Tuesday, March 28, 2000

March 28, 2000 - Curacao and Paramaribo, Suriname


Well it took a while, but we finally arrived in Suriname.  Our shopping days in Miami went extremely well and we managed to spend my website earnings in one day!!  But it was well worth it.  Kris even seemed to enjoy it!!  I also got my driving fix. I hadn't drove since we left Canada and I really missed it, so we rented a great little automatic car and I zipped around Miami like a pro!! 

We got to the Miami airport well ahead of schedule and had some last minute sushi.    Moments later we find out that our flight from Miami to Curacao was on time but our connection from Curacao to Suriname was cancelled and we would have to endure the sun and beautiful beaches of Curacao for two days.  The Olson/Borges horseshoe strikes again as many would say.  We knew nothing about Curacao, except that it had beaches, so we picked up some brochures at the airport and did a quick overview of the place.  We ended up staying in the Sheraton hotel, on the beach, and with a few of my Sheraton points were able to upgrade to a suite!!  We actually needed the room just for our luggage.

We spent the first day in the downtown checking out the local brew and some of the Dutch style shops. It was quite nice and the most interesting part was this moving bridge, that would sound an alarm and start floating sideways when a boat needed to get into the harbour.  In the evening we went on a spectacular night dive and saw some amazing underwater fish and a big turtle.


Our short stay in Curacao was a much needed break from Costa Rica and prepared us for the new location....Suriname.  We are now here and so far it is wonderful.  Our apartment is huge and beautiful.  We have a great deck that looks onto the Suriname river only a few feet away.  We also have a pool which is very appropriate for the hot humid weather.  The town itself is a lot more developed then we expected.  There are lots of shops and restaurants.  There is one resort in the city and it is in a great little area with a bunch of nice restaurants, all with patios....even a great cafe with cappuccinos!!  The mix of people here is unbelievable.    There are the native Surinamese, Japanese, Chinese, Indians, Brazilians and even a few Dutchmen.  They speak Dutch and English and their own native language as well which is called Takki-Takki.  The surprising thing is, everyone seems to get along!!  In fact downtown there is a mosque right beside a synagogue!!


This weekend we plan to go into the interior with Kris' new kickass half-ton Shell truck to see some of the jungle.  We are also planning at some point in the next few weeks to go on a tour to see these huge leatherback turtles lay their eggs at a beach on an island near the French Guyana border.  Oh and of course I'm looking for website work!!

That's all for now,  more news from sunny Suriname to follow.


Ana


Here is Kris' part:


Yip, we have finally arrived in Paramaribo, the capital (and only) city of Suriname.  On my first day of work they gave me this cool half-ton truck that kicks ass!  It is big enough to drive right through the potholes and through the ditches.  I can't wait to drive that beast into the jungle and run over some monkeys.

Since our apartment is right next to the Suriname River we can see all the little fishing boats going by in the morning.  As well, there are a thousand little crabs which live in holes along the muddy banks.  This place made us decide we definitely want to live beside water.  On the way home I stopped at a local Indian shop and picked up a couple of Rotis which were delicious and cost a grand total of $3.

We are starting Dutch lessons this week so by the end of our stay we should be able to say "Two Beers Please" I hope.  I have not done a beer review on the local brew Parbo yet as I have only had one.  I will do a more thorough sampling this weekend then write a full review.

Over and out.


Kris

Tuesday, March 21, 2000

March 21, 2000 - San Jose, Costa Rica


Our stay in Costa Rica has come to an end.  Our flight is tomorrow and to be honest I've had enough of this place.  I'm looking forward to our new location in Suriname.  From what we've heard there is lots of jungle and not a lot of tourists....it should be very interesting.  We do have a stop in Miami before we arrive in Paramaribo Suriname and we are taking advantage and doing some shopping!!!  I can't wait!!! I'm also looking forward to having my adventurous friend Wendy come to visit us with her boyfriend Bob.  You'll get all the details and some pix on the site soon.  Don't worry Wendy...no bikini shots, I promise!

I've been spending a lot of the last week or two collecting money for my website work.  Of course debt collecting is never a pleasant experience, but it is nice to see some money after all this work.  Kris is wrapping up last minute things at Shell and is happy that the project has gone very well here.

Hopefully when we get to Suriname, setting up internet will be fast and easy.  We'll keep you updated.  As well, I have updated the "Reach Us" page, so if any one need to reach us the information is there.

Looking forward to hearing from more of you on the Chatboard. 


Ana

Friday, March 10, 2000

March 10, 2000 - San Jose, Costa Rica


We finally have our domain name ready and the site buffed up.   Welcome!!  I know a few of you have seen the site already via the IP address, but now you will be able to simply type in www.lifeisgrand.org.

We only have a week and a half left here so are getting quite excited about another move.  My boss Rafael, his wife Cynthia, and another one of the people on this project, Claudia, are all here for the duration.  I am afraid we haven't had time to show them much other than the insides of shopping malls and a few restaurants.

We received an announcement yesterday about the hottest website on the net.  You can find it at  www.internettrash.com/users/houseofillrepute and it has some great shots of the Olson boys and friends getting drunk.

In other news, after more than thirty years of smoking my mother has quit!  So all the years of giving her a bad time has finally paid off.  Way to go Mom!

Guess that is all for now.  I am still waiting for ideas/pictures from all of you who were once part of the crew of the Lost Shaker.   Also, we are working on a very special page for all of our friends and family so you can keep in touch with each other as well as us.

See you soon!


Kris