Location: Bonaire
Today is day 21. So far, the crew of Argo has battled wind and rain, dived (yes, the correct version of the word in this instance is dived) some pretty astonishing reefs, and explored different cultures through food, music, and drink! I bet you have heard about all this, after all, I was a student once, and all of my contact home was about the “super epic things we do all day”. A quote from my mother, since she believes my work is 100% play. And I bet shortly you will hear all about the activities that transpired today, day 21. Since I am fairly certain you will hear all about it (and since I actually wasn’t present for the day at all), I will be discussing something else – although I will wrangle someone to write a guest excerpt following this.
Today is day 21. The crew of Argo is in Bonaire. You may all be familiar with the location of this island, but if you are not, it is in the southern Caribbean, near the coast of Venezuela. The island is part of a chain of islands known as the ABC islands. Named because its sister islands are named Aruba and Curacao. Hence the consecutive sequence of the first letters of all of these islands is ABC. There you have it. So you now have a general idea of the location to which the crew of Argo is today, day 21.
The ABC islands are among the few islands in the Caribbean that are owned by the Dutch. Starring in this list are Saba (still one of the most geologically fascinating places I have ever seen humanity build civilization), as well as St. Eustatius and Sint Maarten. And that is Dutch, as in the Netherlands, to which I am a citizen. Now is the time I should mention to everyone that I have (somehow) gained a degree in cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, which makes me, by effect, particularly interested in the situation Bonaire has found itself in.
Since Bonaire is geographically very close to the Americas that lie to the south, you might guess that the language spoken here is Spanish. You are correct. Since Bonaire was and is politically associated with the Netherlands, you might also guess that they speak Dutch. You are correct. Since Bonaire is heavily populated by ancestors of those enslaved by the Spanish and Portuguese during the slave trade, you probably would never guess, but a language spoken most frequently here is Papiamentu. You are correct, kinda. And since Bonaire is a major hub for world travelers and the most common language spoken by foreigners while traveling, you might also guess they speak English. You are correct.
So this may be a lot to process, and it is for me as well. How can such a tiny island that you probably never heard of until your child read you the destination list be so linguistically diverse? And truthfully, I am just as baffled. Today I was shopping for groceries (day 21) when I needed to find the coconut milk. I hesitated in front of a store employee and truthfully had no clue what languages they knew, and which ones I should even attempt. So, I took a shot in the dark and tried my Spanish on. Thankfully, the store employee responded to me in the same language in which I had asked the question. Then, moments after asking, the employee turned around and did two different things. She spoke in Dutch (which I do not speak but can occasionally understand – thank you, mom) and then in a language which I had no name for, until later in my day(Papiamentu). Interesting, isn’t it? Three languages in the span of 30 seconds.
Later on in day 21 the Taxi that rescued Charlie and I from our mission of buying snack fruit, chicken, tortillas, beans and on and on, was driven by an 86 year old man. I apologize for not asking his name. I truly feel embarrassed after all of the hard work he did to help us out. As I sat and chatted with him, I learned quite a few things.
They learn Dutch and Spanish in school.
Papiamentu is a creole Caribbean language with ties to African languages and Spanish.
Papiamentu is the most common language amongst the local residents and is taught and spoken in homes(not schools).
English is fast-moving and is now being taught in some schools and institutions on the island.
I truly wish I had enough space and time to fully analyze the complexities surrounding this beautiful culture’s linguistics, and in my head, I already am. Culture is the defining strength for people in every nation, and even some animals. It can be beautiful, colourful, complex, saturated, and dark. and full of twists and turns. Despite my major in Anthropology slapping me across the face when I least expected it, I have always been drawn to the stories behind the eyes of those worldwide. Maybe you were familiar with this. And maybe you learned something. Regardless, be kind, be happy, and always listen, especially to the little island of Bonaire.
Excerpt from Skylar –
Our afternoon was spent on the beach at Jibe City, where we all learned how to windsurf! During the explanation, I was delighted to understand what our instructor meant by “the boom.” After our quick intro on how to windsurf, we eagerly grab our boards and wade into the water. For some, it was literally smooth sailing, but for others, like me, it was more like choppy waves that don’t want you to remember what being balanced feels like. I can guarantee, though, that no one did it perfectly on the first try. No matter how many times we fell down and hit rock bottom (knee deep water), we kept getting back up to try again. And again, and again. In our two-hour sessions, we really did get the hang of it. No, I didn’t go fast, and I only had a little grasp on how to turn, but I still showed that thing that I was in charge, and I feel like I looked really cool. All around, I looked at us, and what I saw was everyone, all smiles, all of us cheering each other on.
Yesterday we went blo-karting, today we went wind surfing It’s almost like they’re preparing us for something. Something that involves sails. Almost as if we’re reaching that time of the trip to begin passage prep and awaken Argo for her next journey.
Shoutout to the bus driver who drove us to and from our excursions today and yesterday! This was the best-designed bus I had ever seen. All the bright colors and animals filled my brain with serotonin. The thing is, this company didn’t charge us for their magic school bus. They heard what Sea|mester does and knew that they had to support us. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity and this kindness.
Guest star, Skylar:
Today I walked a couple from Ohio to the Marina Office, and they thanked me for my kindness. Yesterday, I geeked out about One Piece with a teen from the Dominican Republic in Spanish, and we fist bumped. The day before I had a lovely conversation with a woman in Spanish (I feel guilty that I don’t remember where she’s from) as she gave me a sick henna tattoo, and when we parted ways, she didn’t just say “mucho gusto.” No, she said: “es un placer concerte.” I’ll keep thinking about these little moments, these ephemeral friends. I wonder what connections I’ll make tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow, and the day after, and every day to follow. This is why we travel, right? To make these connections with people we never would have met if we just stayed in our own little circles. And so this is why I love to travel: so I can keep making these connections, again and again and again.
The stars are out tonight.
Best,
~SkylAr (the better Skylar)