Off To Work!

Soon I will begin my journey towards the very heart of Suriname on the long road…er, river to Drietabiki. Wednesday afternoon, I will actually be flying by Cessna, but normally, the five of us in the area first have a three-hour bus ride to the coast of the Marowijne River (Maara-way-na), which separates Suriname from French Guyana, and continue by canoe about two-thirds of the way through the country. The name of the river, at its best, sounds barely legal, I know, but I can assure you that Peace Corps drug policies are very strict. Given the great amount of water in the country, it’s no surprise that the far side of the river can barely be seen on a clear day, and is often mistaken for the ocean. Even on maps, the river looks very broad indeed, with large, populated islands. Since the dry season is beginning, though, it can take three days by boat because more rocks are closer to the surface at this time of year, making the rapids more challenging to navigate. There are plenty of these rapids and a few waterfalls to keep the journey exciting. My map marks no less than nine of the longest, and most intense, series of cataracts. Unlike many those we have in the States, the rapids on the Marowijne have encouraging and helpful names once translated, such as: “Pedro Sunk Here Falls,” “Screaming Men Rapids,” “Pull the Goods Out of the Boat Rapids,” “Go Away Rapids,” and Big Hole Falls. As you can see, the very names of these rapids lend helpful historical information, warnings, and even instructions on how to proceed. For Big Hole Falls, the two of us who go beyond must portage every time we go by boat because the river is virtually impassable. Fortunately there is a mine cart on a railroad track for us to load all of our gear in and push. It still will take a lot of trips, as I may be transporting food for a full three months on a regular basis.