We arrived in Paramaribo in the pouring rain late on a Sunday afternoon after an afternoon spent in a minivan from the border at Nieuw Nickerie. Conveniently the driver deposited us at our hotel - a Courtyard Marriott standing like an oasis beside the Suriname River. I used my Marriott points for our stay and we ended up in a great room with a big balcony overlooking the river. Paramaribo, also called Parbo, was much bigger than I expected. I had anticipating walking around the place easily but it sprawls out along the river and just keeps going and going.
We spent a day in and around Paramaribo wandering the streets and taking in the atmosphere but it was Independence Day in Suriname and many shops were closed. Lot's of Dutch tourists were all around us but English was spoken where we needed it. One of the highlights in Suriname is the strange sight of a mosque next to a synagogue. When we finally found it, we were was surprised to be invited into the mosque by the caretaker to take a look around.
Mosque beside a Synagogue - apparently the only instance in the world |
Paramaribo |
The following day, November 26th, we needed to get across the border into French Guiana and eventually to Kourou or Cayenne. We had the option of taking a bus but by chance we stumbled across a taxi driver, Arno, who offered to take us all the way to the border at Albina, straight away, for €70. I think ht bargaining started a bit higher but we thought it was a good idea and was going to save us a bit of time.
Roti & Parbo in the taxi to Albina |
Crossing to French Guiana via pierogi |
Shortly after a toilet stop, where we also stocked up on beer, we were stopped by the Gendarme for a passport check. When they realized we were from New Zealand the conversation quickly turned to rugby, then to self depreciating humour and finally to a selfie.
The minivan dropped us at the hotel of our choice - Hotel Le Gros Bec - but the reception was closed so we went walking around the town, found an excellent African artifact store and bought a mask. The room at the hotel was a real treat - a spacious room with a mezzanine bedroom for €72 a night.
No comments:
Post a Comment