour,on the other side I show my passport and other necessary papers. Although it is the European Union, the passport get will the entry stamp of French Guiana. With the car it takes no time either, since the car is registered in Estonia, and therefore it is not necessary to have any form of importation. Briefly the green card is reviewed and that's it. Just can continue driving.
French Guiana is a French overseas region and it is the largest French department. The area is of 86 thousand km², and the population is 236 thousand inhabitants. The cars have French license plates, and the money is Euro.
The prices are a bit more expensive than in Europe, at least at first glance. A liter of petrol is 1,7 Eur and diesel is 1.5 Eur
The border checkpoint of French Guiana from afar.
A new country and new maps. The map on the right ”Suriname and French Guiana " was on sale in Paramaribo, and the tourist map on the left was bought at the border.
It is quite late already so there is no sense to undertake a long journey, it is about twenty kilometers to the ocean.
A nice place, quiet and calm. The ocean water is warm like soup, not any refreshing coolness. But with the darkness bloodthirsty mosquitoes also arrive and bite through clothing, that`s good,that there's no malaria in the region.
The shore, at first glance resembles to an Estonia beach, and then it does not. No palms in Estonia by the sea shore.
The birds are also different.
Instead of Tallinn sprat, there is a rather strange flat fish on the shore.
Kourou.
The overnight place at the parking lot of a shore -side hotel. Safe and lighted, other facilities are missing.
Continued.
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