Life with the Kaiman Hunters

“Tom! Tom! Kaiman!” “Tom! Tom! Kaiman” I hear them yell from the water. “Come! Come!” 

         For the last two weeks I've been eyeing up the Kaiman Hunters, almost as much as they've been measuring me. Each day they pass by my windows looking at me with their sharp, ever vigilant eyes, nodding to me as if we’re agreeing on something that I have yet to know. Today they've called me along on their hunt for the kaiman (kai-mon), which is Saranan Tongo for caiman, the small crocodiles that live in the waters of Suriname. Since arriving at my site I have been focused on work and learning two languages, but as I hear them calling, I know that this is my opportunity for acceptance among the rag-tag group of Kaiman Hunters.

The ponds behind our houses.

          Although most are only twelve years old, and they hunt with slingshots crafted from multicolored rubber bands, the excitement is definitely there. For the past two weeks the kids have been telling me about the groten kaiman (big crocodiles) that are living in the drainage ponds behind the center where I am living and working. The tales of catching and eating these wild beasts have come with the playful and exaggerated gestures of all little kids. Every time they talk to me they widen their eyes and move their arms in the fashion of chomping jaws. Although I know that

these small, relatives of crocodiles don’t get very large, I still act scared and immensely impressed with the description of their hunts. As of now, they’re the only kids living at my center, children of the families that work here. The boys who live here during the school year move in this upcoming week. They've been curious of me, but have stayed their distance, knowing that they can’t speak English and I can barely speak their languages. Yet, as with all children, their friendship is easily won with the huge bag of candy I brought from the U.S. The past couple days, I've been feeding their sugary urges in trade of a promise that when they fell the monster in the murky water, they call for me. And so they did . . . “Tom! Tom! Kaiman! Come!”

  I run halfway to them before they start yelling at me, “Photo! Photo!” I am so excited that I forget my camera. They realize and send me back before I even get to them. I run to my room, grab it, and run back to meet them by the edge of the water. They point to the small reptile head sticking out, while the expert marksman, the youngest and smallest of the bunch, takes aim with his slingshot and rock. One shot, “THWACK!” He hits it dead-on and the kaiman goes under. Cheers go up for the death of the beast. I ask if the kaiman is really dead, and everyone says yes. I’m pretty sure the creature went to the bottom of the pond for a reprieve from the bullets of stone, but the hunters insisted it has been slain.

Congratulations if you can see the kaiman because I know where it is and I can't even see it.

  In the end, it probably wasn't that exciting of an experience. I would have to say that my real excitement comes from the acceptance by the children. Whenever I travel, the moments where I feel part of the community are always the most exciting. That beyond our differences, all of us are capable of connecting with each other. It feels good to live with the Kaiman Hunters.

One Week in Paramaribo

Old Dutch buildings in Paramaribo.

            I have most definitely been ignoring this blog so far. Since leaving the U.S, things have been a bit hectic. Whether it be unforeseen weather delays and missing connecting flights in the States, or the normal challenges of moving to another country and culture. As of now, I’ve been in Suriname for over a week, although it most definitely feels much longer than that, in a good way that is.

            The first week I stayed in the capital, Paramaribo, living in a guesthouse/hostel type place traveling back and forth to the Peace Corps office everyday for various trainings, including things like medical, safety, language, and job preparation. Reorienting myself to Peace Corps hasn’t been that difficult, after more than two years previously, I have a strong understanding of the goals and challenges of living and working in another country with Peace Corps. The difficulties in the training came more from the general challenges of moving to another country. However, these are also some of the most exciting aspects of Peace Corps. Here is a short list of some of the training discussions, made even shorter . . .

• Mosquitoes have malaria.
• Here’s how to construct your water filter for clean drinking water.
• Here are the two languages you should learn to speak, but there are many more.
• Watch out for the largest spiders in the world and poisonous snakes.
• This is the place you will live at for the next 6 months.

Goliath Birdeater Spider

Fer de Lance

It would be unfair to the amazing Peace Corps staff who did the training to say that this is the way training went. However, I believe that this short list that I just wrote down is an example to the difficulty of traveling to and preparing to live in a place so different from your own. There is only so much you can try to learn in such a short time. Real learning and adjustment takes much longer than one week. Also, the first time I did Peace Corps, we had three months of training, so there is definitely a confidence that Peace Corps probably has that I have the skills to adapt again.

My delicious water filter!

            After one week in Paramaribo, I have now been at my permanent site for a few days. A very interesting place that I will share more about as I learn . . . 

"The Beating Heart"

I wrote this before I left, but didn't get to post it. More to come!

          As a young kid, I had a wardrobe in my room. I like to think it belonged to me, but in actuality I was the smallest person in the house, taking up the least space, so my room and closet often became other family members’ rooms and closets. At the age of about 6 or 7 I have very clear memories of climbing into it and sitting for minutes in the darkness pretending to be transported to other places. Obviously, I wasn’t very creative seeing as this is the plot to C.S. Lewis’ the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I remember watching an old animated version of that story when I was little, which gave me the idea to travel to magical lands through the use of the previously insignificant wardrobe in my room. The point of this vignette could be to again declare my weirdness to the world, or maybe it could serve as a warm reminder to a natural human curiosity in far-away places and a sense of adventure that we all may have had as kids. Maybe it’s both.

            In reading about Suriname, the first thing to jump out at me through random website searching was Suriname sometimes being referred to as “The Beating Heart of the Amazon.” Wow. Hearing that made me want to climb into the wardrobe (now located in the garage) and wish myself away to Suriname. It sparked that childlike sense of curiosity and wonder of far-away places. It was also a swift reminder to myself that I really had no knowledge of the country. Here are some general facts about The Beating Heart . . .

            Suriname is a small country on the northern coast of South America in between French Guiana and Guyana, with Brazil below it. Being that it was not free from Dutch rule until 1975, the official language is Dutch. The country has a population of more than half a million, a majority living along the coast compared to the sparsely populated rainforests of the interior. Its beautiful diverse forests only pale to the diversity of its people. Here is an excerpt from a popular travel site that listed Suriname in its top ten places to travel to . . .

“South America’s smallest country, both in area and population, is easily one of its most diverse. Some three quarters of Suriname’s people are descended from Chinese, Javanese and Indian laborers that arrived in the 18th century, and West African slaves in the 17th. Add indigenous Amerindians and Lebanese, Jewish and Dutch settlers, and you have the makings for a lot of ethnic tension, right? Fortunately, wrong. Suriname is known for its peacefully coexisting cultures, most emblematically represented by the country’s biggest mosque and synagogue situated side by side in the capital Paramaribo.”

Mosque and Temple

Pillow and Blanket

Pack a pillow and blanket. Go, see the world.

You will never regret it.

            It is quiet easy for me to recall memories of my first traveling experiences. When you’re a child, the world is so grand and exciting, that even a family car ride one or two states away seems like the boldest of adventures. I can easily remember that groggy feeling when my mom would wake me up early to get in the car and the quick shift to excitement as I dragged my pillow and blanket with me.

            The quote above is from a fantastic movie called Namesake. In the movie, a father says this line to his son. After watching the movie, the quote has stuck with me. Although I no longer seem to have any room in my bag for a pillow and blanket from my bed at home, the feeling that the quote gives me continues to warms my traveling soul. That spirit of travel is something that I felt at the age of six, and still do at twenty-six. When people learn of my travels, past and present, I often am told that I am “lucky”. Oddly enough, this used to bother me for the reason that I didn’t feel like luck had anything to do with it. I was the master of my fate, and no unseen force was directing me to travel. Yet, I must admit my opinion has changed. It would be irresponsible of me to not acknowledge that the life I was born into has afforded me the opportunities to do things that many people of the world would think of impossible. I have been lucky, and with that luck I have many hopes. I hope to continue to learn from the amazing people of the world. I hope to continue to serve others if ever there is a way. I hope to come closer to understanding this complicated global community we are all a part of, and how I can most positively contribute to it.

Each time I prepare to travel, to learn, to grow, I understand more about the world, the people of it, and ultimately myself. I realize that the spirit of travel is the spirit of learning better comprehending the differences, and more important similarities of the people of the world. As I prepare to travel once again, I have started a new blog to help articulate these ideas I have. I hope to fill the blog with the spirit of travel.