Aruba, Caribbean Slave History & The World Cruise: The Rest of the Story
Note: Our voyage ended early, and the last port of call was to be Aruba, but plans kept changing. See my comments and links at the end of this blog for “the rest of the story.”
Because I have visited Aruba before, I decided to share my findings and impressions as well as research regarding enslaved people of the past.
- The island’s slogan is One Happy Island.
- This 18 mile long island is a home for flamingos. Most are on the Renaissance Aruba Private Island. (Guests of the resort can enjoy watching them.)
- Aruba is a gay-friendly Caribbean destination. LGBTQIA+ folks are welcome to bring their pride with them on holiday. This is not the case on several Caribbean islands, and some have laws making it illegal to be other than cis-gender and “straight.”
- If you request a Balashi cocktail you will get a glass of water. Aruba’s drinking water is safe, and they are very proud of it. They proclaim it to be...
Jamaica: Out of Many One People
Jamaica: Out of Many One People
My expedition ended abruptly on January 31st. The end was not COVID or health-related. I will write about the experience in more detail next week. Although we did not visit Jamaica as planned on this trip, we have visited this beautiful island over 40 times. My comments below reflect my research, many of my photos, and my experiences on earlier visits.
Jamaica is the largest English-speaking Caribbean Island and the fourth largest island in the Caribbean, following Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico.
Jamaica is one of the islands of the West Indies. The region’s name, West Indies, was given by Columbus, who, on his earlier trip across the Atlantic landing in the Bahamas, thought he had landed in India. The island had been named Xaymaca by Cubans, who also called it “the land of blessed gold”.
Columbus arrived in Jamaica in 1494 on his second voyage. He was met by the indigenous Arawak (also...
