Publication: Tribute to Sirano Toscanni Zalman
Wednesday 21 January 2009 - In April 2008 I met Sirano Toscanni Zalman for the first time in this physical life, thanks to my associate Marije van Zomeren. This afternoon the three of us had a remarkable reunion in `De Waag` in Paramaribo.
`De Waag` ?; indeed in Dutch:
"Het vermogen om de juiste balans te vinden..."
Sail to our still relevant Forest Returns brochure with the same title..
Marije -as founding mother of 100 % Zomer bv- and Sirano -as founding father of Access Surinam Travel NV- have been strategic partners in Surinam for several years now . They worked also close together for sustainable tourism, sustainable community development and micro entrepreneurship in the Surinam jungles .
Some stepping stones: Botopasi, Piki Slee, Dan and Danpaati Lodge in close harmony with the Marrons. And in Kwamalasamutu in close harmony with several tribes of the Trio `Indians` (`inheemsen`) in the Amazon Rainforest close to the Brazilian border.
During my first Surinam fact-finding mission, profesionally guided by Marije, in April and May last year, I met Sirano in the Torarica Hotel for the first time in this physical life (yes indeed...) Later on the three of us had several professional meetings in Paramaribo.
In May 2008, we made, together with Marije`s husband (Jeroen van der Vlies) , my wife (Joke Kloppenborg) and some other travel companions, a long and adventurous trip to Kwamalasamutu to meet the Granman of the Trio Tribes and his impressive people.
Then Sirano and I figured out that we have much in common, indigenous interests and backgrounds in particular... We shared our mutual experiences with shamanism, both in Brazil and in Surinam. During a special ceremony Sirano and I received remarkable amulets from the Granman himself. Spontaneously I gave the Granman in return my original amulet with one of my
personal totems: the eagle, in gold, originally made by the Chorotega
Tribe, who lived in the very past on Hacienda la Esperanza in Costa Rica (if interested go to my personal `eagle view` pictures, made from a hangglider, called... Eagle).
The Chorotega`s were former descendants of the Maya`s. For me that
really was a life time experience deep in the virgin rainforests of
Kwamalasamutu...
If you like to see pictures of the event, sail to "Photography".
Back to today; Marije and I both had a fertile business luncheon with Sirano in `De Waag" at the Surinam River in Paramaribo to discuss our common interests in order to increase sustainable tourism in Surinam in general and to stimulate sustainable hospitality on our `Landgoed Groot Mariënbosch` in the near future in particular.
Sirano gave us -as usual- valuable advice about sustainable lodging, catering, incentive tours and also about special "experiences" (like the 18th century `Cacao Experience`) seated on the calm side of Commewijne River.
To be continued...