Northern South America Travel Diary

2012

Northern South America Travel Diary 2012

 

I have had a great day today exploring old plantations and historical fortifications along the Commewijne River, east of Paramaribo.  But it was not the day I originally intended to have.

There is a small tour desk in my hotel that is staffed only from 8:00 am to 10:00 am each day.  Even before I had breakfast yesterday I made it a priority to visit the very polite and sincere Indonesian lady who was sitting dutifully at the desk to find out about travel options inland from Paramaribo.  I was fairly open to suggestions as I wanted to learn about Suriname’s geography – its culture and its environment – about which I felt I knew so little.

Polite Javanese Lady: “You can visit the Trio and Wajana Amerindians if you wish.”

Me: “Perfect.  I’d love that.”

Polite Javanese Lady: “Great.  The trip takes four days, and the next departure is November 1st, provided we have enough people.  Otherwise, you might need to wait until November 8th.  Or maybe November 15th.  Or maybe…”

Me: “Wait, wait, wait.  Sorry to interrupt, but I will be leaving Suriname this Thursday.”

Polite Javanese Lady:  “Oh!  So soon.  Then maybe you would like to go to see a dolphin show”.

Me: “Mmmm.  I think not.  Is there anything available to see Suriname’s culture, or the environment?  I have heard that there is lots of ecotourism in the rainforests here”.

Polite Javanese Lady: “People are not interested in culture or environment until November.”

Me: “Well, I’m a person, and I’m interested now.”

Polite Javanese Lady: “I suggest you wait until November to become interested in those things.  Would you like to see a butterfly farm?”

And so the conversation continued; I think you get the idea.  In the end, the polite Javanese lady advised me that as there are not many travellers in Suriname at this time of year, there is not much to do and it might be better to come back in a few months, or next year might be even better.

It was then that I looked at the brochure again, quickly scanned all 30 trips that were described (only two of which seemed to be operating, i.e. the dolphins and the butterflies), and noticed the the “cruise” along the Commewijne River.

Me: “How about this one?  The river cruise?”

Polite Javanese Lady (shaking her head and laughing quietly behind four raised fingers): “The cruise can operate only if there are at least four people.  But people are not interested in the river cruise until November.”

So, I persistently suggested that my name be taken in case three more folk expressed an interest in the trip on either Tuesday or Wednesday (note “folk”, not “people”, because I knew by now that “people” would not be interested until November).

And they were interested!  I received a phone call late yesterday afternoon to confirm that three other people (yes, people) were wanting to go on the Commewijne River trip on Tuesday, but they needed a fourth person – would I be willing to make up the number?

And so it was that I met the three others (born in Suriname but now living in the Netherlands) at the Torarica Pier this morning at 8:45 am. 

In my mind, the word “cruise” in the tropics conjures up images of a graceful old boat gliding along the mirror-like surface of the water between the trees of the jungle, an African Queen type of experience.  What we got instead was a six-seater aluminium speed boat – and it was fabulous!

Paramaribo is situated on the northern bank of the Suriname River, which flows a few miles to the north-east where it joins the smaller Commewijne River (flowing in from the east) before both enter the Atlantic Ocean just two miles beyond the confluence.  Thus, our cruise-vessel (speed-boat) travelled along the Suriname River first before turning eastwards into the Commewijne River.  As soon as we left the Suriname River and entered the Commewijne, the low buildings that had lined the banks gave way to an almost unbroken line of mangroves.

Even when one is trying to pursue culture and environment in Suriname, one gets dolphins anyway, or so it seemed this morning.  However, this was no rehearsed dolphin show; this was Guyana dolphins (grey on top and orange underneath) in the wild, jumping and diving around our boat during their morning feeding time in the river.  We saw what must have been a hundred dolphins (unless just three of them were extremely active and agile!).  However, they were frustratingly difficult to photograph – I learned this morning that dolphins in the wild are very fast!

Following the better-than-expected dolphin spotting, we visited an old sugar plantation.  Originally Dutch-owned and staffed by Javanese slave laborers, the plantation stopped growing sugar when slavery and the subsequent system of indentured labor were abolished, and the inhabitants (still all Javanese) now concentrate on fishing and cattle raising.  Like all the plantations along the Commewijne River, this one had a system of canals with locks and sluice gates to control the flow of water, to prevent flooding and to keep the fresh water separate from the salty tidal water of the river.

The reason for visiting the plantation was, I thought, fascinating.  It is a Surinamese practice to pay respects to the oldest person in an whenever visiting somewhere in the country.  The oldest person in the area was a very elderly, extremely slow, hunchback woman who seemed to have been raised from her bed to greet us.  I felt sorry that she had been disturbed, but with everyone having fulfilled their duty, our explorations could continue.

Returning to the boat, we travelled slightly downstream to the confluence of the Suriname and Commewijne Rivers, where an array of ancient cannons and more modern artillery (provided by the Americans during World War II) pointed directly towards the Atlantic Ocean, identifying the strategic point of Nieuw Amsterdam.

During the days of plantations and slave labor, Nieuw Amsterdam had been the initial receiving point for new laborers.  The fort within the settlement, known appropriately as Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, also served as the first line of defense for what was then one of the Netherlands’ most important colonies.

A short walk from the boat pier, past a picturesque police station, some housing and several small canals, brought us to Fort Nieuw Amsterdam, which is now a surprisingly pretty, informative and well preserved museum.  As well as the buildings that played a significant part in Suriname’s history – prison cells, fortifications, gunpowder storage facilities, and so on – many artifacts of the slave trade were on display, making their own very sobering and silent statements.

Another short trip upstream and across the Commewijne brought us to Frederiksdorp, another former plantation, but one that has been beautifully restored and converted into a small hotel and restaurant.  With the exception of the brass numbers on the doors of the rooms, the buildings have been perfectly restored to the appearance they enjoyed during their plantation heyday.  The complex is owned by the Hagermeyer family, who see their project as one of cultural preservation more than profit-making.  As it was about 1:30 pm by this time, Frederiksdorp made an excellent spot to stop for lunch, a thoroughly enjoyable experience in the gentle breeze on the low verandah, especially as it provided an opportunity to get to know my travelling companions for the day a little better.

At about 2:30 pm, it was time to head back towards Paramaribo.  In contrast with the clear blue skies we had enjoyed all morning, dark storm clouds were gathering by this time, accompanied by thunder and faint flashes of distant lightning.  The wind had also picked up somewhat, making the return journey somewhat more bumpy and splashy.  However, we were fortunate in that the storm stayed to the west of Paramaribo, so we took the opportunity to do a quick circuit of one of Paramaribo’s more bizarre sights – a shipwreck in the Suriname River – before returning to the pier.

The shipwreck was the rusting, broken hull of a German cargo vessel, the “Goslar”, which was scuttled during World Way II in order to prevent it falling into Allied hands.  The wreck has never been removed, and made quite a sight as we sped around it.

With the storm clouds appearing to approach from behind me, I had a walk of about kilometre back to my hotel.  Despite my sore hip and the lack of a footpath, I completed my walk carrying my still unopened umbrella, very happy with the day’s explorations.


Day 3 - Commewijne River, Suriname

Tuesday

26 June 2012

Today’s extra bonus images