Suriname > Party in Tutu Kampu

The crew is already active early in the morning, but we stay in our hammocks until about half past seven. Then it’s time for a morning dip in the river. Today, we’re leaving Granda Futu and heading downstream again. Breakfast once more consists of pancakes with jam and peanut butter.

Suriname - Sailing downstream with the korjaal from the rapids

After breakfast, we pack our sleeping gear and bring the luggage to the boats. Around ten o’clock, everything is packed, everyone is on board, and the boats are pushed off. Today, we’re sailing back to Tutu Kampu, where we’ve been invited to a birthday party for a five-year-old girl. First, we sail back to Apetina, which takes about an hour. Just before we reach Apetina, we spot something swimming in the river — a sloth trying to cross to the other side. Its crossing is interrupted by two korjalen full of Dutch tourists taking photos. Lilian, our cook, grabs a paddle and tries to scoop up the animal, but we protest, and she stops. A little further on, we dock at a small village — apparently, someone has reported the swimming sloth. In Apetina, John has to contact the city (Paramaribo) via the radio transmitter to send the shopping list for the supplies that need to be flown in. When we arrive in Drietabbetje tomorrow, fresh goods will be waiting for us. This gives us some time to walk around Apetina. Just past the village, we reach the big sula (rapids) again. We get out while the crew slides the two boats down the sula — a perfect Kodak moment. Both boats make it down safely. In the flowing water, we take a dip, the current giving us a wonderful natural massage. Unfortunately, tiny caterpillars live among the water plants and seem quite interested in us as well.

Suriname - Taking a shower under the rapids

So we dry off thoroughly and check everything carefully. We have lunch on the rocks — rice, corned beef, and cabbage. In the afternoon, we continue toward Tutu Kampu. At our request, we first take a detour into a side creek. One boat goes ahead with the luggage to the campsite, while we explore the creek in the other. We hope to spot more wildlife along the banks. The creek is much narrower than the Tapanahony River and quite shallow in places. The boat is carefully maneuvered around rocks. After about fifteen minutes, a large boulder blocks the passage, and we can’t go any further. We dock, walk around a bit, and some people bathe in the water. On the way back, the motor is turned off, and we drift along with the current. Without the chugging of the engine, the sounds of the jungle become wonderfully clear. Apart from a few birds, some bats, and an iguana, we don’t see much wildlife, but it’s still a beautiful and enjoyable outing. Around four o’clock, we arrive in Tutu Kampu. We can already hear the music of the party from the river. In the village, a large generator powers the CD player. People are dancing to the music and drinking plenty of homemade beer. Most villagers are quite tipsy, but no one is unpleasantly drunk — even the smallest children happily join in drinking. We’re also offered drinks when we enter the tent, but we limit ourselves to a few sips. Unfortunately, the generator is located right in the meeting hall where our hammocks are supposed to hang, so we can’t retreat there for some rest. Down by the river, people are fishing, catching several piranhas — clearly, there’s more fish here than in Granda Futu.

Suriname - At the water spot of Tutu Kampu it is very busy

The catch is collected and immediately prepared by Lilian; we’ll be eating this fish later in the trip. Around ten fish are caught for the meal. After dinner, the party slowly comes to an end. A large campfire is lit for us, and Henny tells a traditional Surinamese story, which John translates into Dutch. The moral of the story: Everything that’s inside your belly belongs to you and can never be taken away — or something along those lines. Then, the Indians are supposed to perform a dance, but that doesn’t go very well. After all the drinking, hardly anyone is able to dance anymore, and the birthday girl has already gone to bed. We had made a little gift for her — a doll crafted from a washcloth, buttons, and string — but we can’t give it to her tonight. We end the evening with an evaluation of the jungle trek. Everyone is enthusiastic, though most agree it could be a little more active. John promises to keep that in mind.