Saturday, April 14, 2012

Palm Sunday local church and return to USA








Saturday, March 31, 2012 - Bergendal/Paramaribo

(Photos are of the resort and our room in Bergendal.) We slept in and packed for the return bus ride to Paramaribo. Gene and I rode with the luggage van to the hotel (so the others would not get sick) and we were there in 1.25 hours. We had room 620 at the Krasnopolsky Hotel and after a meeting with the tour operator manager and hotel manager to go over our thoughts from the week, I went directly to bed.

April 1, 2012 – Sunday – Palm Sunday in Paramaribo
April’s Fools! Well, guess what? We had no electricity! And that meant no air conditioning. Yikes. The humidity has been high so it became uncomfortable after awhile. I was feeling much better and we had been invited to a Baptist church by Rachel, one of our guides from Bergendal. We took a taxi to the church where they gave us with headphones and instant translation from Dutch to English during the service! But the a/c was not working in the church either for awhile but then, YEAH! It came on. The band started out full force and it was quite a musical event for Palm Sunday. Rachel and her brother dropped us off at the Ticarica Hotel so we could explore that area. The hotel is on the river, has a beautiful pool and incredibly professional tennis courts (!) and a dock. Some of the room’s have a walkout to the pool. We walked back to our hotel passing an open air market, getting caught in the rain storm and ready to be in the cool air conditioning and to pack.

Bed came not early enough as we were up and out by 4AM for the flight back to Miami.

Monday, April 2, 2012 - Paramaribo/Miami
At 4AM, we were given a box breakfast, loaded two vans with luggage and people and drove 45 minutes to the airport. What activity! Four flights were leaving at the same time! Insel Airlines. Air Suriname. Caribbean Airlines. And our departure was delayed until 9AM due to late arrival from Belem, Brazil.

We cleared customs in Aruba, which meant taking off all carryons and claiming checked luggage. So for this one flight number, we went through airport security THREE TIMES!!

Soon after arrival to Miami, we were back at the Residence Inn Miami Airport South for a nice quiet evening. Dinner was included in the room rate (!) so no need to stress about that. I worked, Gene watched Final Four basketball and we remembered where we were yesterday. Tomorrow is another day and who knows where we will be. Hopefully back at home …but always ready for the next adventure. Are you?

Heritage Walk, Canopy crashing and BBQ/dance

March 30, 2012 Friday- Bergendal - at the resort for a full day of activities We took the longboat down river to the resort’s Adventure Center. They have a Heritage Village with homes of slaves still on the grounds of the plantation (now the Adventure Center)(slavery ended in 1863) and they are attempting to restore the homes. We enjoyed a short walk through the area where we learned about the medicinal values of so many leaves, trees and flowers. I forgot my notebook today so it is hard to remember them all but one leaf is good for diabetes and you can recognize it since it dries up looking like a closed fist. A very large bees nest on the side of the banana tree looked like the skin of an armadillo and housed very poisonous bees! Someone had created a beautiful plant holder in the shape of a bird, with beak and wings, out of an old tire.

We were all dressed up with gear for the canopy / zipline and then instructed on the “test” cable. We went out, had to stop in the middle, and then had to pull ourselves to the next pole – in case we got stuck in the middle of the canopy. I did not feel overly comfortable with it but figured I was probably not going to do it again so give it a try! We hiked UP a very steep, muddy path to the 1st cage. They all took their turns and I went last. I did OK. It was 90 feet long and 6 feet high. Then on the 2nd one I did OK. It was 90 feet long and 15 feet high. The third one gave me some trouble. I already knew I would NOT be doing the one OVER THE RIVER (think not, Luisa!) so this was the last one for me. It was the longest cable yet and the highest and I got stuck in the middle. And it was high up there. I kept trying to keep moving but could not figure out how to keep going without tearing out my shoulder socket! If I braked, my feet swung me in all directions. So, thankfully, they sent someone out from the other end and with his weight to pull me down, I sped along. And crashed in to him!! Can’t wait to see those photos!! But we were both OK and that was the end of my canopy career. Done. Cross it off the list.

Pool time, lunch and then a group kayak tour in the mangroves. Fran and I were paired together as Gene was still not feeling well. We were both very inexperienced but had fun in our double kayak. We saw some squirrel monkeys in the trees overhead, crashed in to the mangroves quite a bit (I have scratches to prove it) and saw some beautiful flowers at the water’s edge. Our guides were there with us and it was fun.

We had a late BBQ dinner at the Adventure Center with local entertainment by the maroon villagers from Balingsolla. They sang a 3-verse birthday song to us!! And they danced and clapped their hands. No musical instruments at all. The maroon culture are descendants of slaves and still live in the interior of the country. It was a very genuine evening - not a "show" and we enjoyed their hospitality. We were all dancing together by the end of the evening!

Afobakka Dam and caiman hunting









March 29, Thursday - Bergendal - - Gene’s Birthday but he is not feeling well!

After the breakfast buffet and made-to-order eggs, I opted for a ½ day tour of the newly built Afobakka dam and several local villages. It turned out there were only TWO of us on the tour – Fran and Luisa. We had a private meeting with the engineers of the Afobakka dam (who were not used to visitors, period.) No touring is usually allowed. On their own time schedule, they showed us a nice video of the dam and its inner workings (in Dutch) and we donned our hard hats and safety glasses to walk around. At the time of its construction there was, of course, much conflict if the dam should be built and the 5000 people displaced. The manager said he was one who doubted but now he sees the wisdom in the country’s move to build. They are saving incredible amounts of money on producing their own electricity and he can’t even begin to think where they would be now if they had been forced to pay the going market rate. They are paying $18 a barrel as compared to $150 a barrel at today’s rate. It is owned today by SURALCO LLC and will be under total Surinamese control in 2032. Their STOP signs have the words: Stop, Think, Observe, Prevent on them.

We walked on the top of the dam and saw several tree tops sticking out of Brokopondo Lake, which was 450 feet deep, so imagine how old and tall those trees are!! The lake is plentiful with fish and there are several islands in it. One is a gold mine and from the village of Afobakka, we could see the “gas station” at the river’s edge where barrels were filled and placed in the longboat to be motored out to the gold mine on the island. Interesting.

Most of the shops are owned by Chinese immigrants. There are Hindu temples and Jewish synagogues and Muslim mosques beside Catholic and Baptist churches. There are over 22 languages spoken in the country and the people have every skin color of the world. It is a true microcosm of the future – a blending of all races and features.

The next village we visited was Balingsolla and then Tapoeripa. They are both off the main highway on a paved road in a hilly area. The homes are built in short stilts (to avoid insects in the home) and there were large containers to catch the water. The school was at the water’s edge and across the way was the bauxite mining.

There is a bus system that goes from village to village. We saw one washing machine in the town center for everyone’s use. Times are a-changing! No more “down at the river’s edge.

The full day tour, which six members of the group opted for, was to Brownsberg Nature Park. This is a protected nature park with views of Brokopondo Lake and the surrounding tropical rainforest. There are numerous nature trails to refreshing streams and small waterfalls interspersed throughout the mountain with spectacular flora and fauna of the area.

Poor Gene did not make it to dinner on his birthday night nor out for the Night River boat tour. We went out caiman spotting! (a reptile related to the alligator but smaller and slimmer and with a proportionally longer tail.)

We saw a set of eyes peering at us from the water and then I realized how close we were to them – the boats are sturdy but they hold 20 people. If one person over-reacts, it could tumble all of us and there were piranhas and caimans in the river. But we were all calm and all went well. We heard the monkeys howling in the trees above us, enjoyed the ½ moon shining above us with the clear sky and twinkling stars. I really enjoyed that night ride.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

My birthday in Paramaribo and Bergendal









March 28, Wednesday – my birthday in Paramaribo and Bergendal

We were up very early, before dawn, to take a quick walk to the central market. We love local markets! The people are so diverse and their daily life is so different from ours. Fish, vegetables, meat, chicken, flowers, household items, pharmacy…you never know what you will find. My 1st birthday present today was some smoked catfish!!  We could not resist as it looked so delicious and we’ve never had it smoked before.

If you want to read more about the sugar trade and plantations in Suriname, download “The Cost of Sugar” by Cynthia McLeod. The Cost of Sugar is an intriguing history of those rabid times in Dutch Surinam between 1765-1779 when sugar was king. Told through the eyes of two Jewish step sisters, Eliza and Sarith, descendants of the settlers of 'New Jerusalem of the River' know today as Jodensvanne. The Cost of Sugar is a frank expose of the tragic toll on the lives of colonists and slaves alike.

Breakfast and packing for 10:00am departure to the Bergendal Eco & Cultural River Resort, the last plantation along the Suriname river. Forgot to mention they drive on the left! We stopped about 45 minutes outside of the city near a very large aluminum plant (ALCOA) and then continued driving straight to the resort. There are few roads outside the city so you really can’t get lost. Off the main road, the road leading to the resort is about 4 miles – all dirt, stones, holes, bumps, ruts….quite a ride in a 24 passenger van.

We were welcomed with a fruit punch cocktail and given a tour of the property. There are three categories of accommodations – A,B, C – depending on the size of the unit and where you want to be. The C units are very high in the treetops – steps and more steps to get to your room but the views from up there were incredible. Large patios so you can sit out at dusk, during the night, sunset and hear the monkeys and birds all around you. The rooms are basically the same – bedroom is air conditioned, beds have mosquito netting around them and there is a separate living area (in most rooms) with a sofa (convertible in some rooms); living room and bathroom are not air conditioned. Our room was #A1 – PERFECT for me – just a hop and skip to the infinity pool at the river’s edge!! Wow. I loved it. I went in two times today already! We are in a level room with direct view to the Suriname River through some beautiful trees.
The resort is beginning a butterfly farm – we saw beautiful blue and orange ones floating around. All the meals are buffet in the open air Kiskadee restaurant and they have fresh fruit juices and water available all day.

We rested and unpacked and swam and then enjoyed a ride on a longboat (now motorized) up river to the transmigration village, Nieuw Lombe. This means that in 1964 these people were forced to leave their homes due to the forced flooding of their village from the hydroelectric dam. Moses, one of our guides for the week, is a member of this village, and he showed us around. We visited the bakery where his uncle bakes the daily bread for the resort; met the Captain of the village (interesting that he is not called chief) and saw their garden patches outside of the village. The houses are built on short stilts but it is not because of flooding but because of insects and animals! All members of this village, for all generations, will receive monthly salaries from the government due to their displacement of their village. Wow. That’s an expensive obligation and I really wonder how that will work out.

It was a beautiful afternoon to walk around and we saw the small church and elementary school. Not every village has either of these. The high school is in the “city” – Paramaribo, the only city in the country. The boat ride on the river was so scenic. Trees tower over you and mangroves grow at the edge. The villagers have to park their cars (yes, they have cars) on the other side of the river and ferry over to their village in a longboat with all their purchases – food, refrigerators, lumber, school supplies, etc.

At my place at the dinner table they had placed many colorful balloons! The buffet dinner was served with tablecloths and real candles on each table. The sounds of the night were all around you. Lovely night.

Happy Birthday! Ija, yu mag fu meki op’opo nangga ba’bari bikasi a aimachtige gi yu ete wan libi yari…dan na wan – Hiep Hiep Hiep!!

Monday, April 9, 2012

City tour to the forts






Tuesday, March 27, 2012 – Paramaribo
After a buffet breakfast “in the bar in the shopping arcade of the mall attached to the hotel (!)”, we were back in the large van for a city tour. There are numerous wooden buildings of unique architecture (many areas reminded us of Savannah and Charleston architecture) and a variety of ethnic groups all living together in harmony – African, Afro-Caribbean, Indians (from India), Dutch, Chinese (every grocery store is owned by a Chinese!), Indonesians (also a colony of the Dutch), Jews and Maroons (descendants of African slaves).

Giovanni, Rachel, Zuwesa, our guides, and our driver Randy, drove us along the most prominent historic locations in the city center: Independence Plaza, the Presidential Palace, Fort Zeelandia, and the parliament building (where no one is allowed to enter except on official business!). They have a President with a democratic republic and 51 Parliamentarians in their National Assembly. The Presidential Palace is only used for welcoming foreign guests and official receptions. The balcony is historic, from which on November 25, 1975, the Dutch flag was lowered and the Surinamese flag hoisted for the first time.

Fort Zeelandia was a small wooden stronghold by the French in 1644. The English fortified it in 1651 and then the Dutch came 16 years later. It now houses the Suriname museum. The city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, since 2002, and a junction of several cultures including temples for Hindus, Turks, Muslims, Anglicans, Catholics and others. The mosque and synagogue stand next to each other; the floor of the synagogue is covered with sand: #1 to remind them of the trek from Egypt across the desert; #2 during the inquisition, the people that remained Jews but said they were Christians had to keep their Jewish meetings secret to they covered the floor with sand to muffle their footsteps and erase them quickly and #3 for fire prevention.

The Suriname River is a muddy mix, just like the Amazon. Giovanni said the Amazon’s waters flow in to it and, therefore, the ugly brown muddy color. We visited the Cathedral – the largest wooden church in the Western hemisphere! It is also used as a theatre for the folkmusic school across the street. The interior, made of snakewood, was stunning - so simple, yet very warm and welcoming in design.

We drove past the US Embassy, which is being moved from the city centre to the outskirts of town and then past many wooden homes in the “Freeman’s Ground” area - -where slaves were granted a home in 1863 but no papers proving they owned the home. Even today, if any renovations are made to the home, someone could come along and claim the home was their ‘great-grandfather’s home’ and you would be forced to move since you had no papers to claim it was yours! The homes were wooden, simple one and two-storey and attractive – yes, they were in need of repair but the entire area again had such a nice warm and welcoming feeling. There are approx. 800,000 inhabitants in the country. The indigenous Amerindian people dealt with the Dutch dominance. Ever since 1650, the colonial rulers forced Africans into slavery and sent them to Suriname. Their descendants are known as Creoles. The Maroons are descendants of runaway slaves. After the abolition of slavery in 1863, contract laborers from India, Indonesia and China came to work on the plantations. During the colonial period, Jews, Lebanese and Europeans immigrated to Suriname and then Haitians, Brazilians, Chinese and Guyanese decided to make Suriname their home. It is indeed a true melting pot country. The official language is Dutch but they recognize 20 other languages.
The monthly salary is a minimum of $200 (shop clerks).

As a group, we drove over the large Jules Albert Wijdenbosch bridge where they hold a walk every two years – the Bigi Broki Waka. We hired Larry through the hotel front desk to drive us back over the bridge to visit Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, at the confluence of the two majestic rivers: Suriname and Commewijne. The fort was a prison and is now an educational venue for turtles and history. The church was set in a small mote with large lily pads around it and there were seats at the river’s edge for relaxing. We walked the main streets in town, past several casinos, looking for souvenir shops and a place to eat. Most of the stores have no sign outside but I did find a handicraft shop with some wooden products. They are not overly interested in selling their products. The store hours are short and the products scarce.

Arriving Paramaribo




Monday, March 26, 2012 – departure for Suriname!

Worked most of the beautiful morning before our hotel departure. We arrived at the Miami airport at 11:30 to find the Air Suriname counter, which they rent for four hours when they have flights! Several of the others from our group were also checking in so we had time to talk, walk around and eat lunch before boarding the 737 for Paramaribo (Para-MAY-ee–bo) at 3:30. We wondered why the flight was to last until 11:59PM and luckily, we found out it was NOT and it was even better as we had a 45 minute stopover in Aruba! We had a hot dinner of chicken and rice and cookies, enjoyed the Paibo Beer, and Fernandes drinks of lime green, cherry red and pineapple yellow! The flight attendants were very friendly and so were the people around us. One was a logger, several worked for Alcoa, some had lived in the Netherlands (since they were a Dutch colony) and one was a developer.

We are now one hour ahead of East Coast and so we arrived at 10:40PM. Yeah! An hour can make a huge difference. Immigration consisted of paying US$25 for a visa (nice to have this benefit instead of mailing off your passport with additional fees attached) and collecting suitcases to load in the 24 passenger van. The drive to the Krasnapolsky Hotel was about 30-45 minutes, in the capital city of Paramaribo.
After a quick checkin, we found cheese sandwiches, white bread, peanut butter, butter and a bottle of water waiting for us! What a great gesture extended to all guests due to the late arrival of the flight and since all the restaurants are closed and there is no room service.

We are on the continent of South America; north of the equator, bordered by Brazil, Guyana (used to be British Guyana) and French Guyana (we were just on Devil’s Island a few weeks ago). Paramaribo, the capitol city of Suriname is a junction of cultures and languages. The country is a Dutch colony where people from many countries arrived to work in the plantations. Our hotel is located in the center of the city and there is actually a Popeye’s in the mall courtyard of the hotel! They are undergoing renovations now for a new lobby and breakfast area so our breakfasts were in the RUMORS bar in the hotel’s courtyard. Our room, #621, had a 2-chair balcony facing the Islamic mosque, located next to the Jewish synagogue. But more on that later….

Sleep did not come easily and before we knew it, the alarm was ringing.
One of the group members found an article in today’s Miami Herald about Suriname! “From Despot to Democrat – Leader turns Heads”. Google it from March 26 to read their woes.