Friday, September 23, 2022

Day 46 - The Outer World

Another day in paradise. Or is it Groundhog Day?

The big question for the day was how to spend yet another day stuck in Suriname waiting for the boat to be repaired.

Life is beginning to feel settled … like we belong ... so we walked to the ATM, then to the grocery store, then to have bubble tea … I know! ... very popular with teenagers looks like.

Seems like we now run into people we know everywhere … Pocorni, Dave, Randy and his son Randy, Donald, Matheus … we chat about the latest rumors about Guyana and the boat, life, the world, what they have been up to … the typical stuff you talk about with neighbors. We are also getting used to the heat.

We had a group lunch to develop and discuss a Plan B in case this continues. After some discussion, we settled on a Plan B that called for backtracking back to French Guiana and then back all the way to Macapa, Brasil, on the Amazon River, if the boat does not go tomorrow. We are now out of days to squeeze trying to get to Manaus, which is 1600 kms away, in time to catch our flights home.

So either way, we are on the road tomorrow … either West to Guyana, if the boat works, or East to French Guiana if it does not. In either case, we will be riding tomorrow ... wind in your face .., watching the world go by and marble at how lucky we are that we get to do this in such remote corners of the world.  

To pass the afternoon, we hired a fishing boat to take us up and down the river and out to the ocean to see the sunset. A great experience. Our captain, Belkin, a seasoned boat builder (he learned how by just watching) and an experienced and crusty fisherman, narrated about life in these parts as a fisherman. A great experience.

We went to dinner at a place we saw from the boat overlooking the river where we met the most famous DJ in Suriname who was visiting with his family from Paramaribo for some sort of big party.

As of this writing, we have received messages from our network of contacts in town that the boat is sailing tomorrow. Finally!  Hopefully the repair holds until we are on the other side in Guyana. Wheels up at 6:30am.

We are going West!

Hatching Plan B in case the boat to Guyana continues to not run

We found the best grocery store in Nickerei - all others are dingy and dark and dirty

Bubble Tea in the jungle!

One of the docks on the river

Our new hotel for the night ... pretty dodgy

Installing the motor on the fishing boat that will take us out for a ride

Heading out to the ocean

Leaving the river and entering the ocean - that line is fresh and salty water not mixing

The shore where our cappuccino and swimming pool lounge are

Explorers-in-residence

Almost there

The sun creating a bright contour around the clouds ... magical

Coming back into the river

Yes, we took our helmets for safety in case the boat sinks

Our restaurant for dinner

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