February 10, 2014
After a great first day in Paramaribo, we spent the second day exploring the central market, wandering the historical streets of the city and then heading out in the afternoon with a friendly taxi driver for a tour of Marienburg, a former sugar cane plantation area across the Suriname river and into the countryside. Unfortunately, our taxi driver had a few car issues and had to return back to the city for an airport pick-up in the evening, so our tour was cut a little short, but we still had a great time getting to see just a glimpse of the area outside of the immediate city.
(The central market is full of fruits and vegetables, particularly chilis, mangoes, bitter melon, okra and much more. The second story is mostly filled with clothing and bags, so it's not quite as interesting.)
(Roti, chicken and a sort of green bean combine for an excellent lunch at Roopram Rotishop.)
(A random mosque along the road in Commewijne, the region across the river from the capital city.)
(Another random, yet different, mosque just a mile down the road.)
(And not to be outdone, a Hindu temple just down the street from the two mosques above. Our taxi driver's car was having issues, so we made a few quick stops in the area to let the car cool down. I could've kicked the car a few times, but that's about the extent of my mechanical prowess.)
(The decaying sugar cane factory at Marienburg. The factory was mostly run by Indonesian workers brought over in the late 1800s, but it ceased operations in 1975, and it seems like it hasn't really been touched since then. A super friendly guard gave us a tour around the area, and he was actually one of the workers for the factory while it was in existence. The scenic drive to the plantation was full of green fields, canals and a few small Indonesian neighborhoods.)
(On the way to Arya Dewaker temple, we found this other temple just one street away. I don't know the name, so we'll refer to it as the Non-Arya Dewaker Temple for now.)
(This is Arya Dewaker Temple. We originally were going to take a taxi here, but our driver had to head to the airport, so he dropped us at the crossroads, and we walked here, following a mix of our sense of the general direction (as seen when we crossed over the high river bridge) and a few directions from the friendly locals.)
(The ornate designs of the temple from below.)
(A close-up view of one of the sides of the temple. I can't read Sanskrit, but I'll assume it says something religious.)
(Saoto soup. This Indonesian classic has shredded chicken, an egg, spices, rice, hot sauce and a few other ingredients. We visited Blauwgrond for dinner, a spot with a few small Indonesian restaurants strung along a couple of residential streets. Our first few choices of recommended restaurants were closed, but AJ's Indo Food proved to be a good alternative.)
2 comments:
Oh no, a busted taxi. Sometimes when going to a foreign country, taxis are a hit or miss, but at least you guys were able to overlook this problem and still have a grand time in Suriname! Kicking cars usually never solves things, so it was a good idea for you to hold off. You seem to have had a grand time visiting mosques and temples and eating Indonesian food, so it kinda balances out, and then some.
Grady Mann @ Yellow Taxi St. Petersburg
I wish to see u make video on the abandoned sugarcane mill with the retired worker. He might elaborate life then as worker.
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