Saamaka River

Merel, stylish as always.. Sunglasses borrowed from Clarins to match the sun shawl.

Atjoni. The river port that is the gateway to the Saamaka.

Mermaids. Merel and Silicia at Tappawatra Falls

Yes, it's Merel. The sign names one of the rooms at the hostel that Merel has been helping to organize.

Tappawatra Falls

Bush trail damaged by logging

Belé's New Canoe

Travelling by Canoe

Tappawatra Falls. Javeh, Clarins and Ida.

Striped Barbados Lily

Jungle Track. The bush tracks are pretty rough and were a challenge in the dark.

Fork in the Road. It's the track on the left. No! I mean the right, I think... Fortunately our guide knew the way.

Saamaka — Classic Sky

Pineapple Maountain jungle view.. The 'mountain' rises about 30m above the jungle floor.

Casava bread baking

Silicia with the chief baker

A carved calabash bowl.. Silicia tries her hand at sanding a carved bowl using a 'sandpaper leaf'.

The entrance to the Saamaka Museum.. Beautiful, intricately carved entrance doors.

Merel in front of a tranditional hut.

Ladder.

Carved seat.

Sacred tree.. Big trees are sacred and never cut down. They stand out because all the not-so-big trees around it have been cut down.

Wood carving underway.

Damaged prop

Saamaka Museum

Tree on rock.

Silicia with Belé's son and Belé

Brokopondo Lake.. The dead trees still stand.

Evening over Brokopondo Lake

The hills under Brokopondo Lake have become islands.

Captain Javeh.. His skill negotiating the rapids was awesome.

Teenager with Sloth. Local wildlife experts are discouraging locals from taking wild sloths and displaying them this way.

Ida catches piranha any way she can!

Silicia catches a piranha

Building Canoes. The log on the left is the hull and Javeh is planing the solid timber that will become the sides.

Silicia and children.. Kids everywhere!

Silicia and Javeh

Ida stringing her hamock

Piranha. Those red eyes are uinmistakable, as are the teeth!

Javeh.. A rare smile from our indefatigable captain.

Merel in the Jungle.

Silicia takes in the dawn.

Young man carving an aluminium plate. His only tools are a pencil and a sharpened screwdriver.

The finished plate

Silicia helps out with the baking.

Saamaka villager.

Belé and family.

Track

Jungle

Orchid on Pineapple Mountain.

View from Pineapple Mountain. We were just in time to catch the dawn.

A Calabash tree. The fruit has a hard shell which is used as a bowl. The pulpy insides are inedible and have no value.

Cactus on Pineapple Mountain

Wooden dish.. The Saamaka are consumate woodworkers.

An evening meal.. We were well fed on mostly traditional foods.

Casava bread

Carving.. Saamaka Museum.

Saamaka Museum

Toucan. Their wings are clipped and they are kept as curiosities.

River and jungle.. Except where there is a village, the bush meets the river with no open spaces.

Belé hides under checkered shawl.

Gallery: Yes