Return to DC

The world is so huge and beautiful and we have so little time here, that I have often resolved not to visit anywhere more than once. 

There have to be a few exceptions of course.

One is been Washington DC, due to the Smithsonian and Georgetown.

The last time I visited, was probably over 30 years ago, so have long been yearning to return, especially since learning that the Smithsonian Zoo had added pandas. 

You see, China is nowhere on my bucket list so the only place I will see pandas is at a zoo!

Then there is the addition of the African American Museum (designed in the shape of the crown of an African queen) into the extensive complex of Smithsonian musea. And of course, the Martin Luther King memorial.

After several false starts, I finally made it back to DC in November 2021, just before thanksgiving. But alas my timing was bad, for on trying to get into the wonderful, informative Natural History Museum, saw a line stretching around two blocks in under 60 degree temperature.

Section of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

I had been taken to the Natural History Museum by long-lost cousins, but when we saw that the visit was fruitless due to the long line, I got a tour of old Alexandria, Virginia, where they live.

That trip was extremely enlightening as previously, when I heard of Virginia, I thought of lynchings and other horrible things.

Not up north in Alexandria though. That is really a charming city built on a section of the Potomac River with full view of the Ronald Reagan airport. 

It’s a favorite among people who love to relax by the river, enjoy delicious seafood and the charm of the area, while watching planes take off and land.

I belong to that type of crowd!

That short tour of the quaint, artsy waterfront and old Alexandria in general, certainly whet my appetite and I will certainly like to return during the summer.

I ventured back into DC on Thanksgiving afternoon and was happy to get into the Natural Science Museum for about an hour before closing time. But as it was late, so I just did not get to see all I wanted to.

My luck with the African American Museum was also bad, for I never researched the entry conditions, so never knew that you had to make an appointment to get in. When I tried on-line, the earliest date for entry was December 9^th 2021.

Its shaped like the crown of an African queen

Strike 2  but not really out as I did get to visit the Martin Luther King Memorial and it is as wonderful as one could expect it to be. For apart from his statue, the entire complex is filled with quotes from the great man etched, into the walls surrounding the statue.

A most appropiate and deserving memorial.

Of course, I did revisit the white house area and was surprised to observe that the office of the vice president appears to be much larger than those attached to the white house. 

Maybe the presidents just talk and the veeps do all the work. Who knows?

Of course, based on the news, I expected to see several demonstrations around the white house but only saw mostly secret service people and one lone lady, with a placard calling for the removal of troops from Corea, (Korea,) using the original spelling!

Corea!

There was also a man in a camp across the street from the white house, where he appears to live, surrounded by placards on just about every subject.

Then there was good old Georgetown, one of my favorite places in the USA. 

While there are quite a few high rises added, it really has not lost its charm, thank heavens.

Placards galore

Yes, I know, I tell myself that I need not visit any place more than once, but it is clear that I will have to return to DC and its environs from time to time, if I really want to keep up with the tremendous strides in updating the history of the USA.

MEMORIES

Georgetown has retained its charm

Another section of Georgetown

Section of Georgetown

Secret service everywhere

A reminder at the Lincoln memorial

This art complex is called torpedo! Thats a real one behind me😏

This is the largest orangutan I have ever seen

The Veep's office in DC

 

Suriname

If you are planning a trip to South America, forget Paramaribo!

Naturally that is my opinion and if someone had said that to me, I would have ignored the advice! You see, I have to learn everything for myself! 

Supposedly the largest wooden church in the world.

 Seriously though, unless one is interested in seeing some nice Dutch Colonial Architecture, poverty and underdevelopment, Paramaribo can easily be overlooked. Actually, it is not as poor as Haiti and come to think of it, I did not even see one beggar but while you can visit Haiti , check into an all inclusive and have a wonderful time on the white sand beaches  on a beautiful Caribbean coast and never know that poverty was the order of the day, Paramaribo is not like that. True they do have a small resort where you find Eco inn, Terrica etc. but in Caribbean terms, they are way behind.

I get the impression of poverty there because of the proliferation of derelict looking wooden houses. Granted some of them has expensive looking Japanese cars parked in front or even inside the yard but I still get the impression of poverty. Or maybe they are not really poor but just not into houses. I never went inside one so can't say for sure. But this is the first time in the 21st century that I have been to a city and seen so many derelict looking wood houses with dirt lawns and dirt sidewalks, not even a blade of grass anywhere.

Paramaribo is of course the capital of Suriname, the smallest sovereign state in south America. It is approximately 64,000 square metres with a population of just over half million. It is very much like its neighbor Guyana in terms of climate, religion, proliferation of rivers, population make up and terrain although much more of Suriname is virgin territory, 90% I am told. Also, like Guyana, no retailer takes the mighty US$ and Jamaican music, especially dancehall is king. I was totally amused to hear Vybes Kartel music being played at a store in Paramaribo which sells Hindu paraphernalia including religious material!)

A moslem temple in Paramaribo

To get there we travelled east on excellent roads for about 3 hours to the Berbice bridge. It was when we were in New Amsterdam that I realised for the first time that Guyana once had a motor vehicle industry, for all over the place we saw a vehicle shaped like a fully covered Land Rover being used as taxis. I learnt that when  Guyana had its socialist experiment like we did in Jamaica and there was a shortage of cars, the enterprising 'Guyanese made the Tapir and twenty years later a number of them are still in very active use in the Berbice county.  After crossing the Berbice bridge, we took a ferry at Molson creek to Suriname.(You know when you are in Guyana however by the proliferation of animals on the roads, something you don't see in Suriname.) One does not have to take the ferry however as there are speed boats which also take passengers from one side to the other as there is a great deal of traffic between the both countries, despite the fact that in Suriname most people speak a dialect called Tacky Tacky, a mixture of Dutch, African  dialects. English ....everything. Anyway, most people there speak English to some degree.

Ready to board the ferry at Molson Creek

Then we travelled about 3 hours, excellent roads, scenic country side but far less developed and populated than Guyana, to Paramaribo.
 Paramaribo like Georgetown is not into zoning, so houses and business places exist side by side all over. However while in Georgetown the wooden houses are being replaced at a rapid rate and are rarely seen in the commercial areas, the opposite is true in Paramaribo.

On a morning walk I saw smoke coming out of one of the wooden houses and people frantically kicking in the doors before realising that the place was on fire. I expected  the wooden house to go up in smoke as well as the other two other wooden structures on either side but I must say, their firefighting ability far exceeds ours. For withing 5 minutes 4 fire trucks and dozens of police were on the scene. Within minutes a truck with water was there too but it was not needed and a few minutes later another fire truck arrived.

I was absolutely amazed how quickly they got that fire under control and saved everything else. I guess when you have that many wooden structures you really have develop great fire fighting strategies. Another thing I found interesting was the  many sidewalks which were mainly cobblestone and very wide. It didn't take me long to realise however that they were not only for pedestrians but also bicycles and motor bikes and cars parked all over them too.

What I found most amazing about Paramaribo was the number of casinos, from Royal Princess hotel Casinos and Best Western to non- chain hotels. but they all seemed greatly under utilised!

I just could not come to terms with the underdevelopment of the place considering they export bauxite, agriculture (we saw thousands of acres of rice on the way) and oil. Of course it could be because of the politics as my short visit there gave me some serious insights into the place.

Board houses like these are all over commercial districts

I have long been curious about how Desi Bouterse could have become President after the 2010 elections and even more amazed that he could have been accepted as Chairman of Caricom, considering his credentials. But after hearing the serious allegations about his predecessor,  if these are true, I can see why he could be acceptable to the Surinamese people. (I still can't see how he could be acceptable to Caricom leaders however).

At this time, it seems the Chinese are having a serious influence on Suriname and hardly a corner you pass that does not have a retail outlet with Chinese writing on it. It is alleged that the Surinamese, even the Chinese born are resenting this invasion and they blame the former president who is reputed to have taken away unused land and given the foreign Chinese titles for those properties, making a lot of money for himself privately. When the native owners saw structures going up on their land and checked, they found that their titles were no longer any good! Now such a scenario could really make someone like Bouterse look good although in early 1980 he had led a military coup which overthrew the democratic government and declared a socialist republic.

In what is now recognised as an infamous period, on 8 December 1982, the military under his leadership, rounded up several prominent citizens who were accused of plotting against the government and executed them during the night.

Where the "enemies of the state" were executed.

You know, the late, great Motty Perkins used to say that if robbers could make the law, stealing would not be a crime. 

 Well, I understood the full implications of this in Suriname, for while Bouterse and other officials are currently standing trial for the December murders of 1982, (the trial started in 2007 but has been stalled for several reasons), on April 5th 2012, the government (headed by Bouterse) passed an Amnesty law giving immunity to persons who committed   Human Rights violations between April 1, 1980 and August 19, 1992. 

Naturally the United Nations Human Rights Commission has objected to the legislation, but this seems to have no effect in Suriname or with Caricom Leaders. 

Further, although Bouterse was convicted in absentia in the Netherlands for drug smuggling, this too has had no effect on the electorate or our brave Caribbean leaders.

The president's mansi

Interestingly, I was told by a supporter of his  that the only reason why the Netherlands Government came after him was because he had been acting as their agent in 1980 when he led the coup and he should have neutralized the country's independence status and put the Dutch back in control of the country. (they gained independence from the Dutch in 1975) but he double crossed them.

Boy from what I have seen and heard here about Surinamese politics, all things are possible!