Cruising to the ABC Islands 12/16.17.18/23

 So, getting caught up on my blogs- going from my phone, Mickey's phone, my Nikon camera, Mickey's Go Pro, and gathering pics from fellow cruisers.... whew, I hope I get better at this as we continue our journey, or I may have to give it up!!

Today is 12/22 and we are cruising to our next destination, which is Devil's Island, French Guiana, which we have not visited before.  The beginnings of lots of new cities and countries.

Revisiting the islands was nice - Mickey got in his first scuba dive in Bonaire while I had a spa day on the ship.  Once we figure out the download of his videos, I will share some of his dive with you.

Now for some educational info on the ABC Islands, compliments of Laurie Hardcastle Seil, a fellow world cruiser...

Aruba

ABC, it’s easy as 1, 2, 3…. yep, that’s where we’ve arrived, the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, also known as the ABC Islands, and where we’ll spend the next three days exploring. The first of these is Aruba, the smallest one, whose capital Oranjestad, is on the southern coast of the island. The town was originally known as just “Bay of Horses town” because it was where they bred and raised horses for Curaçao. It was officially given its current name, after the first king of the Netherlands, William of Orange, in the 1820s. Here on this isle of beautiful beaches the trade winds constantly blow from the Atlantic which helps the island sustain an almost constant temperature of 27 C (81 F). 

Curacao

Laurie Hardcastle Seil, Author
Definitely a quick trip to get to this largest of the ABC’s, Willemstad, Curaçao, much shorter than the voyage that brought the first cruise ship here in 1901, the SS Prinzessin Victoria Luise with her 200 passengers from Germany. We’ll be docking at the Mega Pier, located in West Willemstad or Otrobanda, a few minutes' walk from downtown but just a few steps for those needing their Starbucks fix.  

Connecting the two sides of the bay is the Queen Emma Bridge, also known as the Swinging Old Lady. She’s a pontoon bridge built in 1888, her 500 ft (152 m) of length is held up by sixteen pontoon boats and she swings laterally thanks to two motors that open and close her. Definitely a sight you want to see operating and to walk across, it’s on my list anyway! Those colorful colonial buildings on the Punda side are known as the Handelskade and are probably the most well-known sight on the island. You can see them along the bay and also all through town. The story goes that they were not always so colorful, all of them used to be whitewashed until the governor ordered them painted pastel colors in 1817 to reduce the glare around town. Fort Amsterdam, the original city citadel can also be found on that side of the water and is currently home of the government offices of Curaçao. On a hilltop above Willemstad is the 18th century Fort Nassau, built as defense for the city and bay but now a place where you can get great view of town and eat at a popular restaurant.

One unique site to visit in the city is the Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere. The Jewish community here was founded in 1650 by Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition and has been active and influential ever since. This building was completed in 1730 and has a small museum next door with artifacts and photos to enable you to learn more. Another spot to visit, one that may be more difficult to experience, is the Museum Kura Hulanda which tells of the culture of the island during the decades when the African slave trade drove the economy of this area until it was finally abolished in 1863. Also housed in this former home of a slave-owning Dutch merchant are relics of the native Arawak people. Not far from Willemstad are the Hato Caves, limestone caverns with 1,500-year-old cave painting left by those ancient Arawak people. You’ll also see pools, waterfalls, stalagmites and stalactites in this cave complex that runaway slaves would use as a refuge.

Bonaire

Thinking of the sizes of these islands reminded me a little of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we’re Goldie who was exploring Aruba that was the Baby Bear Island, Curaçao that was the Papa Bear, and now we’ve arrived at the Mama, Bonaire. I know, who can understand why my mind works the way it does at times! Anyway, welcome to Kralendijk which is pronounced either “craw-len-dake” or “craw-len-dike” depending on who you listen to, the locals just call it "Playa". Whichever way you want to say it the name means “coral dike”, so appropriate since the main attraction here is the reef surrounding Bonaire. I suspect that the scenery underwater is much more colorful than most of the island itself which has an abundance of cactus and scrub brush. You will however find quite a bit of pink on the island, not just among the colorful houses but in some sands, salt flats and birds, more on those later. The temperature hovers around 85 F (29 C) most of the time with the constant gentle trade winds helping it not feel oppressive, let’s hope for a low humidity day. Authored by Laurie Hardcastle Seil