Suriname > Wild camping in the jungle

Although it was still warm and humid in the hammock in the evening, the night turned out to be quite cold. The sleeping bag liner was definitely needed, especially to keep the chill from below at bay. Today, we’re not leaving until ten o’clock, so we have plenty of time. We wash ourselves in the river, and after breakfast, we pack up our sleeping gear. John takes us on a short tour of the village of Tutu Kampu. In one of the kitchens, the Indigenous beer is simmering over the fire.

Suriname - Sailing the river in a dugout canoe

It needs to boil for at least 24 hours to remove all the toxins. The beer is being made for a celebration in three days — a five-year-old’s birthday party. We’ve also been invited to stop by on our return journey. The village isn’t large, and the tour is little more than a walk around the meeting hall and past a few houses. Using a chain of people, we load our luggage onto the boats and say goodbye to the villagers. We continue our journey upstream along the Tapanahony River. Not far ahead, at a large sula (rapid), some hard work awaits us. Normally, all the luggage would be unloaded here, but since we managed to get the boat up quickly yesterday, we decide to try it this time with everything still on board. The two boats are pulled up one at a time. We climb through the rapids and form a human chain, allowing us to pull the rope together and pass it along efficiently. In several stages, we manage to haul the boat up the rapid fairly quickly. Fortunately, we can also steady ourselves by holding onto the rope — the current is quite strong. For the second boat, we have to clamber back down through the rushing water, helping each other to keep balance. Everyone makes it down safely, and soon the second boat is pulled up as well.

Suriname - A living room in the indigenous village Tutu Kampu

In a calmer stretch of water, we take a refreshing dip and toast our hard work with a bottle of rum. Further up the river, we stop at the largest Indigenous village in the area — Apetina, home to about 250 people. We have lunch here and walk through the village. Photographing the residents is not appreciated. John shows us how wool is spun, how hammocks are woven, and how musical instruments are made from dried nuts. Around half past two, we get back into the korjaals and travel the last stretch to Granda Futu — the furthest upstream point of our journey. There’s no village here, only a primitive campsite built by Indigenous people and earlier Sawadee groups. The previous group repaired the site after last season’s spot had collapsed. We’ll stay here for two nights — a simple but beautiful place. The campsite lies near a rapid, but along the riverbank, the water is calm enough for swimming. We hang our hammocks and spread our wet clothes out on the rocks to dry. The cooking crew builds a fire to prepare dinner. When the sun sets, a bright half-moon takes over, casting a magical light over the surroundings. Dinner is a bit more basic tonight — plenty of rice, but the vegetables and meat are in short supply. Everything is carefully divided so everyone gets their share. Meanwhile, the crew gathers wood and builds a large campfire. We sit around it together, talking and enjoying the peaceful night.