Suriname 2022 - part 3, Bigi Pan & Maratakka

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West-Suriname
In 2022 maakten wij een reis naar Suriname, waarbij wij telkens uitstapjes van enkele dagen maakten vanuit Paramaribo. De reis was georganiseerd door Waterproof Tours, en het derde deel van de reis ging naar het westen van het land, via het rijstcultuurgebied rond Wageningen, de Coppename-rivier en de Nickerie-rivier naar Nieuw Nickerie, waar we werden opgehaald met een boot naar het natuurreservaat Bigi Pan. Dit is een kustmoeras met brak water en een grote rijkdom aan vogels en vis. Na een overnachting in Bigi Pan keerden we terug naar Wageningen, waar we werden opgehaald voor een uitstapje in het oerwoud rond de Maratakka-rivier. Daar maakten we een boottocht over de rivier en brachten de nacht door in het oerwoud, prima verzorgd door de familie van Tante Gerda...
Western Suriname
In 2022 we made a trip to Suriname, formerly known as Dutch Guyana. The trip was managed by Waterproof Tours and we made short excursions each lasting a few days, from the capital Paramaribo. This is the video I made of our trip to the west of the country, crossing several great rivers by car until we were taken by boat to the Bigi Pan nature reserve, a shallow brackish lagoon and swamp area rich in bird life and fish. Having spent the night there, we returned, being taken into the rainforest to a lodge on the Maratakka river. Here we spent another night, doing an excursion up the river and being well cared for by Aunt Gerda's family...

[@eveliennassy1217]

❤❤❤❤❤Home!!!!!

[@andrerall2800]

That iron structure hanging over the river was obviously for extraction ,export /exploitation ,many years ago ,you now return on a holiday to enjoy yourselves in this paradise ,with no acknowledgment voiced,as you enjoy the cream of long established privilege off the back of human suffering.

[@tedpolet5431]

Thank you for your reply, even though it sounds like a reproach. The structure over the river is a bulk loading plant for rice cultivated in the area. Regrettably it was allowed to run into disrepair, even though this area is still a large rice producer. Exploitation? Yes, the erstwhile Colony was built on exploitation. If you take trouble to look at my acknowledgement of the human suffering of the past, perhaps you will take a look at what I wrote in my author's blog. This is only one post of many underlining the research I did before I wrote my novel ANANSI. I trust that will be the answer to your concern --> tedpoletbooks.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-dutch-republic-and-slave-trade.html

[@tedpolet5431]

Adding to my previous reply, perhaps this one will say more about my personal opinion of the past. --> tedpoletbooks.blogspot.com/2023/02/anansi-and-slavery.html