CDRE Thomas Negus, USN October 28 2010 11:54:19 PM
The sky was alternately a threatening grey or a brilliant blue. Large clouds hovered over the coastline of Paramaribo, Suriname and a winding ribbon of advancing rain was snaking its way to the center of the city and our helicopter landing zone. Over our shoulders out to sea, the sky was a brilliant Caribbean blue. We found ourselves flying between the two. CONTINUING PROMISE leadership was headed into the capital of Suriname to conduct a survey of the sites at which we'll work for the next ten days. Looking at the progressing wall of rain, I wasn't sure we'd be able to make it. Thankfully pilots know how to fly better than passengers know how to worry and we landed very easily a few minutes ahead of the rain.
But as we descended, the sprawling city of Paramaribo spread out before us. Paved roads intersected with dirt streets, brightly colored roofs intermingled among the slightly more prevalent corrugated tin. I saw the President's palace at Suriname River's water's edge, and a collection of dual-steepled churches interspersed with an assortment of quad-minareted mosques.
Suriname is a culturally diverse land hosting peoples of East Indian, African, Indonesian, Chinese, and European descent. Once on the ground, the variety of languages on signs and storefronts gave evidence of all of these influences. Paramaribo is much more of a city than we have worked in on this journey thus far, and the traffic was initially a surprise. There are stucco'd buildings with curved walls and mirrored glass windows next to ramshackle huts defined by parallel planks. Our primary medical site will be on the ground floor of a city hospital - some areas actually have air conditioning. There are four widely read newspapers. We see people reading them and we see them used as insulation in houses. It is a diverse city of contrasts - as any city is I suppose.
We traveled down Dr. Martin Luther King Way as we leave the hospital, and there are advertisements for beers and cars and insurance on billboards on both sides of the street. We pass a crowded cemetery where the sarcophagi are separated by thin stands of tall grass. In many respects we could be in just about any city anywhere; there is energy and urgency and traffic common to all municipalities around the world.
But we are in Paramaribo, Suriname where our doors will open tomorrow. The day has been spent preparing and setting up, and the entire CONTINUING PROMISE team is eager to begin anew.
