Which Aruba a traveler prefers is strictly a matter of taste. It’s also a disarmingly unusual landscape of natural parks bordered by blue coastal waters, with endless moon-like stretches filled with cacti and wind-blown divi-divi trees. Let’s explore what each island has to offer.Īruba may feel familiar on arrival, be it the friendly beach community, high-end retail, global cuisine, or a charged nightlife scene. One last thing these islands share? They’re all outside the hurricane belt. All three countries share ties to the Netherlands Aruba and Curaçao are autonomous, self-governing constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Bonaire is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Curaçao is a laid-back island blending of European and Latin American culture. Bonaire, with its Afro-Caribbean heritage, has become a destination for divers and adventure travelers. Aruba is now a blend of 90 nationalities across just 70 square miles. Like diamonds cast in the blue waters north of Venezuela’s coast, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are brilliant reflections of their respective cultures. Yes, there’s plenty of sunshine and postcard beaches, and they have a shared language (Dutch) and ancestry (the Arawak people, mostly farmers and fisherfolk), but each island has its own flavor and vibe. His won the French Legion d'honneur for the rescue.The “ABC Islands”- Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea-have an easy, breezy nickname for a grouping of three distinctly different spots. Mr Goss made world headlines when he turned back in a Southern Ocean hurricane to rescue fellow competitor Raphael Dinelli in the 1996-97 Vendee Globe round the world single handed race. She was re-launched in September after £250,000 worth of strengthening and repairs. In March, it suffered near disaster off the Isles of Scilly when part of its starboard bow snapped off. In October, it was forced to turn back 18 hours into a trial voyage to New York after one of its masts began to sway. The revolutionary 120ft-long catamaran is the size of the centre court at Wimbledon. It has been estimated by at least one marine expert that it could cost up to £1m to salvage the stricken catamaran. He added that if the craft was re-located, its sponsors had agreed to work with crew members to "take the appropriate steps that her condition dictates". Team Philips had this fantastic short-lived brilliance - and that is all we are going to see."ĭecember 2000: Crew evacuated in mid-Atlantic storms We chose to drive in the fast lane and accepted the consequences. "She was a wonderful boat, she embodied the spirit of the team. "We have done everything we can, we can look defeat in the eye with dignity," he said. Mr Goss told a press conference on Friday that losing the vessel was "like losing a friend".īut he added that sometimes you have to admit defeat. The crew was forced to abandon ship on 10 December after their vessel was battered by giant waves. Team Philips had set sail on 2 December for sea trials to prepare for a non-stop round-the-world race setting out from Barcelona on 31 December. However, an extensive aerial search has failed to find the giant craft.Įxperts have also lost a satellite link, which had helped pinpoint its exact location. The super yacht was believed to be drifting in the Atlantic after being hit by heavy winds in gale force conditions.
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