good talk

From Georgetown I went overland to the Corantijn River to cross over into Suriname. I had gotten my Visa for Suriname in Georgetown, the same day, and it cost $100 US, just to go to little insignificant Suriname. At the River I found out that I had been charged $20 US more than everybody else to go to Paramaribo, who had recommended this particular Overland Service? It was the Suriname Embassy and they also phoned and set it up while I sat there. The Guyanese people that I had traveled with told me "You were Licked-Off," and that what had happened to me was a "Lick-Off." When I told them that our Expression for this was a "Rip-Off" they thought that was very funny. Once the Ferry took us across the River I got in a big Buick with 4 other people and a driver to go to Paramaribo. The road to Paramaribo was one way in each direction and our driver often touched 135 K (90 miles an hour) while constantly passing vehicles by a couple feet and while sometimes talking on the phone or smoking a cigarette. I know skill when I see it and this guy had some, it made for an exciting ride. This chap dropped me off at a popular guesthouse and I got a decent room for twenty US. These people are in love with Birds particulary the Bacolet, sort of like a Finch. They have a Singing Competition on their Commons every Sunday and you'll see people carrying around a bird in a cage even going to work. One fellow that I spoke with carrying his bird to work with him was a Carpenter. This bird is also often called a Twatwa. Suriname is only 470,000 people and gained their Independence from Holland in 1975. I toured Fort Zeelandia and this was quite good, I pointed out to a guy who was working there that their Eternal Flame had gone out. In 1982 twelve prominent people were Murdered inside the Fort because the Ruling Party didn't Vtheir Politics. I saw a good downpour while I was walking around in Paramaribo, about the only rain I saw on my trip. Catting about in Paramaribo was Very Exciting. On Keizerstraat there's a beautiful Mosque with 4 Minarets, the most beautiful Mosque in the Caribbean or that part of South America and right next to it is a Synagogue, the Dutch Israeli Synagogue. But in Contrast to the Mosque the Synagogue is not so beautiful, in fact it's in Bad Need of a Good Roof. It's an Eyesore. Now if you Jewish Folk go without Lunch for a Week and Send that Money to the Synagogue so that they can Replace the Roof it Will be Greatly Appreciated especially by the Local Moslems.