The immigration process in Balate, Suriname was quick but the line that led to the counter was long.  We were the last to go through.

The van driver in Guyana said his brother would be waiting for us on the other side along with the same passengers.  Well that ship sailed and we were ushered into a small rickety non-van.  The only seats available – one in the second row and one in the pull down 3rd row next to the luggage.  I was snug as a bug and comfortable.  My view was hindered by the crusty filth on the windows, which bottled water and toilet paper couldn’t clean.  At least I had the luggage to lean on.

*click on photos to enlarge

** my dirty window is below

This part of the drive lasted 3.5 hours.  The young father of two sitting next to Bill started talking to us near the end of the trip.  He is an entrepreneur making and selling natural soaps, and edible food enhancement oils.  He spoke Dutch, English, and Creole. He’d been to the USA with a  UN learning program a few years back for 5 months.  Quite remarkable.

90% of Suriname is covered in rainforest.  The highest proportion of any country in the world per Wikipedia.

As early as the 4th millennium BC Suriname was inhabited by the indigenous.  The British arrived in the 16th century and then the Dutch took control in the late 17th century.  At this time the sugar industry was huge and plantation owners imported and used African slaves until it was abolished in 1863 – then indentured servants were brought over from Asia – the Dutch East Indies and British India.  In 1954 the Netherlands took control and finally, in 1975 Suriname gained its independence.

It is the only country outside of Europe that speaks Dutch.

Our destination- Paramaribo – the capital.  Located on the banks of the Suriname River and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Suriname is one of the more diverse nations globally with no one ethnic group forming a majority.  Maroon, Amerindian, Chinese, Hindus, Javanese, Creole, Dutch live and worship side by side.  Add to that a mosque adjacent to a synagogue in Parbo (the local name for Paramaribo, as well as the popular local beer).

On Sunday Chinese and Javanese markets open up selling fruits, vegis and their national food dishes.

Downtown, the colonial Dutch architecture is stunning.  If I squint I glimpse Charleston.  Block after block of tall and proud homes line the streets.

 Crews were setting up for a huge Hindu celebration called Phagwah which was to take place the afternoon we were leaving.  A German singing sensation named The Gentleman (reggae music) and his entourage checked in our hotel with quiet fanfare – one of the headliners for the celebration.

Due to hotel availability, Easter, immigration office hours, etc we decided to head east to French Guiana allowing us to return to Suriname without interruption.

The process for getting to French Guiana was much like the last border crossing.  Land – river -land.  It took 2.5 hours by van to Albina which rests on the Maroni River that separates Suriname and French Guiana.

The ride was stunning.  There was a single lane in each direction with no traffic and not many buildings – it was mostly jungle. Goats and cows grazed in the side of the road.  Where there wasn’t jungle wide canals lined the road separating farmland from the beach on one side and jungle on the other.

As we neared French Guiana the iron rich ground gave way to sandy white soil.

A new high school has been built closer to Albina and children who once took a 2 hour bus ride to Paramaribo for a 7:00 am start time now get to sleep in.

It looks as though, in these three countries, that there is one road, north and south, two lane and paved.  Virtually any other road is dirt, except for the one to the gold mines.

They all seem to have some agriculture and industry between the shore and the jungle/mountains. There are livestock and cowboys on horses, but they don’t look like South American Gauchos.  The sky was gray from burning the jungle.

This immigration process took a whole minute – fastest one ever!

It was a short walk to the river where we boarded a long skinny wooden boat which delivered us to Saint Laurent du Maroni, French Guiana in 15 minutes and our next adventure begins….