Suriname > Lightning strike nearby

I wake up early. A few small mosquitoes had found their way into the mosquito net—probably because I hadn’t tied it properly at the ends. Fortunately, I hear someone else hunting mosquitoes too. Misery shared is misery halved. By half past six, everyone is awake, and I get out of the hammock. The water is wonderfully cool, a refreshing treat at this hour. From the water, we watch the rising sun and the eclipse.

Suriname - The sunrise in Overbridge

Around seven o’clock, the sun will be 90% obscured by the moon. Thanks to the low sun, the beginning of the eclipse is very clearly visible—a stunning spectacle. After the morning swim, we pack up the hammocks and return to our boat. Today, a few Surinamese women join us for a short ride. They have a celebration on the opposite bank of the river, and there’s hardly any other transportation. Last night, they slept in a car on the campsite. It’s incredible how many belongings they bring on board. Along with their eccentric clothing, this makes them very typically Surinamese. At the nearby Esterlust plantation, our guests disembark. It’s a picturesque scene, but from the shore, we’re already told “no photos,” so we comply. As we continue downstream, the entire family waves us off. We sail south toward Jodensavanne. A few kilometers before the plantation, we dock and go ashore. It’s quite warm, so with hats, sunscreen, and plenty of water, we walk the last few kilometers to the plantation. During the walk, Wibo gives explanations, and we visit a small village, Pierre Kondre. After an hour and a half, we reach the spring. Although it doesn’t look very appealing, we each take a drink of the water. From there, we walk toward Jodensavanne. Just outside Jodensavanne lies the non-Jewish cemetery with old wooden crosses. A little further, we visit the Jewish cemetery with stone graves and see the remains of the synagogue. Part of the group boards the boat here, while we continue walking through the jungle. Along a narrow path, we move through the greenery. Wibo shows us how palm weaving is done and how arrows are made from bamboo. At a clearing by the river, the boat picks us up again. We enter a side creek of the Suriname River. The banks are covered with beautiful lianas, but unfortunately, we don’t see many animals.

Suriname - The remains of the synagogue in Jodensavanne

Where the boat can go no further, we stop for lunch—a lovely spot for rice, chicken, vegetables, and, of course, peanut sambal. From the creek, we sail a bit further south until we reach a sandbank. Vincent drops the anchor, and it’s time to swim. We have to be careful not to drift too far, as the current can be strong. Swimming in the water is delightful. Fortunately, we can stand almost anywhere, as swimming against the current is challenging. After swimming, the anchor is pulled up, and we head back north. At Blackwatra Creek, the water is too shallow to enter. As the name suggests, the water here is black. We do spot a monkey jumping through the treetops. Soon, we arrive back at Overbridge, where we’ll spend the night again. In the restaurant, we order a Parbo beer. After such a warm day, we feel we’ve earned it. Around half past five, it starts raining again—a heavy downpour with lightning. Large puddles form on the grounds almost instantly. The children playing in the center don’t mind and continue playing, soaked through. The restaurant roof can’t handle all the water everywhere. Hopefully, someone noticed that our shoes were still on the front deck of the boat; otherwise, they’d now be soaked. We decide to have another beer. When the rain eases after about an hour, we walk back to the boat. Luckily, our shoes have been brought inside. The sides of the boat are covered with plastic, keeping the new downpour out. Just as we think the storm is passing, a huge flash of lightning strikes, followed by a clap. Everyone looks at each other in shock. The lightning has hit a tree on the shore and then affected the electricity. The campsite television is broken. We realize we were actually quite lucky. Wibo quickly makes coffee for everyone to recover a bit. Shortly after, Guy gets hit on the head by a wooden beam while rolling up the plastic. Fortunately, Perkash has the food ready, and outside, the weather clears. After dinner, we enjoy another beer by the hammocks and go to sleep.