🚴 Water Lily Foraging Shenanigans 🌼🌊 Paramaribo, Suriname
Today my adventure partner Monkey-B requested to join me on what would normally be a solo trip foraging for water lilies in our neighborhood.
👩🚀 Free Adventure = Cheap Dinner 🥣
Water lily foraging has become one of our favorite activities in Suriname. There is very little to do here for free, and being socioeconomically and culturally very isolated here causes us to highly value self-reliance.
Most of you have probably noticed bicycle adventures are usually Monkey-B and I. @Sreypov finds riding on the back of the bike uncomfortable and tiring, and Srey-Yuu is now a pre-teen that prefers to stay home and do internet things.
Although Monkey-B is not my biological child, she's been with me since she was 2 years old, and I must say we share a similar sense of humor, demeanour, and love of physically demanding adventures. Whether or not this is coincidence of me rubbing off on her is hard to say.
Water lily foraging is the perfect amount of cycling, photography, time under the sun, and we also get a little muddy in the process, something still quite fun for Monkey-B. The golden rule is don't slip and fall into the canal, and that is basically the only rule when foraging water lilies.
After an amount sufficient for a meal has been collected, we usually wash a bit of the mud off in the canal before bagging them for transport. On this day we also went in search of a kilo of brown rice, but failed on that mission.
We settled for white rice after visiting several shops without any luck. After a little hydration break and some shaded rest, we hit the road back to our apartment while discussing our future goals and dreams of a life back in Cambodia.
One of my favorite dishes is Pov's sour water lily soup, and she's quite happy to make it as long as she doesn't do the foraging, a pretty fair trade I must say. It's also a plant both our daughters eagerly devour, so that is another reason we eat water lilies often.
The mission is complete when something that came from a dirty swamp is transformed into coconut milky and lemongrassy deliciousness. Although we don't wish to be here, it's good to know we can still create smiles whenever needed.
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It was a fun day out and I am glad the children are enjoying their meal. Voted on behalf of the Neoxian city paper.
Posted via neoxian.city | The City of Neoxian
Give thanks my friend. Kids sure are more likely to eat things they have a hand in cooking or gathering.
Difficult journey to get yourselves to Suriname, now even harder to get back home, hopefully soon Justin.
Foraging water lily, a good morning outdoors finding food for the table.
We can't wait until we get a chance to leave here, but until then it'll take a lots f shenanigans to keep us happy and healthy.
Many waiting to make the move, prices have skyrocketed to get anywhere as well. Sad how this world has gone, now to think ahead for the youth alone.
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Free adventure. I want to begin my own adventure here :)
Needed buy bicycle
Yes, bicycle times are fun, but unfortunately only two of us can go on each trip. Do you have waterlilies growing near you anywhere?
looks like a great day out to me! I love getting dirty and having fun- especially when there's such a tasty reward at the end. I think Monkey B is so lucky to have you and all of the amazing adventures that you do have.
Wow, water lilly soup. I never knew. Can it be any water lillies of does it have to be a certain species?
So although I know that Suriname is not the real home, is there that much difference between it and Cambodia?
Bearing in mind, I haven't been to Cambodia yet- YET and I had never even heard of Suriname until I met JeanLuc on here last year....but it does look gorgeous and quite modern too....though I could be completely wrong....
Thanks for kind words my friend.
I'm no water lily expert, but as far as I know there is only one kind. Here in Suriname they look exactly the same as the ones we used to eat in Cambodia......I assume the Javanese brought them here. I would say Cambodian and Suriname couldn't be more opposite outside of anything other than weather.
Not to be overly negative, but I feel Suriname has taken the worst parts of developed and developing countries, combining them in an inefficient way of life. I would compare Suriname more to a tropical Kentucky. Cambodia is motos and bicycles, here it's fast cars. Cambodians spend their free time on the sidewalk in front of their house ready for any social activity, Surinamers stay inside their homes behind electronic gates and many layers of doors.
Also the socioeconomic divide is huge here, so it's nearly impossible to maintain friendships with people in a higher class than yourself. Local spending power is the worst I've ever seen anywhere in the world. Cambodia is 10 to 20 times cheaper than here, but minimum wage there is double that of Suriname. Also, even compared to Kentucky, Suriname is about 120% more expensive.
Suriname is beautiful, but takes hundreds and thousands of dollars to see that beauty, basically not reachable by the poor. The killer for us was when realized we can't ride 4-deep on a moto here, basically killing any chance to travel as a family anywhere here.
With my limited knowledge it sounds like too much European influence in a place where European influence shouldn't be...🤔
You wouldn't be completely wrong in that assumption, but I have no love affair with the Americas or the Caribbean. All the countries seem too similar in the way of life to me, although some hotter than others, and skin colors are different, but ultimately the way of thinking and way of life is very similar.
Wow.. such an interesting post.. haha.. I enjoyed reading.. Monkey B definitely is happy to have you as her father although non biological. little ones make the days great as they are curious.. 😀😀😀
What we don't share in DNA we share in personality, and we are definitely the two clowns of this family.
Hi hi Justin, a great Monday to you. Yeap. It is definitely great to have clowns in the family to brighten up everything.. 😀😀😀
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Thank you for sharing.
I am very interested to see your blog which is always happy with family.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful days @justinparke
Bless up my friend, thanks for stopping by. I am a lucky Dad and husband indeed.
Yes my friend.
I am very happy that you are always with your family and always in happiness.
Simple tings a dah blessings! A real around activity yes. That second picture with Monkey-B on the back of the bike is wicked. She look like a G. I like the one rule, hopefully it does not get broken. My boys would love this adventure but maybe they would be looking for frogs instead.
Monkey-B always finds a way to bring some vibes to the situation, whether silly, serious, or stylin'. Plenty of mysterious reptilian things in that water too, surely fun for some boys too. We got caimans here too like JA, so it's good to keep your eyes open at all times.
Caimans, yes, from the croc family. Many in JA just see them as crocs though. In Jamaica they start eating them now, especially the tail.
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This shot looks exactly like a shrunk version of Srey-Yuu. Very adorable!
I know my mom use water lilies for flower arrangements sometimes, but never thought of cooking it as food. According to your description, it should be refreshing and easy to go down with rice.
She has grown up so fast, and part of it has been on Hive. Think of it as softish swamp celery with less flavor, actually that sounds very unappealing. On second thougt, it's all about how it tastes when the dish is done. A little secret - that photo is of a pre-picked water lily, but we stuck it back in the water for a photo op.
I think this is the kind of thing that will stay in the kids' memories. Even though it sucks that you have to forage, I think something is important to be gained by the young having this experience. There are hard times and extreme lack so there is a way to get something. The advantage of a plant based diet. You can get exotic delicious dinners from a swamp.
I do wish you an extreme grocery haul soon!
It certainly doesn't seem appetizing considering where they grow and what the water looks like, but we put them in a bucket of clean water at home, and they immediately begin leeching black stuff into the water. After a couple changes of water, they're ready, only need to washed at that point. Thanks for the support and love you send my family through the Hive-o-sphere.
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Looks like you both had a fun adventure, I have never try water lilies, I didn't even know you could eat them monkey-b seems to be loving them 😊
Thanks, perhaps they grow in northern OZ, not sure, but that'd be the most likely place if it's hot enough. They are a lovely sour soup ingredient, and the porous nature of the stalks hold the flavors of whatever you cook them in.
Says really yummy and interesting must look into this more...Cheers buddy 👍