Suriname > Party in the Palmtuin

Today we have a free day in Paramaribo. It is also the very last day of the vacation. We take the taxi-bus for one dollar to the city and get off at Fort Zeelandia. We visit the fort, which houses a museum. Nothing in the fort reminds visitors of the December murders that took place here. From there, we walk along the Waterkant to the covered market.

Suriname - Fort Zeelandia

First, we visit the Winty Market. At the various stalls, largely the same items are sold for religious services. It is impossible to take photos here; merely showing a camera leads to angry reactions. At the nearby covered vegetable and fish market, the fish are stacked high. We sample some fruit and visit the first floor. We continue walking toward the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge. From the bus, we had seen an old ANWB road sign with amusing place names. Along the way, I buy a hammock at a hammock shop to take home. A little further on, we reach the intersection with the road sign and take photos of it. Afterwards, we walk back toward the city center. Along the way, we pass a wooden church. This church is slightly smaller than the cathedral in the center but is still in good condition. Construction workers are working on the church, and they allow us to take a quick look inside. The interior is beautiful. On our way back to the center, we buy souvenirs, which proves tricky because the selection of nice little gifts is very limited. In the CD shop, we buy a few CDs with Surinamese music.

Suriname - The National Assembly

At the Palmentuin, we follow the music and discover a celebration in honor of the Marrons. At the entrance, we meet John with his girlfriend. John tells us that his brother Henny will perform. In the park, we also meet Henny. He says he is scheduled to perform at five o’clock, but this soon shifts to half past five, six, and later. We decide to first use the internet and return to the hotel. In the evening, we have dinner with the whole group at the waterfront restaurant where we have eaten a few times before. Although Guy had announced our arrival, the beer runs out after just one round. After dinner, we head back to the Palmentuin and the celebration. It is now ten o’clock, and by chance, we arrive just in time for Henny’s performance. Henny plays the drum on stage and clearly enjoys our encouragement. After Henny’s band finishes, the Ghetto Crew performs. The Ghetto Crew is probably a very popular band, as the park fills up. Although we do not understand the lyrics, the atmosphere is lively. It is a bit strange, though, that we are the only white people in the park. Around midnight, we have our last beer at ’t Vat.