Suriname!!

 

Paramaribo, Suriname

For the next few weeks, we are taking a break from Panama to explore the South American nation of Suriname. This isn't a place that is included in the typical backpackers' itinerary, other than the Dutch, who travel to the country in large numbers. Since we arrived in Suriname a few days ago, we haven't met a single fellow American. No Brits or Canadians either - thus far - but we have no doubt that we will by the end of this trip!

Along the north coast of South America, Suriname is a small but ethnically diverse country. Most people are descendants of African slaves and Indian or Indonesian servants brought over by the Dutch to work in agriculture. Suriname, formerly known as Dutch Guiana, gained independence in 1975. There has been political turmoil for approximately the past 30 years, with the last 5 years bringing relative economic and political stability. Most Surinamers live in the narrow, northern coastal plain, near the capital city of Paramaribo (often abbreviated by Surinamers as "Parbo").

One of the main reasons that we wanted to come to Suriname, apart from it being so far off the "gringo trail,"  is to see first hand how folks in such an incredibly diverse society can "get along" so well. One of the most famous examples of this is that here in Paramaribo sits the largest mosque in South America, right alongside the  Neveh Shalom Synagogue (Hebrew : בית הכנסת נווה שלום‎) which is the only synagogue of the Ashkenazi community in Suriname.

Neveh Shalom Synagogue, with the mosque in the background.

Aside from religious diversity, there is an incredible number of languages spoken in Suriname, with the official one being Dutch. Other languages spoken  include several Amerindian languages, several Creole languages, Suriname Javanese and Sarnami Hindustani. Most people also speak English, and speak it well. We met some young people who explained that all school children must learn English AND Spanish before graduating. The primary creole language is Sranan Tongo, and it is language of "the street".

Access to the interior rain forest and forest people is limited, but there are guided tours into the interior. Tom and I will either visit an indigenous Indian village, or a Marroon village (The Marroons are former slaves who escaped from the plantations and formed their own communities in the rainforest.). For the past few days, we have been exploring Parbo, which has street after street of beautifully restored colonial Dutch buildings (and some still in progress of restoration). The historic inner city area of Parbo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002, and we are currently staying in a historic building (the Alberto Alberga guesthouse on Lim-A-Postraat. If you forget the fact that there is no hot water or air conditioning here (which, sadly, Tom is unable to..!), it is a very charming place! With temperatures hovering at about 85 degrees Farenheit during the day, and not much cooler in the evening, we are truly appreciating the presence of the small swimming pool here.

For the rest of this series of posts about Suriname, we will report on the food (it is varied and it is excellent!), the culture and the sights. Just to give our readers an idea as to where in the world we are, below are some maps.

As shown by the purple marker on the map below, Paramaribo, Suriname is located on the northern coast of South America:

Here is a map showing Suriname nestled in between Guyana and French Guiana, just north of Brazil:

Stay tuned for more about this fascinating place!!