An Asian Mermaid Lost In Transition
Oh, Scharloo!
Aside from the unique and colorful architectural structures in Willemstad, one of the things I wanted to see is the street art in Scharloo.
It was a little hard finding this place using Google map. We had to go up and down the complicated road from the Queen Juliana bridge until we reached the famous “Three o’clock romance” art by Francis Sling at the Van Raderstraat. I was actually speechless when I saw how this pa
AMENITIES:
FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 3/5
AMBIENCE: 4/5
LOCATION: Verlengde Hoogestraat No. 48, Paramaribo, Suriname
OPENING TIME: Monday to Thursday, 8:00 am to 11:00 pm; Friday to Saturday, 8:00 am to 1:00 am; Sunday, 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm
CONTACT NO: +597 521759
Villa Zapakara is a children’s museum that showcases fantastic masterpieces from recycled and improvised materials. MixMax Brasil is the fourth interactive exhibition hosted by Villa Zapakara that will end in 2018. The place was uniquely designed with a touch of Derlon Almeida, a famous Brazilian graffiti artist.
We went to Villa Zapakara to check out their MixMax Brazilië tour. It costs 8 SRD (1.25 US) and lasted for 20 to 30 minutes. The ones included in the children’s package is around 75 minutes. We were escorted by their amazing tour guides, Cheir and Joël, who gave us a lot of information about the beautiful Brazilian culture.
Before the tour started, we first put on their Havaianas slippers. How else would you feel the Brazilian atmosphere without wearing their most famous brand of slippers?
We passed by the area where they show films for children before entering the improvised jungle made up of recycled t-shirts and a bunch of CDs. It was pretty cool and artistic!
Cheir discussed the story of the African-Brazilian sea goddess, Yemanya and how people promised never to throw plastics and garbage in the ocean. She is represented as a half human, half fish.
They also have a display of Brazil’s traditional Three Wishes Bracelet or Bahia bands where you knot the ribbons three times (representing your three wishes) and wear it in your left hand. When the ribbons fall off on their own, your wishes will come true. Other people prefer to tie it outside Brazil’s churches. It was also said to bring good luck.
Their workshop room is filled with amazing art exhibits from another Brazilian graffiti artist, Galo de Souza who was known for his obsession with clouds.
Children will really enjoy the museum because it offers activities that include clay making, bracelet making, cooking class, football, capoeira workshop and many more.
They also have an area where everything was built with plastic bottles. The walls and chairs were created using the body of the bottles while the floor was constructed out of plastic caps.
There is also a display of the famous Brazilian market called mercadão that sells food and other ingredients.
A small cafeteria is also available for guests and visitors.
The small tour and exhibits were informative and extraordinary, suitable for artists, kids and kids at heart. For children, this is a place to learn and open their minds to the wonderful culture of Brazil. This is the closest thing you could get to Brazil using recycled materials. 😘
Location: Prins Hendrikstraat 17 B, Paramaribo, Suriname (inside Ons Erf)
Opening time: Monday to Friday, 08:00 AM to 03:00 PM; Saturday, 09:15 AM to 03:30 PM; Holidays, 08:00 AM to 03:30 PM
Website: www.villazapakara.com
Today is the start of my first ever swimming lesson. How else will I be able to live my mermaid dream? Learn how to swim. It’s never too late.
Since I will be taking swimming lessons for some time, you will definitely see more swimming pool posts.
First stop is Trans Elite Hotel.
Entrance: 25 SRD (3.5 US)
Shower/Changing room: Yes
Toilet: Yes
Wifi: Yes
Bar/Restaurant: None
The pool is located at the backside of the hotel. They have an adult and a kiddie pool.
The adult pool is around 5’7″ deep (I’m 5’4″), so I ended up practicing in the kiddie pool instead. 😅 After a few flips and flaps, I transferred to the adult pool and trust me, I really drunk a lot of water.
You are allowed to bring food and drinks from outside without corkage fee since there’s no food available inside. There were a few tables and chairs for events and only two sun beds. We were so lucky we went on a Monday because we had the place all to ourselves.
Location: Tran Elite Hotel-Apartments, Jacques Gompertstraat 143
Paramaribo Noord, Suriname
Opening time: Swimming is until 6:00PM
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AMENITIES:
FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 3/5
AMBIENCE: 4/5
LOCATION: Johanes Mungrastraat 23, Paramaribo, Suriname
OPENING TIME: Monday to Thursday, Saturday 8:00 am to 3:30 pm; Friday, 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
CONTACT NO: +597 433347
In our 4 days at Bequia Island, we spent a lot of time at Keegan’s Beachside since it’s only a 3 to 5-minute walk from Ermina’s Villa.
It is a beachfront restaurant located at Lower Bay. Imagine eating breakfast on the beach and watching the sun slowly rises.
They have a variety of dishes available on their menu, but it could take some time to be served. The food prices were reasonable and the staff was helpful. There were not many tourists when we visited Bequia in May, so the beach and the restaurant were not crowded. We have all the place to ourselves.
Aside from being a restaurant, Keegan’s Beachside is also a mini-hotel.
This is our everyday breakfast view at Keegan’s where the turquoise-colored water looked so inviting. You can take a dip and sunbathe in the sun for free.
Location: Lower Bay, Bequia Island
AMENITIES:
FOOD: 3/5
SERVICE: 3/5
AMBIENCE: 3/5
LOCATION: J. D. Gomperstraat 136, Paramaribo, Suriname (beside Best Mart)
What’s better than spending your Saturday afternoon relaxing under a tree while watching the sun’s rays sparkle in the Suriname River?
Holi Phagwa also known as the Festival of Colors is celebrated every March in Suriname. It marks the victory of good over evil. It is a celebration where people (friends or strangers alike) smeared each other with different colors as a sign of love and belongingness.
In other Hindu tradition, it is a day for leaving the past and conflicts behind. It also signifies the coming of the new season, Spring, and people symbolized it as a start of a new beginning.
Bequia is the second largest island in the Grenadines. Described by the press as “the perfect Caribbean Island”, it used to be a volcanic island. It has a yacht-filled harbor and is bordered by excellent beaches both the windward (east and south-east) and leeward (west) sides. Its capital is Port Elizabeth.
