Isao, JH1ROJ will be active from Suriname 20 - 25 September 2014 as PZ5AA.
He will be active on all bands CW, SSB, RTTY.
QSL via JA1HGY, direct, OQRS. LOTW.
Suriname with its awesome surroundings!
Suriname in brief
Located in Northern South America, the enchanting country of Suriname has a lot to offer visitors. Suriname is bordered by the French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west and Brazil to the south. Historically, the earliest people to call Suriname home were the Surinen Indians, which is where the country got its name from.
This former Dutch colony is home to approximately 573,311 people with Dutch being the official language while English is also widely spoken. Other languages to the region include: Caribbean Hindustani, Sranang Tongo and Javanese.
Religious affiliations to the region include 27.4% of the Hindu, 25.2% Protestant (predominantly Moravian), 22.8% of the Roman Catholic, 19.6% of the Muslim and 5% of indigenous beliefs.
The climate to the region I tropical with moderate trade winds and an average annual rainfall of 2200mm. Two dry seasons are normally experienced in the months of February to March then August to November while the two rainy seasons to the region are normally experienced n the months of December through to January and April through to August. The hottest month to the region is the month of November.
The principal rivers are the Corantijn on the Guyana border, the Marowijne in the east, and the Suriname, on which the capital city of Paramaribo is situated.
The currency is Surnamese dollars (SRD) with the country majorly dominated by the mining industry. Minerals exported from this region include; gold, alumina and oil.
Getting around Suriname
You can get around in Suriname either by car or bus as there are no trains in the region. Transportation within the region is on the high side, with a number of tourist attractions costing a lot more than those found in say the United States or Europe. Cars of boats are the major modes of transport although not many roads do go into the country. You could rent a car from any one of the rental companies allowed, although for the most part, these companies don’t allow their cars to be taken into the forest. Travelling by air can be done via the two local airlines that provide connections with the inner land.
Culture
Suriname is considered as one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the Americas. A vast majority of its people are descendants of the African slaves, Indonesian and Indian servants that were brought into the region by the Dutch to work as agricultural laborores. Statistically speaking, about 37% of the ethnic groups in the country are Hinustani, about 31% are Creole (mixed black and white), 15% are Javanese, 10% are "Maroons" while the Chinese, Amerindian and other group take up 2% each with the white population taking up 1%.
The diverse mix in ethnic groups has meant a diverse mix in culture, food, dance, music and traditions. This also means that different languages are spoken through the country.
Nature
With about a third of the country declared as national reserves, there are plenty of natural lands with a huge variety of flora and fauna to explore. Mangrove forests can be seen nestled between the rainforests and the ocean, a huge number of bird, reptile, monkeys and a few jaguars call the rain forests home.
Some of the more common natural reserves include:
- The Central Suriname Nature reserve which home to some of the most pristinely remote and ancient wilderness on planet earth. It is home to mount Voltzberg and the Raleigh waterfalls.
- Raleighvallen Nature Reserve which is a renowned monkey and bird paradise in the international scene. There are also a vast number of flora and fauna species within the region.
- Brownsburg which is located to the south of Paramaribo is home to a number of beautiful waterfalls and creeks and houses a number of bird, animal and plant life.
- Galibi Nature Reserve which is home to endangered sea turtles in addition to a number of different turtle species.
- Upper Surinam River
- Nature Resort Kabaleo which is a lovely virtually untouched natural environment. On this reserve, there are a number fish, birds, butterflies, and a jaguar or two.
Sports
The most popular sport in the country of football or soccer, while other sports include volleyball, basketball, golf, squash and horse-back riding.
Where to stay
There are a number of guest houses, hotels and hostels to provide you accommodation while in the area. You can find anything from guest houses to luxury hotels. From those with simple amenities to those with modern amenities. A number of available in Nickerie and Paramaribo, some of which include:
Wining and Dining
There are a number of places to eat and drink in Suriname. With its ethnic diversity, you are sure to find a wide selection of exotic food in the region.
There is a wide range of drink to choose from while in the area. From the delicious fruit juices to the alcoholic beverages. You can choose to check out the dawet, which is a pink or green concoction made from mainly coconut milk by the Javanese people/ the East Indian people have a drink known as Lassi while the local beer, known as ‘djogo’ does come in 1 liter bottles.
Conclusion
Suriname is an exotic place to visit. You get to enjoy two worlds of a modern city life and an “untamed” jungle presence that is the Amazon. There are plenty of activities to partake in from sporting activities to tourist activities that involve exploring the different titrations to the area. In addition, the country is blessed with a diverse mix of ethnic groups owing to events that unfolded in the past (laborers and slaves being brought into the region)
The food and drink to the country is also as diverse and mixed as the ethnic groups within. It is an attraction to many a visitor who wishes to explore the diverse culture of the region, learn of its interestingly rich region and try to explore the rather untamed jungle in the Amazon.
Video Suriname
