Due to the fact that @Sreypov and I are the parents of the only non-Surinamese students at Petuniaschool, we are always invited to any school parties, events or field trips. When recently asked to chaperone a field trip to Centrale Markt in downtown Paramaribo, Suriname, I couldn't say no.

I arrived at Petuniaschool at 7:30am with Monkey B (@KidSisters) in tow, and it wasn't long after that before we were heading downtown. A few headcounts were taken and some child management strategies discussed before rushing to the bus.

Sakana carefully chose a front row window seat as she gets carsick easily. So do I, because in Cambodia we never often used automobiles for transportation.

20 minutes in the bus and we had arrived at Centrale Markt in downtown Paramaribo, at the Waterkant. The kids quickly shuffled out of the bus amid heavy traffic as the teachers and I wrangled them into an organized line.

The lessons quickly began as the sellers gently touted their fruit and vegetables to the youths. The teachers leaped into action and guided the kids through whole process, from choosing the best specimens to counting money and double-checking the change received.

The trip served many educational purposes. The teachers arranged many short impromptu lessons in culture, health, recycling, math, respect, botany, religion and more. The true beauty of Suriname is its diversity, and I was glad to be a part of this educational experience. I didn't know it at the time, but this would be one of the last pre-COVID 19 adventures for us in Suriname.

I tried to help the teachers and students despite the language barrier. Luckily, Surinamers often blend languages. With a mix of Dutch, English, Patois, Sranang Tongo and Spanish, I am able to make myself understood. Spanish is quickly becoming an understood language here due to the Venezulean and Cuban immigration patterns.

Centrale Markt is full of nooks and crannies beyond the main selling area on the ground floor inside the massive building. We left no place unvisited, and I even discovered some new shops I hadn't previously seen.

Suriname is the most un-South American country, and is certainly more culturally Caribbean, just like Guyana. However, the Dutch language barrier further isolates Suriname from the rest of the Caribbean, and has resulted in a very unique and overlooked destination.

"Where else in the world are you going to see a woman casually doing her daily shopping with a monkey perched on her shoulder?"

One place we'd never bothered to visit on previous trips was the upstairs portion of the market. I never saw anyone going up and never heard any noises coming from above. This led me to believe it was in disuse, but I was heavily mistaken.

It didn't take long to see why the upstairs isn't as busy as the downstairs. There are mostly textile items and a few tailors and seamstresses. The main purpose for going upstairs was to use the public bathrooms, a feature I didn't know this market had.

3 hours in and a few of the youths were starting to show signs of fatigue. A quick cell phone call and the bus driver was on his way back to the market to pick us up.

Monkey B mentioned she was struggling to stay awake halfway through the trip. Luckily she made it back to school without falling asleep in the bus. She would've certainly lost some street cred among her classmates if I had to carry her out of the bus.

After arriving back at Petuniaschool, the youths were encouraged to eat and share some of the produce they had purchased at Centrale Markt.

The trip was one of a kind, and an unforgettable memory. All previous family trips we had taken downtown were utilitarian in purpose, and were full of stress, heavy bags and too much walking. It was nice to take a leisure trip and also see the wonder of the market through the eyes of the children.