Monday 23 January 2023

ANOTHER LAND

Wednesday, January 11th, 2023
Paramaribo, Suriname

Ram Lila and I were to take a flight at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, a very modest-sized facility, to destination, Suriname. It’s another country just east of Guyana. The aircraft takes ten passengers. There was an issue over my not having a yellow fever card, but what became nothing more than a slight tussle ended up giving me a pass for over an hour’s flight to another tiny airport, a tad bit larger than a barn.

Ram Lila and I were greeted by a sweet couple with garlands of the lotus flower before being transported to the Iskcon Centre in Paramaribo. This is my third visit to this place and as I’ve mentioned previously, I find it interesting that residents to this country, mostly of brown and black skin (respectfully) speak in a version of the Dutch language. Suriname was formerly called Dutch Guyana. On November 25th, 1975, it became an independent nation.

My major service for today was to deliver a talk to the community. Initially, a group of us were going to head for the downtown for public chanting, but the weather, very monsoon-like, was most unfavourable. We stayed indoors for our regular practice of puja, pravachan, and prasadam.

Shanti Priya, a young archaeologist, made a major breakthrough, not on finding ancient ruins, but also being a self-taught massage therapist, he got right down to an unknown pressure point on my two feet, doing some healing magic.

May the Source be with you!

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