Okay, we look photoshopped into this photo. I promise you, we were in Anguilla. And yes, that's Anguilla courtesy of St. Maarten via Curaçao where we daytripped to Bonaire after arriving from Miami. The things this family does for points are ridiculous and we all openly admit it.
We arrived in Curaçao in time for dinner and scenic street views. The island was settled by the Dutch and has the feel of the Caribbean with the brightly colored houses of the Netherlands.
They, like us, have bypassed Thanksgiving entirely and are ready for Christmas. Dad is pumped!
The next day we went to Bonaire and had a tour of the island. Bonaire is much smaller than Curaçao and is known for its snorkeling and diving. The entire island is surrounded by a coral reef accessible straight from the shore. We toured the southern half of the island where we saw the salt ponds that harvest sea salt. It's not snow that you're seeing, but mountains of salt waiting for transport.
The ponds surrounding the salt flats are ideal for flamingos. The flamingos feast on shrimp in the briny waters and that's what turns their feathers pink. They're shy birds so we couldn't get too close!
We also saw the huts where slaves lived when they were brought to the island in the 1800's. The houses are maintained today as a memorial to the slaves that built the island.
We ended our tour of the island with some beach time before flying back to Curaçao!
The next day we headed to Sint Maarten, the Dutch, which shares land with Saint Martin, the French. The island is divided in half and has two of everything. If you mail a letter to the US from the Dutch side, it goes direct. If you mail from the French side, it detours to Europe before hitting America. We ate dinner on the French side and it went straight to our mouths with no international detours.
Today we took a ferry to Anguilla, owned by the British. The ferry was a tad rocky and gives you this fantastic shot:
Upon arrival we had beach time and lunch time (our two favorite times) before returning to St. Maarten. For thanksgiving proper we will be back in Curaçao with no turkey or traditional trimmings. We wish you the best with your family and are thankful to be traveling together (minus UK who is prepping a turkey for AT's return!).
Enjoy your turkey, all!
-KT
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