Here is a small report of our trip through Suriname
We had a fantastic trip. Everything was excellently organised. The first week it was very hot. During the second week, fortunately, clouds appeared occasionally for the sun and at the end of the third week the rainy season began. So we had the perfect period to travel in Suriname. We have seen a lot and also regularly talked to Surinamese people.
It was the highlight for Gert Bigi Pan with those trees full of hundreds of white herons and pink ibises. For me those were the villages on the coast Suriname river. Especially where we were not really tourists, but more of the guide's guest. We waited a lot, but also saw a lot and had real contact with a number of women and children (counting in Dutch, parrot are you still alive, father Jacob, and jumping rope with a rope that I had brought along for the occasion). The adult Maroons did not speak Dutch, but the children did learn it at school.
Every place was different and every guide had its own quality. One was very pleasant and the other had a lot to say. We learned a lot about the culture and nature. We were well taken care of. We were given drinks and treats when we went for a splash at a rapids in the river. All those trips in the canoes couldn't last long enough for me. Awesome! However, sitting on those wooden benches was not easy in the long run :-).
The stay at the Maratakka was very basic and nice. And Erik was very entertaining.
In Kabalebo We spotted fewer animals than we had hoped, but looking for birds and caimans together (2x10 people) made it a special part of the trip. The large group of butterflies we saw on the sand were especially magical. Fortunately, the tapir and the ocelot also showed up.
Cycling was fun, especially to get some physical exercise, but not as special as the rest (especially not for Gert who, afterwards, turned out to have all kinds of lumps around his ischial tuberosity.)
It was nice to do most of the trip together, but having others with us every now and then was also very nice.
In short, it was a special trip. Thank you for putting it together.
Suzette was in Suriname at the same time as us and everyone was full of praise for you.
Truus and Gert Jonkers, November 9-29, 2019
