5 weeks in ABC ISLANDS (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao)

Bonaire
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Three "holiday" islands in the Caribbean just off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia.

First stop....Bonaire....just an over-nighter for a quick look on our way west. It is a cruise ship port but is very low key, clean, friendly and a Dutch colony so very European. Pleasant stop to feel the ground beneath our feet. We opted not to but could have taken in the sights... flamingoes, salt mining, donkey sanctuary and butterfly farm.Bonaire is popular for diving and snorkelling.

San Bernardo Catholic Church in Kralendijk, Bonaire. Original was built so shabbily it fell down before it was finished...this one certainly looks sturdy enough.
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Good on you Bonaire: No plastic bags in supermarket, in fact it is 25c to get the good old paper bag!

Curacao
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Second stop.....Curacao....First impression of the capital, Willemstad, was of a bustling cosmopolitan city and we needed to remind ourselves it is on a Caribbean Island. It is clean, very industrious and locals are friendly. We were going to haul the boat in Puerto Rico, St Martin then Venezuela but opted for here. Anticipated 2 weeks became 4 (island time)"on the hard" (out of the water) here to have maintenance work done prior to the Pacific crossing. Jaci arrived from OZ on the 27th February so we had plenty of time to take in lots of local sights.....Ostrich farm, Hato Caves, Zoo, Wind farm and downtown Willemstaad while touring and sampling the food. We still had time on our hands so.....Jaci did her PADI open water dive certifcate, Steve polished, pottered and did boy stuff on boat and I played with a new blog. We eventually sailed to the top of the island to make the most of the pristine waters and great snorkelling/diving.

Dreamer being taken out of water for maintenance at Curacao Marine
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Lots of: brighly coloured buildings, dutch influence, tourists, arid land, wind, fab. food!, friendly locals, dive sites and good snorkelling.

Third stop.....Aruba…..“One Happy Island” is printed on souvenir t-shirts and hats. Aruba is a popular destination for Americans escaping the cold with one of the two airport terminals dedicated to US traffic. Three cruise ships come and go daily from the busy capital of Oranges tad. Residents of neighbouring Bonaire and Curacao refer to Aruba as the ‘Party Island’. We anchored at the southern end of the island on our first night beside an oil refinery; surprisingly the water was a beautiful turquoise colour ..seemed weird. Overall, our stop at Aruba was pleasant and we hired a car for a day. The island is dry and arid and during our stay very windy and dusty. American influence is prevalent here with every fast food chain imaginable, although this island is a dutch colony.

Downtown Willemstad
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Lots of: cactus, tourists, wind, casinos, hotels, taxis, air traffic, windsurfers, party atmosphere and arid land.

Very little: obvious island culture or dutch influence.

Overall, we had a pleasant stay in Aruba…discovered ‘Taco Bell’, played tourists, mini golf, and enjoyed bingo with the locals!

Oh, and if the “Natural Bridge” (supposedly once the most famous tourist attraction of the Caribbean…oops we had not heard of it) is on your must see list…you may be disappointed because most of it fell down in 2005…tourists still flock here to see the rubble!