Dinner with the Prez!

So I got 3 full days left before I return to good old WV. I have had a great time, but at this point I am really missing Gina and the dogs. Ok let me get you all up to date on what has been going on. Tuesday morning I was up 7am here (which is 6am in WV) I was excited because I was going on a river trip on a large boat to see some sights. So out the door I went. The boat was not much to look at but it did look like it would float so “no worries man” the driver told. Who total looked liked cheech of cheech and chong. I took my set on the boat and was ready to hit the river for the 8 hour trip. The boat slowly pulled away from the pier and I was ready for the driver to hit the gas. I waited and I wait…. So I came to learn very quickly that this was the slowest boat every made by man-kind. From the boat I could see bicycles passing us on the trail next to the river. Ok I can deal with this I thought to myself. We are going to see some wild life and other cool things. It will all be worth it. Well let just get to the point on this one. The boat made two stops on the trip. The first we walked 5 minutes to see two grave markers then back to the boat and the second to see two old house like look much like any other house you would see here in Suriname. The 3 hour boat ride back to the pier I was wishing the boat would sink to add something interesting to the trip. I was not the only one on the boat who thought so. Just about everyone was going out of there mind.. About one hour away from the pier I saw my first for of wild life, well sort off. I saw a dead sea turtle along the river backs. It was big, about the size of a coffee table. To make it even better there was about 20 birds eating it. When we finally got back to the pier I was so happy. After that I went home in bitter disappointment. That evening we went to one of the nicest places I have ever been so that really made up for the boat trip. My new friend Michael invited me to his private bar at his house. As my friend Melissa said “this place is pimpin”. It was in the old basement of his home which is over 250 years old. Words can not express how nice this place was and the best thing about it was that it was just us and we could really relax for a few hours. AHHHH! Footnote: The best rum in the Caribbean is in Suriname and it only $7 a bottle US.

The next day I had planned to spend the day shooting photos of the area but wouldn’t you know it the rains came. This is of course part of the Amazon some it rained most of the day. So with the rainout I took advantage to catch up on some well needed sleep. That even I got all dress up because I was going to the President of Suriname house for cocktails. Yes the real President. Don’t believe me then checkout the photo of me and him together above. How about that! It was really kinda of cool meeting a President even if you don’t even know the dudes name. How many people from West Virginia can say that? Well I off to meet with another photographer… Ohh be the way my workshop went fine. Two of them were AP photographers and one was another pro shooter. The biggest hit by far though was my camera. Having the top of the line Nikon which no one else down here has really makes it easy to start a conversation lol. See you all in a few days. Man this month has went by fast.