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

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