Goooood morning (etc.) from Suriname! I arrived in Paramaribo on Mar.3 and am chilling out until I head into the jungle in two days. Here are my observations thus far, delivered in a format that I’m sure has a name, but I don’t know what it is. I call it backwards logic.
- The light switches have been spray painted in Rastafarian colors (You know you’re in a backpacker hangout when…).
- The gorgeous multiculturalism and mixed races of South America, Asia, India, Africa and Europe greet you at every turn (You know you’re in Suriname when…).
- Plastic drink bottles fill the ditches (You know you’re in a developing country when…).
- People drive on the left side of the road (You know you’re in a former Dutch colony where the British were first when…).
- Your beer is flavored with lime AND passion fruit (You know you’re in Suriname when…).
- The music played in the lobby and lounge area is Miles Davis and Michael Jackson, and the front-desk attendant is named Biko, after Stephen (You know you’re in a backpacker hangout when…).
- A cup of good coffee costs the same as a four-hour bus ride (You know you’re in a developing country when…).
- The shops close at two and three o’clock (You know you’re in Suriname when…).
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Downtown Paramaribo at 3 pm You suddenly develop emphysema (it feels like it, anyway) from all the diesel exhaust you’ve inhaled walking around (You know you’re in a developing country when…).
- The immigration people in the visa office at the airport tell you they’ve run out of tourist cards until tomorrow and you have to sleep at the airport, and then laugh at their hilarious joke (You know you’re in Suriname when…).
- Independence Square is called Onafhankelijkheidsplein (You know you’re in a former Dutch colony when…).
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We’re the main museum and we close at 2 pm, too There’s a street called Watermolenstraat (You know you’re in a developing country that’s a former British and Dutch colony…).
- Somebody sneezes (Hello, you don’t know where the heck you are because sneezes sound the same all around the world…).
Any questions about Suriname? Ask away. I’ll try to answer them, although I didn’t know a damn thing about the place until I got here.
Hey Laura. Great story. Why are u there?
Thanks, Tammy! Doing some backpacking; on to Guyana next. So it’s vacation-ish.
You are quite the intrepid traveler and I’m enjoying following you around vicariously and virtually. Loved your list–a fun way to provide an overview of the place. Wow! about everything closing down by 3pm. Do the people of Suriname have a better quality of life in terms of life balance, if not in terms of wealth? Also…where are you backpacking and for how long? I’ll look forward to your photos. Have a great trip.
Yeah, the early closures are actually problematic when you’re out all day (like I was today, hiking in the jungle) and then when you get back to town and need to restock or get supplies, nothing is open! Re: the quality of life — it would sure seem like it because they are pretty happy, friendly people. This is a short trip for me. I’m going into Guyana for a few days next (on Sunday), then to Trinidad & Tobago for the last six days. It’s sea turtle egg-laying season out that way! 🙂
Thanks for reading, Jagoda.
Hey, thanks to you post I now know 15 more random things about Suriname than I ever knew before, plus I just googled it 😉
See, I’m helping to fill your head with more stuff that you *may* or *may not* find useful in the future!
I just love hearing about your adventures. I am also seriously thinking of just copying your trip and heading out in April! I mean, you did all the leg work, and I’m exhausted, so I wont need to plan and I know you have excellent taste! Meanwhile, your photo of Paramaribo (how much do you love that name!) reminds me of Dangriga, Belize. Stay safe my friend!
I’ve learned a ton since I’ve been here so I’d be happy to download it to you when I get back. It’s one of those parts of the world where it’s hard to really figure out the logistics of doing something until you get here and get the lay of the land. And Paramaribo is much nicer than Dangriga — so many pretty white Dutch colonial buildings that it’s been named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Have fun Laura! Sounds amazing!
Thanks, Jodi!
Laura, I so enjoy the way you think! Another wonderful post! I’m so jealous too, of your adventures and enthusiastic travel. You’re in the jungle. I’m calling candidates’ employment references. Sigh.
You’ve followed the advice of Winnie the Pooh’s friend, Piglet: “You can’t stay in your corner of the forest, waiting for others to come to you; you have to go to them sometimes.”
Can’t wait to hear more about your travels!
What an excellent quote from Piglet! I may have to incorporate that into my collateral materials somehow, with proper attribution, of course. Thanks for your kind words, Jo-Anne, and doesn’t Piglet or Pooh or one of those critters also say something about ‘dream big?’ Dream your adventure into reality, maybe? If they didn’t say it, then I’m saying it! 🙂
Thank you so much, Laura, for going on this trip and reporting back such colorful and informative posts. I feel like I’m getting to know the place through you. In fact, I will save a fortune now by not having to go there myself! I see a book in your future…..you are taking notes, right?
Yes, I’m taking notes! I even have a page in my notebook devoted to characters where I’m capturing details and quirks of some of the people I’m meeting. I’ve got so much fodder already! Thanks for reading, Tracy.
Hi…. I was looking around for a fun travel destination for my husband and I to travel to and found Suriname… Your blog is great gave me more of an idea of what its like. Thank you!!
Did you travel from Guyana to Suriname to French Guiana? Which of three did you like to best? We love to travel to new places that are not over run with tourist. Also from Oregon so we love our nature, hikes, animals…
Thanks for the info!
Stephani
Hi Stephani, glad you found me! And it’s great that you’re considering Suriname as a destination. It’s definitely not jammed with tourists. I’ve posted several other pieces about Suriname and Guyana, so I’ll give you those links to start: https://laurazera.com/?tag=suriname and https://laurazera.com/?tag=guyana.
I did not go to French Guiana, but heard a bit about it, e.g., it’s most expensive of the three countries (because it’s still French and so uses the Euro), also the most developed in terms of infrastructure, etc. I heard from several people who went on a day trip in Suriname to Galibi to see the turtles and part of it included a walk across the border and some time in the market on the French Guiana side (maybe because the tourists were all Dutch and so had EC passports… so don’t know how that would fly if there were non-Dutch on the boat… but they crossed the border on the water…).
The big decision, if you go, is to decide if/how/where you want to go into the jungle. One of my blog posts does a comparative on Suriname and Guyana. I can’t really say which country I liked the best as I didn’t spend enough time in Guyana (and you do need time there; it takes a while to get around).
Let me know if you have any other questions, and also feel free to shoot me an email through my Contact page.
Hi Laura, great trip! I had the same kind of experience with the Surinam immigration people 🙂 I’m usually pretty nervous when it comes to immigration offices but this time it was funny!
If you think there is plastic in the ditches in Surinam, wait till you reach Guyana, Georgetown is a mess 🙁
I did the same trip last year and loved it (http://susanisweg.wordpress.com/mijn-reizen/panamaribo-11-12/ , in Dutch).
French Guiana is extremely expensive, but worth it for the Iles du Salut and watching a rocket launch. It’s pretty easy to go there by busses and ferry. In Guyana, the waterfall Kaieteur is incredible, and for Tobago I can really recommend SOS Tobago to learn about the turtles, such a great organisation. I volunteered with them for 2 weeks, unforgettable to see those huge creatures emerging from the water at night. Oh, and in Trinidad, just eat eat eat and eat, the food is delicious! 🙂
Enjoy the rest of your trip, looking forward to read about your experiences!
Hi again, Susan! So I did this trip in March and my blog posts get retweeted with ‘Tweet Old Post.’ But now you’ve totally reminded me of all the fun, great stuff and I want to go back again soon! I loved the food in Trinidad. I didn’t get to Tobago, so definitely HAVE to go back. That’s so cool that you volunteered with SOS Tobago for a couple of weeks – what a great experience that must have been! That photo on your blog called “My Baby Girl and Me” is CRAZY! It just shows their size so well — you look teeny! Thanks for sharing and talk to you again soon. 🙂
In all my enthousiasme I already wrote a reply before I figured out it was an old post. I read you had a same kind of Guyana experience too, interesting. Yes, Lyka my adopted turtle is huge, and I am Dutch, so extremely tall, can you imagine 😉
You definitely have to go back to see more, and so do I! 🙂
Hi there, I have a friend moving to Suriname from the U. S. I was d wander what ate some practical gifts to get? What are some things common in the states, that are hard to get there. Or what are some things go they will need, but might not think to get. Thanx! 🙂
Hi Desiree, it sounds like your friends will be on a fun adventure! What I would recommend are the kinds of things that are sentimental and nostalgic, like if they have a favorite food item that is something local. Most of the big grocery brands (Procter and Gamble, Unilever) are in Suriname, so a lot of their items are available, but what I’ve always found I miss when I’m living somewhere overseas are the local items, especially good chocolate (and dark chocolate travels best — it doesn’t melt in the heat) and good coffee beans. Suriname is full of Nescafe instant coffee! Another thing is that brand name clothing and electronic items — Levi’s, Nike, Apple products — are all very expensive overseas, if they can even be found in Suriname, so that would be another idea. But really, I’ve always found it’s the things that most remind me of home that I love to have when I’m away, whether that’s food or photos or magazines or whatever. Thanks for stopping by!