Dear Folks, Today I was trying to find more details about my Suriname adventure in 1972. The brief journal I had kept at the time didn't go much into any detail at all. However, I knew that I had written some of them up years ago. I got out the manila envelope where I had saved everything regarding the trip and I found some things I had completely forgotten about. One was the transcription I had typed up of side 2 of tape # 6 dated July 5, 1972. Now mind you, I was describing what I was hearing on the tape. I'll try to give you the edited version of it. Before I do, I better reintroduce the people involved. There was Jytte our translator and tour guide from Denmark, Viano the Bush Negro boatman, Alan and his wife Karen from Saskatoon, Canada, Chris a retired school teacher from Boston and me. Along with us were two young boys Landoe and Jama to help out with the chores. July 5. On the Marowijne River. Rough water, rain and wind. Viano sang and laughed when a wave hit us [we were in some fierce rapids]. Viano was using a cooking kettle for a [jungle] drum. The change in sound of the outboard motor was due to rough and/or shallow water. We had a boatman we had brought aboard at a village on the way back down the river. Another Bush Negro was in the bow of the boat doing the duties of a lookout for rapids and rocks in the shallow water. Viano was still beating the drum(s)--he was also using an empty Planters Peanut can--and started to sing and laugh. On this trip out of Langteppetje it was quite chilly for a change. Jytte served us some rum and orange juice that was quite refreshing and relaxing. It was quite a contented feeling to sit back in the boat with the drink and listen to viano with his "drums. One of those rare feelings of utter contentment without a single thought of the rest of the world. Just the confines of the boat on the river--that was our world.