Paramaribo, Suriname

Jack and I enjoyed our two-week visit of Suriname. I wanted to quickly share some of the highlights with a few pictures. (This is part one!) The people were rather friendly, but cultures are very different according to the ethnic groups. For example, the Native Indians (we met the Wayana and the Trio) don't smile and look very grave or sad; the Saramaccas (descendants of the escaped slaves) are quite the opposite: curious, friendly, and boisterous.

Paramaribo has the largest wooden building of all of South America: its cathedral. It was built in the 19th century. Click on the photos to enlarge.

The presidential palace is another beautiful building, but it is closed to the public except for one day each year. Today, the president of Suriname is Dési Bouterse.

The oldest building in Paramaribo is Fort Zeelandia, built by the early settlers in 1644. Now a museum on Surinamese culture and history, it used to be a fortress and later a prison.

Paramaribo's historical center is full of old wooden buildings and houses that are on UNESCO's list of world heritage sites. They have a distinctive flare, quite different from the Creole architecture in French Guiana.

Lastly, Parimaribo has a large mosque and a 19th century synagogue located right next to each other, a testimony of the religious tolerance that exists in Suriname.