The Guianas - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 660

Onafhankelijkheidsplein and around
The centrepiece of the historic inner city
is Onafhankelijkheidsplein (Independence
Square), an expanse of well-manicured
green lawns near the Waterkant over-
looked by several state buildings, a statue
of a rather round Johan Adolf Pengel
(former prime minister) and the
Presidential Palace (under renovation at
the time of writing). Though the building
is used to entertain foreign dignitaries,
the current president does not reside
here: his private fortress is located east of
the centre along Anton Drachtenweg in a
neighbourhood filled with conspicuously
affluent houses.
Early on Sunday mornings (around
7-8am) Independence Square plays host
to competitive bird-singing contests .
Here, picolets and twa twas are persuaded
to sing in turns, the winning bird earning
a payout for its owner.

at the attractive, barrel-shaped bar (entry
and tastings SRD50). The rum brands
produced at the distillery next door are
Borgoe, Black Cat and Mariënburg, and
tastings usually include a good mix - from
the lethal 90 percent proof white rum
to the venerable fifteen-year-old Borgoe.
For those wanting to see every step of the
production from distilling to bottling,
a Grand Tour (SRD65) is available every
Friday during peak season, and every last
Friday of the month outside it.

The markets
On Waterkant, west of the SMS pier,
is the vast, two-storey Central Market
(Mon-Sat 5am-4pm), where you can
shop for all manner of fresh produce in
the pungent semi-gloom. For those with
an interest in fetishes and voodoo, there's
also an unofficial “under the market”
section where Maroons sell necklaces
and charms made of animal parts. On
Sundays, it's worth checking out the flea
market (8am-1pm) along Tourtonnelaan,
just east of Verlengde Mahonylaan - as
much for the people-watching as for the
gems hidden among the clutter.

7

Fort Zeelandia
The rehabilitated, tree-shaded colonial
buildings of Fort Zeelandia (originally
Fort Willoughby) overlook the Suriname
River. One of the darkest spots in the
fort's recent history was the 1982
“December murders”, when fifteen
prominent Surinamese citizens were
executed by the military. Today it is used
to house the Suriname Museum (Tues-Fri
9am-2pm, Sun 10am-2pm; SRD15;
enquire at tourist office about tours in
English), its exhibits ranging from
displays on the coffee and sugar trade and
ye olde potion bottles and other medical
memorabilia, to original Jewish artefacts
and relics of slavery such as metal
punishment collars. The only displays in
English are the ones on Amerindian
culture (upstairs), which showcase
traditional weaving, weaponry, and
splendid feathered headgear.

Religious sites
Previously a theatre, the neo-Gothic,
twin-towered St Peter and Paul Cathedral
on Henck Arronstraat (free tours Wed &
Sat mornings) is a huge yellow and blue
edifice made entirely of wood (under
renovation at the time of writing). The
airy interior is absolutely beautiful, with
intricately carved columns and carved
scenes of the Passion of the Christ and
the resurrection, and once the renovation
is complete, the cathedral's four flanking
towers will afford excellent views of
the city. A couple of blocks west, on
Keizerstraat, a mosque and synagogue
sit happily side by side.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By plane Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport
(Zanderij) receives flights from the Netherlands, Trinidad,
Brazil, Curaçao, Guyana and the US, as well as twice-
weekly flights from French Guiana. The smaller Zorg en
Hoop Airport is for domestic and Guyana flights. Airport
transfers with Buscovery ( W buscoverytours.com) and
Le Grand Baldew ( W legrandbaldew.com) take around 1hr

The Rumhuis
Making rum has been a venerable
Surinamese tradition for centuries and at
this brand-new Rumhuis (Rum House;
Cornelis Jongbawstraat 18; Tues & Fri
11am & 1pm; W rumhuis.sr) you can visit
its well-designed interactive museum,
followed by sampling the actual product