Dutch Antilles

Pastel-colored neo-colonial buildings dot fringe the sparten clean avenue of the capital. Bonaire’s worldwide appeal to divers is its amazing reef-lined coast. Soon as we tied on to a mooring ball, which protects the sea bottom, we literally tumbled off the back of “Scud” to snorkel a wall of coral, the bottom which lay deep in the shadows below! We surfaced to catch a breath, devour some grub, catch some shut-eye, then plunge back into the best coral reef we’ve seen yet! When needing a change of scene, we rented bikes to tour the island, stopping to picnic next to the flats. Nearby, we were delighted at the flamingos, protected in the National Park.

To feed, the flamingos dipped their heads under water, then scooped their heads backwards to strain water, catching small invertebrates and the vegetable matter. We felt immersed in their ballet, so stately and graceful their manner.

Ships from the Dutch West India Company called at Bonaire to obtain meat, water, and wood. A small number of African slaves were put to work alongside the Caquetios Indians and convicts, cultivating dyewood and maize. Solar salt around Blue Pan was harvested by their hands. Their slave quarters were built entirely of stone and too short for a man to stand upright in. We peddled by one near the saltpans -- a grim reminder of a repressive past.

Dutch Antilles

The Netherland Antilles makes up two groups of islands: the Netherland Leewards and the Netherland Windwards. Curacao, Bonaire and Aruba (until 1986) make up the Leewards; Sint Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba make up the Windwards.

Bonaire, sets 115 nm northwest of Caracas, Venezuela and is the island most due east of the Leewards, followed by Curacao, then Aruba (all are referred to as the ABC's).

For cruisers, the islands make an ideal stopover en route to the Panama Canal, not to mention the unbelievable shipwreck diving and snorkeling conditions in Bonaire. Curacao is popular with sailors for it's camaraderie and Aruba is a windsurfing and kiteboarding haven for watersport enthusiasts. We relished Bonaire's underwater beauty and the boys competed in International Windsurfing Competitions in Aruba. We've met many cruisers who never left upon arrival!

Spanish name for the ABC Islands was 'las Islas de los Gigantes' or 'the islands of the giants'

The Windward Antilles

Sint Maarten

The small 37 square-mile St. Martin/Sint Maarten is odd with two cultures: the French side, making up the north end, and the Dutch, the south end.

Like most of the Carib islands, Columbus claimed St. Martin for Spain, but it was the French who began the settlemnts, coming over from Guadeloupe. The Dutch claimed the south. All three colonial powers wrestled back and forth a bit. In the end, to settle boudary disputes, a Dutch man and Frenchman started out back to back, wlaking along hte coast until they met again. From that ending point, a border was drawn straight across the island. Better for peace, than more war.

Phillipsburg : Heart-stopping landing of a jumbo jet

Iguana sunning in a Phillipsburg garden

Sint Maarten is consumer heaven for sailors. Wholesale, duty-free marine warehouses supply a great variety and the latest gear. Stock up, for it's the best in the Caribbean and for most items, the only place to find what you're in desperate need of. Being dinghy-friendly on the island, we anchored inside Simpson Bay, then tooted our dinghy around to the various marine chandleries to stock up. At sundown, captains and crew of the cruising fleet and megayachts anchored or docked nearby, gather at the myriad of sidewalk cafes to share yarns and tips. After provisioning chores, we moved the boat over to Great Baai for swimming and beach runs.

Bonaire

The Spanish took possession of the ABC’s in 1527, followed in 1634by the Dutch, who stayed. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles and became self-governing in 1986 due to their economic stronghold in the tourism industry.

HISTORY

Downtown: Kralendijk

Former Slave Hut

Divi-divi Tree

Bike View: the Salt Flats

Aruba

Downtown: Oranjestad

Resident Flamingos

Aruba is a sport enthusiasts dream. After hours on the water, we stopped by the local beach bar next to Club Med Windsurfing, where our friends Mike and Monique worked, to view video footage shot that day by Dasher, a world-renown videotographer and windsurfing champion. I hit the shops in town for some Ladies Day fun with the girls, while Pete caught up on boat projects.

The divi-divi tree (Caesalpinia coriaria) grows pods which contain large amounts of tannin, once exported to Holland for tanning animal hides. Strong tradewinds force the trees to grow sideways.

In the mornings, I taught Yoga for fun on the beach. Often, in the zenith of the sun, Pete and I would soak up the cool a/c in the Ramada Hotel, where we were anchored. If you love casinos, free grub and cold drinks, you might find yourself at the tables!