An important part of today's (June 30th, 2003) Keti Koti celebration is annual Miss Alida contest, held in evening at Anthony Neste Stadium in Suriname's capital, Paramaribo. Although Suriname has been free from Dutch rule since 1975, a separate Miss Alida pageant is also held each year in Holland, where many former Surinamers have chosen to make their home.

The Neste Stadium is traditionally sold out, so Suriname's pageant is simultaneously televised; 2003 marked 13th anniversary of Miss Alida contest, an opportunity for ten young Creole women to celebrate their heritage by competing for title. This year's winner is 20-year-old Joan Dogojo. The major sponsor is Suriname soft drink company Fernandes, which is also official importer of Coca-Cola.

The ceremonies begin with a cultural dance presentation to warm up audience. Music provided by a live orchestra features native drums and flutes. The judges are seated at a long table just below front of stage, with placards to raise indicating their score after each contestant's presentation. At intermission,

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But rooms are where you'll really start enjoying your stay. All of deluxe rooms have Jacuzzi tubs; one has its own hot-tub. Most of rooms have balconies, and some have water views. All were furnished with king-size beds and kitchenettes (for less deluxe rooms, hosts have put in shared kitchenettes so that all guests have access to same amenities). My room was spacious and quiet with a small desk and a huge bed. I had a shared bathroom, but I never encountered anyone else using it, so it felt private. And you have high-speed Internet access -- albeit at a Mac workstation, so this poor reviewer who works for a nameless computer company in Redmond was a little baffled about how that strange operating system works.

But what makes this inn a place I would recommend is service. The host was informative without being intrusive. His recommendations for restaurants and places to stock up for a kayaking trip were very helpful. Better yet, day I arrived there was an island-wide, planned power outage, so host provided us each with flashlights. Since I had to be up early, he even leant me a battery-operated alarm clock.

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Pam, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com