Our second trip led us to a different ethnic group, the Saramaccas. They are the descendants of the slaves who escaped into the jungle from their Dutch masters. They have mostly preserved their African language, traditions, clothes, and culture. Like the Wayana and Trio Indians we visited earlier, they too have opened to tourism and created eco-lodges. Danpaati is an enchanting village located on a small island in the Surinam River.
We had a local guide who led us through his village, Botopasi. As you can see, living conditions there are also very rudimentary. However, the Saramaccas richly decorate their houses with wood carvings, mostly around the front door. (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Like in Palumeu, our guide took us through the forest and showed us the uses of the various plants. However, many of the Saramaccas' remedies seemed to us more based on superstition than on medical science.
In the evening, the women from Botopasi came to our eco-lodges to show us some traditional Saramaccan dances. Many of the dances and songs date back to the slavery period and speak about their trials and suffering. Even if we didn't understand the words, we were entranced by how well those ladies could swing!
After about 9:00 pm, the power generator on the island got turned off so there was no more electricity. Fortunately, we were each given lanterns to find our way around and return safely to our lodges.
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