ABC Islands

I am currently in the Caribbean, travelling the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. After one night in Amsterdam, Holland on 21st February 2016, I flew to Curacao, one of the islands of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and my trip began. An interesting historical island with friendly people. I stayed with a lovely German guy named Thomas via couch surfing and he helped me take a minibus into the main town and showed me to the historical and cultural museum, Kura Hulanda. A guide gave me an interesting tour of Curacao’s involvement with the Dutch and its history of slavery. I felt various objects including wooden masks and doors, wooden chairs carved into elephant’s heads, wooden boats and bowls etc. I also felt many chains and shackles. The museum is a stark reminder of what terrible things people can do to each other. After this I wondered down to the harbour with its wooden bridge which splits Willemstad into Otrobanda on the west and Punda on the east. Both sides have historical forts, which guarded the harbour in previous colonial times. I visited Fort Rif which has now been turned into a shopping and eating area with views of cruise ships which bring many day tourists to peruse the many gift and jewellery shops. Thomas and I explored the Punda side of the town on another evening. I touched one canon and we explored the large stone letters which spell out Curacao and Dushi, a local word, which means love, darling. 

The following day, Thomas and I did something amazing, we had a dolphin encounter (see photos). It cost 100 dollars per person to touch, be kissed, hold its flippers and make it sing by waggling my fingers in a V sign. The dolphin jumped and splashed, making kind of laughing, farting sounds, which is funny!  Twenty minutes in the hot sun and cool water with beautiful mammals was magical.

The day after I flew to Bonaire where I stayed in a local hostel a couple of kilometres from any shops or beaches which was very peaceful. Most people visit Bonaire to dive or wind surf. Its a very windy island, as are Curacao and Aruba! I spent one day at a beach bar, lying in the shade and listening to a book. The following afternoon, a fellow hosteller, Lary from Holland drove me around Bonaire in a battered old Jeep belonging to the host. We toured the rough rocky dry cactus strewn landscape, taking photos of the sea at various view points. At one point we stopped high above a lovely lake, silent except for the breeze, pink flamingos in their hundreds could be seen and Lary described the picture. The following day I flew to Aruba, where I am until Tuesday. Last night I danced on the beach at a music fest with my crazy cool Brazilian host Eduardo. What fun the Caribbean. Next stop Panama.