Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, Paramaribo’s inner city has become a jumping-off point for both day trips and multi-day jungle adventures in Suriname. Almost all require the use of a tour company and a guide because the commute often involves both land and water travel, and to some rather remote places.
I sweated through two excursions last week (humidity is my enemy). The first was a one-day hike to the waterfall in Brownsberg Nature Reserve. A couple of Dutch tourists I met at my guesthouse warned me about the rigor of the hike so I wore my brand new Merrells and hoped for no blisters. Tracy and Keir, the British couple who joined me on the hike, however, had clearly missed the memo. They were both in Teva sandals, and Tracy wore a dress. She gets top scores for the agility with which she climbed the downed trees in our path, though we all saw her knickers.
Purity Tours organized the day trip, and with driver Ro and guide Elton (named after the singer), we departed promptly at the scheduled time of 8:30 a.m. The dirt road up the mountain to the park was deeply rutted and slick from daily rainstorms; our front-wheel drive Toyota mini-van frequently fishtailed, giving me visions of going over the cliff. For a seizure-inducing view of this exciting ride, I’ve posted a video clip on YouTube. Note to Purity Tours: please invest in a four-wheel drive vehicle.
We made it to the park, and with Tracy and I both being food-energy sensitive, promptly demanded lunch. This delayed the start of our hike, but gave us time to view an agouti, some plump birds that looked like a cross between a guinea fowl and a peacock (I’ll find the name later), and a merry troop of howler monkeys. A sloth passed by, too, but at that moment, it was pelting down rain, tropical style, so we stayed under cover and waved from the distance. We ate, waited for the rain to subside, and set out.
In his white (but not for long) high-top sneakers, Elton hiked more efficiently than any of us. The path to the waterfall involved some steep downhill ascents and slippery sections, but the lush beauty of the trail made it worth the quivering leg muscles. We saw two species of poisonous frogs and several other non-poisonous varieties, and in clambering to view one of the frogs, almost stepped on a poisonous snake. Elton sighted it and immediately threw his arm out like a mother at a street crossing, bringing us all to a sudden halt. The snake had reared up into strike position so we quickly crept by, as far to the opposite side of the path as possible without going over the edge.
Two waterfalls can be accessed in the park; we chose to go to the bigger one that also entailed the more difficult hike. The journey turned out to be more interesting than the destination, in my opinion, and we really didn’t linger at the falls long before turning back to start the ascent back out. It’s worth noting that we didn’t encounter anyone else during the hike – another reason why it’s good to have a local guide. We stepped off the trail at 5:45 p.m., after about five hours of hiking; I was completely worn out, but I also did it with a sinus infection. And while the hike may only be classified as moderate, given that there were no technical aspects, once you account for the heat and humidity, it packed a pretty good wallop.
In my next post, I’ll tell about my three-day trip to the lodge at Pingpe, located on the Suriname River.
Chris James says
It sounds like you’re having great fun there! Look after yourself and keep us updated when you can please!
Laura Zera says
It’s a highs and lows kind of trip. The thing about backpacking is that a lot of it can be really hard and isn’t much fun, but then there are the moments that are so amazing that it makes up for the rest. Anyway, I’m planning to flop out a bit and chill when I get to Trinidad tomorrow.
Jagoda says
Sounds both grueling and gorgeous. Isn’t that the way of it for those of us who enjoy the wilds and beauty of nature. Thanks for the pictures. Someday I’ll tell you about the night hike my husband and I went on in Costa Rica to view scorpions and tarantulas. We were happy not to run into any snakes, I can tell you. I look forward to your next post.
Laura Zera says
Aye yay yay, a night hike?! That’s a brave thing to do! Yes, you’ll have to make sure to tell me about it. All the good stuff in the rainforest happens between dusk and dawn.
Jodi from Heal Now and Forever says
Really cool. It is almost as if I am there!
Laura Zera says
Yay, that’s what I hope to achieve when I write these trip posts! Thanks, Jodi.
Mary Yuhas says
What an interesting life you lead!
Laura Zera says
Mary, I’m starting to feel the wear-and-tear a bit, though! I don’t hold up to this as well as I used to.
Jeri says
How are the Merrels holding up under the humidity? They are my usual go-to shoe for hiking and general meandering around. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with the hybrid Keen’s since they allow for more air flow, but my feet still get all sweaty 🙁 Anyway, your post makes me want to do out and do something, which I will since I’ll be in Savannah by early evening.
Laura Zera says
They’ve been great, actually. No break-in required, no blisters. I have a pair of slip-on Keens with me that I use for airports and for schlepping around cities because they’re super cushioned but yeah, doesn’t really matter what I put on my feet, they’ll sweat. Although I did invest in some sneaker balls a few weeks ago. Might need to investigate a bulk purchase for those. Hope you managed to get outside!
Debbie Young says
Wow, sounds amazing – though I would NOT be able to cope with the snakes or other reptiles. Always love to read about your trips, Laura, so I can feel I’ve been there without actually having to go! I’ll stick to the reptile-free zones. I don’t think there are any poisonous snakes in Luxembourg, where I’m off to next! – but if there are, please don’t tell me and I’ll be fine! (Makes my recent post about getting lost in a city centre trying to find a post office seem rather lame, somehow!)
Laura Zera says
You got lost in the urban jungle! When is your Luxembourg trip?