Our hosts and Rotary Clubs planned an amazing weekend. We began with a trip to the interior of Suriname to the Amazon Basin. We were incredibly lucky to be able to spend the day at Bergendal Resort, it began with a hike in the rainforest, followed by a wonderful boat ride on the Suriname River where we were thrilled to see a pack of monkeys leaping from tree to tree. Sara, Suriya, and Kendra were the thrill seekers and participated in a zip line excursion (Bob was too scared!). Kendra got a glimpse of a sloth right before the guide sent her down a zip line and Suriya did great conquering her fear of heights! On the way back to Paramaribo we were able to stop at Afobaka dam and appreciate another amazing view.
On Sunday we rose early for a dolphin boat cruise. It was lead by Monique Pool with the Green Heritage Foundation, Sara being very interested the research Monique does with the dolphins basically got an extra vocational training day! We were able to see many, many dolphins as well as beautiful Scarlet Ibis, which have a stunning red color. During the boat cruise, we stopped at the local beach where fisherman work and spent an hour taking photos & speaking with locals. Sunday afternoon we were able to sample delicious Indonesian cuisine (they are feeding us well) and had a tour of a walking museum in New Amsterdam, where we were educated on the history of Suriname and saw the first Suriname jail.
Stay tuned, later today we are touring the state oil fields and this week the Holi Phagwa festivities begin!
So "Bob and his Harem" turned into "Charley's Angels" since the girls swept through the sky crossing a Tropical Rain River and sweeping men off their feet! They're becoming "daughters" to us all. A superb GSE group. Just as it should be; a great, ongoing, learning experience...
ReplyDeleteLooks like you are having a fantastic time so far. Keep the posts coming. We really enjoy following along on your adventure!
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