Suriname breakfast

 

Despite being a Dutch colony for a couple of hundred years and the many bakeries dotted around Paramaribo, breakfast is not limited to a slice of bread with cheese or peanut butter. The breakfast habits mirror the cultural make-up of Suriname society, so one should not be surprised to have a delicious Javanese bami to break the morning fast as I did this morning. A chilled bottle of Coke completes the meal, of course...

Visiting the Vice-President

In a small country such as Suriname it is easy to meet people in high places such as the recently appointed Vice-President, Robert Ameerali. We had met him a couple of times before when he was head of the Suriname Chamber of Commerce and he was kind enough to spare us some time to discuss the economic policies of the new Suriname government and the sectors it is looking to attract investment into. Although Surinamis can be quite formal in official capacities, our discussion was very informal. The photo is a different story though...

Happy Diwali

 

To the surprise of many the Hindu festival of Diwali, the festival of lights, was declared a national holiday in Suriname last week. With a large Hindu population this should be no surprise, but most Hindustanis did not see it coming. Having the day off did allow many to make the celebration extra special and many homes were lit up by candles and electric lights.

Peperpot Plantation

 

As a Dutch colony Suriname was a plantation economy. Even now you can still find remnants of the colonial grandeur dotted around the country. More often than not the buildings are in an awful state, but in recent years owners have been restoring the historical heritage. This is also the case for Plantation Peperpot, situated across from Paramaribo on the bank of the Suriname river. By coincidence I know the owner, but unfortunately he was not in Suriname to give us a tour. Perhaps next time...