Recently my sister and I decided to go to Groningen together with my nephew.
Well...I drive by there more often, but I usually don't get out to take a look.
I live in the district of Saramacca in the country of Suriname. Groningen is the capital of Saramacca. Here you will find all the important offices of the disctrict.
Between my 12th and 14th year I went to school in Groningen. I live at least an hour's drive from Groningen, but there was no school closer to home. So I had to travel to Groningen every morning. I didn't mind that. I liked the school: the Mathoora school.
At that school I had a lot of nice, but also less nice experiences like a school bus that got involved in a collision with a truck. I wasn't in the bus, but my best friend was. He sustained damage to his brain, which lowered his IQ level. Too bad. The doctors indicated that the injury was permanent.
Anyway, he is now married, has a good job and will soon become a father. He is happy now and that's all that matters right?
Back to Groningen...
When my sister and I decided to drive there two weeks ago, I didn't expect such havoc as I found.
The jetty at the Saramacca river, where Groningen borders, is probably deteriorating due to poor maintenance.
Shelves are loose and it is even closed to the public, probably because it could collapse. What a waste!
I looked at it and thought back to the days when I would come here after school to chill with friends because the school bus wasn't here yet.
Or we would just walk there quickly at recess. In those years (around 2005) there was not such a bad crime rate in the country , so we were allowed to go to the dock at break time.
The head of the school didn't mind, especially since ..let's say the generation of those days was a bit calmer, nicer and we didn't go out of line.
Was this the scaffolding where I had chatted and laughed with classmates as a teenager? Was this the jetty where I held the hand of my first crush?
Close to the jetty, there was a warung selling delicious bakabanas.
Bakabanas are sliced bananas baked in a dough of flour, usually with sugar in it. Delicious.
How many times had I eaten there? I still salivate now when I think back to those bakabanas. But alas, this warung too is lying there looking defeated.
Probably bankrupt due to the terrible economy in the country, but also the Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll.
In my school years there was also a swimming pool here in Groningen. It was closed years ago and was supposed to be renovated. Unfortunately, there was never any word that the pool would reopen. It was supposed to be here behind this wall, but we couldn't go in to look.
This is where I learned my first swimming strokes. Nostalgia.
A little further down you have another descent of boards. As a little girl of 8, I came here with my grandparents. In those years you could go sailing from here or you could go on the speedboat.
You would pay something (can't remember how much it was) and then the boatman would take you for a ride. I remember times when it got terribly busy here every Sunday.
People would come to the market, which is right here, often stayed here to chill by the water. They barbecued, others cooked on wood and others got food from the warung. Deck chairs were set up and hammocks tied.
And now, we also happened to be there on a Sunday; everything is empty. Because of the Covid pandemic people are not allowed to gather in large numbers. But also the money plays a role I think.
It hurts to see how empty everything is now.
But I think nature does not mind. The trees and grass are in their prime. And the water quietly lapses, waiting for the next generations to come and visit them.
You carried us on a journey down the memory of your life with this one.
1hr to go to school must have been something . I can’t imagine doing that. But if the vibes were right I guess it was worth it. That dock of memories and the freedom to go there during recess really shows us how times have changed. Kids can’t be as free as they used to be and the pandemic has turned many of them into house 🐀 ( for the lack of a better word 😂)
It’s good that you went here though, something about going back to the places we used to frequent that gives us a perspective and the will to move forward.
Welcome to the Reggaejahm community. Thanks for the IRIE content 😉
@dmilliz Thank you so much. 💙
Yes, I liked the one hour ride to school. Trust me; many love stories started in the schoolbus back then. 🤣🤣
And it's true, the pandemic also turned me into a housemouse. 🤣
We drove by this iconic place on our way to DaMacca (sport field and pool) to play some volleyball there. And we noticed that the place has definitely seen better days. I still remember the time when an aunt of mine would come and get us at home just to drive all the way to Groningen for bakabanas.
Hahaha, yeah those bakabanas were popular back then!😅
I used to often swim in this pool and I know it as "Piranha", but I was really young, so could have gotten the name wrong. What a waste that the river has broken the dam, which is the last news that I had read about it.
My family (ancestors) also used to live in Saramacca, but they had left before I was born. Kampong Baroe is where they used to reside. Unfortunately we don't know precisely where.
@tanjakolader It could be. I can't remember all the details also. Aah, Kampong Baroe is a nice place. I was there recently and I love that they still have cows everywhere and that kids still play outside instead of sitting behind an I-pad or mobile phone.
Ah that's some good news, that there are still kids playing outside. I wouldn't trade my days playing outside in the sun or rain: the memories. I have a friend who's also from there and he used to go with the school bus to the university and he fondly told me about the place. It's definitely chill from what I've experienced.
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Must have been sad to revisit there and see so much in such a terrible state what a shame
@tattoodjay Yes, it was sad.
For quite a while, local residents tried to maintain it themselves, but they too are struggling now with the economic crisis in the country, while the government just fills its own pockets.
This is a worldwide problem. It is a shame to see local treasures go to waste. That said, Surinam is very beautiful. I wanna visit someday. I guess you can write a piece about places to visit. Assuming you have not already.
@nicholasrichards Thank you so much. I hope you will visit us; it is a beautiful country indeed.
Due to Covid-19 I myself don't go out often these days and that's why I don't know which places are open now and which are not. Many places are closed for good now due to financial issues. But...I'll try my best to write as much as I can. 💙
One day I will definitely visit.
Sadly thats the same story in so many places around the world ;)
yeah that's true.