Space launch site in French Guiana

Space launch site in French Guiana

I was about to leave Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana. I walked past the First World War Memorial with a cock on the top of the pillar. In the back ground is a memorial to the slaves that were brought here but unfortunately it is rather hidden in this small picture.

The market was the usual colourful bustle of a place.

 Another stall.

Outside the market we met Herman Zapp who was driving around the world  in an old car with his wife and four children, all born on the road as he has been travelling for the past nineteen years.

I checked out the cemetery which tells several stories, such as a large number of identical graves dated 1851 and 1856, both years when the area was hit by yellow fever. There was also a military cemetery and this memorial to a military expedition sent to rescue a government official in a disputed area which is now 200 kilometres inside modern Brazil.

A general view of the cemetery.

One of the graves with a distinctly pagoda style of decoration.

I took a speedboat to Devils Island, the former penal colony just off the coast where Henri Charier, better known as Papillon was imprisoned but regrettably I didn't have a camera with me.

Then it was a visit to the European Space Agency launch site at Kourou.

 An Ariane 5 rocket at the entrance.

 There is also an option to launch smaller satellites using the Soyez launch vehicles. These are imported from Samara in Russia and come in ten lorry sized containers, like these three shown below.

 The Soyez launch site with lightning towers at each corner.

 Inside the launch control room.

 The Arinae 6 launch site under construction.