Just Another Day in the Jungle

As I have mentioned before, I did not come into the Peace Corps with the expectation, or really even the desire for the stereotypical “Peace Corps experience,” yet I have to admit, life in the rain forests of Suriname is really cool. Tourists come almost every week from Europe for a two or three day taste of life here.

I just finished sharpening my machete after a day of clearing jungle. Machetes that are well used in the bush become black, and mine is starting to turn quite dark. I can now cut down young, but rather strong trees with relatively few strokes, though it takes me longer than the people who have grown up here. I named my machete, “Durandal,” after the unbreakable sword in The Song of Roland, a medieval epic poem. Like any good sword, it rings when it strikes.

The last couple of days I have made river trips to a nearby village and a lumber site, deep in the forest. Because I live in essentially the capital of the Ndjuka, we have two means of transportation: air and river. Most villages only have the river. I love traveling on the river in dugout canoes. They are heavier, and thus, harder to paddle than aluminum, though. Eventually, I would like to buy a canoe to make my own river adventures. Rapids are very common of the Tappenahony, especially when the dry season lowers the water level. They were originally a source of defense for the Ndjuka people escaping the Dutch slave plantations in the north. It will take some time to learn to navigate the river.

My house is a one-room wooden structure with a zinc roof. The walls are very low, and the roof rises to a steep vault. The rafters structure are roughly cut young trees that remind one of a rustic lodge. It seems long and narrow because of the roof structure, though it is les than twice as long as it is wide. Because of its architecture and proximity to the rain forest, I call it, “Jungle Hall.” Since my house is so small and since the zinc conducts the sun’s heat very well, I will be spending almost all of my time outside, using the structure for sleeping, and as a storehouse for up to six months worth of food. The front of the house was originally carved and painted in traditional Ndjuka designs, but this is barely discernable now. I think the designs are beautiful, and if I cannot find someone to help me paint it thus again, I will paint it white with green trim in the spirit of the original dwelling.

In my free time I read good literature, study geography, and write.