The next morning we set off motoring all morning. In the afternoon we poled out our jib for downwind sailing. Awelina disappeared over the horizon. The next day we motored all day due to lack of wind. We were too late for the incoming tide when we arrived at the Suriname river so we anchored off the channel about a mile inside the river mouth.
After a restful night we caught the tide and motored swiftly up this very interesting river. Lots of houses line the banks, much industry and a spectacular arching road bridge spans the river near Paramaribo. Many people waved and we already felt welcome here. One barge rang a bell to attract our attention and as we turned to look, took our photographs, smiling and waving.....nice!
We arrived at Waterland Marina at 1pm, where James & Fiona (Awelina) took our ropes and offered us cold beer.....thanks guys!
Noel, the owner gave us a very warm welcome. The pontoons are excellent, the gardens are beautiful and Noel has built several luxury holiday villas. We stayed 10 days then moved a few miles down river to Domburg on anchor, to save some sheckles and to have better access to local shops. Waterland was quite remote and other cruisers hired cars quite cheaply to get about, however with neither of us driving, it wasn't ideal for us.
Inconveniently, customs check in & out were in various locations in Paramaribo. The marinas can help and provide a car with a driver to make this easier. Luckily we purchased our tourist visa in French Guiana which saved us a trip!
We visited Paramaribo city many times on the local bus. The population is a real melting pot with many cultures, mainly Asian Indian, Chinese and Dutch. English is widely spoken and we had a very good time shopping and eating out...inexpensive!
Domburg marinas' clientele were mainly Dutch and they tended to socialize with each other...who can blame them! They were however British, South African, French and Australian cruisers to drink, chat and have a laugh with. The climate was a little cooler with a pleasant breeze coming down the river and a good downpour just about every afternoon. With our fridge issue, still not resolved, we had to run the engine every now and then to charge the batteries. The Suriname river is is very muddy and cruisers with water makers couldn't use them, however the marina had a tap where you could fill containers when required.
Again, not a lot of exotic wildlife. You had to go on a 'Jeep Safari' up river to see anything unusual, but from others experiences you would have to pay us to go i.e. Jeep turned out to be a clapped out mini van....got 2 flat tyres and the occupants had to thumb a lift....basic accommodation with no aircon...mosquitoes & biting spiders to contend with !!!! They did see a Sloth and a Anteater!!!
Wildlife we did see in abundance were Red Ibis',Vultures, Parrot like birds who only flew in pairs and every morning/evening, the roar of the Howler Monkeys.
We did visit Butterfly World which was not too far away and we thought it was very interesting. They also bred snakes and giant tortoises...very educational!
No comments:
Post a Comment