I don’t mind masses of people and I love parties, Here is a travel tip for everyone who agrees: it‘s always a great idea to visit a country at the time of its biggest parties. I was fortunate and excited to visit India during Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja, Nepal during Holi, Rio during Carnival, World Cup and Reveillon, a Massai village during a wedding (the groom got a lion’s tail), Vietnam during Kung Hei Fa Choi (New Year), Easter Island during Rapa Nui and Munich during Oktoberfest.  I unfortunately just missed the Umhlanga Reed Dance in the Kingdom of Eswatini, quasi a week-long debutante ball for marriageable young Eswatini women who collect reeds for the maintenance of the royal palace and where the king keeps an eye on potential wives.

Without knowing, my trip from the great Amazion city of Belem in northern Brazil to Suriname in 2012 came exactly at the right time. It happily coincided with the national day festivities at the capital Paramaribo. Everybody was on his or her feet, day at night, strolling through town, eating great Indonesian Nasi Goreng or Boereworst (both disges being a relic from dubious colonial times), drinking great PARBO beer, visiting exhibitions showcasing the beautiful diversity of their country, dancing and flirting with new acquaintances. Almost everybody wore a T-shirt. The colors of the shirts were different, the message on it was equivocal: “I love Suriname” At the end, the party was so good that I may proudly say: I love Suriname, too.