The Night I Met Beth Twitty

DISCLAIMER: I was scribbling notes like a madman for half the evening, so I'm painting a very broad picture of the events. I also apologize ahead of time for misspelling anyone's names or forgetting names altogether.

Let me dispel some rumors. First, Joe Mammana was not there. Second, it was not a fundraising event for Beth or even for TES (they have a bigger fundraiser in March). It was a media event for Texas Equusearch and a pep rally- in attendance were local Houston news reporters and a camera crew from 60 Minutes. I might actually be in the footage since I was hovering around Beth when the cameras got all in my face...I am the chubby guy in the striped 'Mafioso' shirt and glasses. The one desperately trying to ignore the cameras and just act natural.

Downtown Houston absolutely sucks if you're not familiar with it, and how I missed a major intersection like Main and Preston twice I don't know. I got there an hour late and the first thing I asked the guy at the door (who was himself a TES member whose own sister has been missing for years) if Beth had arrived yet and then realized that she arrived just ahead of me...she hadn't even cleared the entry and was standing no more than twenty feet from me! Beth immediately said hello to Tim Miller and a few other people, and so I got in line to say hi as well.

About Beth Twitty: Beth looks just as thin in person as on TV, and she is taller than I expected. But she also seemed quite relaxed, friendly and open, confident, strong, and I had the feeling that she has made peace with some things. I know the Twittys are quite religious so perhaps she found that rock and fortress that the Bible speaks of. She is an ordinary woman with extraordinary resolve. Beth spent a few minutes talking to each person hovering around her with the news camera right in her face, and when she learned I had a boycott strategy guide to offer her she told me, "Don't leave tonight without talking to me again!" I offered to be her go-for; she graciously accepted but didn't ask for anything the whole evening. I ended up near the buffet chatting with a very nice lady named Kim Ogg, director of the Houston Crimestoppers and proud mother of a wanna-be break dancer (her young son discovered how well you can spin on a slick concrete floor). Kim was the evening's first speaker (Tim Miller was the MC), and her subject was the long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship that TES and Houston Crimestoppers has. But Kim began by explaining how on dispatch one night she fielded a missing persons call and found out that officially the police at that time couldn't do anything to help the missing person's family. Kim said that was the night she realized this was a terrible way to treat these people, official policy or not.

Tim Miller called Beth up to speak not about herself, not about Natalee, but about Texas Equusearch. She spoke of how TES offers something that even law enforcement cannot- hope and a chance to find answers and closure. She explained to everyone what Arubans don't seem to understand- if you find yourself faced with the mysterious disappearance of a loved one, you simply must do everything possible to find them. There is no other option. Of course Tim Miller understands this, having lost his own daughter Laura; her disappearance and murder inspired him to start Texas Equusearch. Tim said he is the most blessed man in the world for this life mission he is on and despite the loss of his daughter. He went on to speak about one of TES's earliest searches. He spoke of a Hispanic family whose father was beaten badly and the mother and infant boy kidnapped (unfortunately the mother was later found murdered). TES found the mother's body and helped police find the boy- who had been sold! Tim described how TES members started a relief fundraiser for this man and his infant son that went from $200 to $35,000 in two days. I have the man and his son's name in my notes, but I can't seem to make them out...but they were there in person. There were several other past and current clients who spoke: the man I met at the door who first got involved with TES when a co-worker disappeared and whose own sister is still missing today; Barbara Rigsby, whose brother disappearaed in West Texas earlier this year; and a man whose brother disappearaed recently- this search is ongoing. But Barbara added something to Beth's speech: finding a lost loved one, even if they are most likely dead, is a final act of love for them, not just closure for their family.
You see, TES not only looks for missing persons but they allow families to get involved and feel that they are doing something more than waiting by a phone; Barbara said that TES is her family now.

I caught Tim at intermission and asked him a few questions, which he spoke about later that evening. If you look at the TES website you will see 250 members, but Tim told me that there are currently 700 members nationwide and that Natalee's disappearance and TES involvement in Aruba opened a lot of doors for this organization and brought a lot of new contacts, members, and resources. He told me that TES does about a hundred searches a year on average, and that he wants to see a half million members nationwide someday. About Tim: he's very laid-back and easygoing, with striking blue eyes that I would describe as utterly free of pretense. If I remember correctly he attended this rally wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots!

Finally, they showed two DVDs: one was photos of the Aruba search, complete with Erica Harvey's Natalee song in the background; the second was photos of far too many missing persons that TES was or is searching for- and that DVD represented on a handful of their clients. I believe that many of the people present were Aruba veterans, because when TES member Joe Huston mentioned how wonderfully supportive, concerned, and helpful the Aruban people were but how worthless the Aruban government was in the search efforts, the room erupted in applause and agreement. This is something that travellers to Aruba are repeating again and again, and if you read Walter's comments on this blog you willse e that some of the Arubans aren't too happy about their government and ALE, either. It is too bad that they aren't unhappy enough yet to protest the MEP and ALE instead of criticizing and blaming the U.S. media and Beth herself. If any of you Arubans are reading this, know that Americans blame your government for this fiasco of an investigation, not you. They are the problem here.

I did get to speak to Beth again for about ten minutes before I left; it was a quick discussion about boycott strategies that for now is on a need-to-know basis. Aruba will find out what Beth and her team have been up to soon enough if ALE doesn't produce some real results real fast!

Beth Twitty in Houston this Friday 01/27/06

Beth Twitty in Houston for Impromptu Gathering

Natalee Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty and Texas Equusearch would like to invite the public to an impromptu gathering on Friday, January 27, 2006, 7-10pm at the M Bar http://www.monmain.com located at 402 Main St, Houston, TX, 713/222-1022. Beth Twitty, will be the guest of honor and speaker. $20 at the door/covers food: cash bar: DJ. We look forward to seeing you there! Please contact TES for any details 281/309-9500.

Beth Twitty will be speaking about her new safety program as well as earlier in the day she will be attending Teketria Bugg's school and be doing a presentation with the kids. Teke was the little girl that TES found deceased on December 15.

Also speaking will be other family members with missing or deceased persons such as Barbara Rigsby, sister of David Pettiet, found in October, 2005. Teke s mom will also be in attendance along with the lead detective from the Ft Bend Sheriff s Dept that did a great job during the investigation. Members of the Houston Crime Stoppers and the Houston Corporate Paralegal Association will also be present. News Show 48 Hours will be there as well as local media to report on the event.

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.

-------------------------------------

Sorry for the late notice; I just found out myself. I live about 90 minutes from Houston, so I will be there for sure.

Interview with an Aruban

'Walter', who is from Aruba (so I understand) has posted here before, and I think he might be able and wiling to rationally and calmly discuss the ins and outs of Natalee's investigation (something that no Aruban has been willing or able to do so far). There are two things to keep in mind here: first, this is (as far as I know, but I don't know who Walter really is) not Beth's crusaders versus the Aruban spin machine. It is not intended to be a Aruba says/we say affair either. It is two guys from opposite sides of an issue who are going to try to shed some light on their differences in opinion. I warned Walter that he has a very tough sell to make, but I think we agree on the format. Now that I have posted this, I invited Walter via e-mail to post a list of concerns he has as an Aruban. I will then reply to each point in turn, either answering his questions or arguing the point as I see it from an American point of view. I will at some point swtich places with him and go on the defensive, of course. Second, this will be an ongoing project as long as Walter wants to continue and as long as I think it is productive. What I don't want is for either of us to keep repeating the same contentions without elaborating.

Why am I doing this? Well, because I want to explore how much of the downright nasty feelings between Americans and Arubans is based on misconceptions and misunderstandings, and how much really does suggest cover-up, corruption, or just incompetence. I am not convinced that Arubans fully understand Americans, and vice-versa.

Ok, Walter, it is all yours.

Economics of a Boycott

Economics of a Boycott

"The biggest concern is the fact that 27 percent (of Americans) consider Aruba to be an unsafe place to go to. Aruba has dropped from the second to the seventh place on the list of safe vacation destinations and is now almost at the same level as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic."

- Jossy Mansur, Editor, Diario Aruba newspaper

Now, I can't independently verify this 27 % figure but I will use it in my calculations since it is a hard number at least (something the ATA doesn't dare release right now). However, going back to my recreation and tourism degree I have the following observations to offer:

1. The fact that travel companies are offering discount packages is actually a sign of worry on their part. Consider this: let's say that (on average) it costs $150 per night for a 3 star hotel room in Aruba (a comfortable average according to www.travelocity.com ). Let's say that a hotel has 100 rooms, has 100% occupancy (very rare for any hotel) and so turns $15,000 a day. Then the boycott hits and in time the occupancy drops to 82% (27% American tourism loss of 70% total American tourism equals about 18% of all Aruban tourism). Now the hotel only sees $12,300 per day. BUT...what if they offer a 10% discount on all rooms to combat the boycott? Even if their occupancy jumps back up to 100% , at $135 per room per night they are still LOSING $1,500 per day ($15,000-$13,500)! In short, offering a big discount on packages and keeping numbers up is better than suffering a flat-out occupancy cut but it is only damage mitigation, NOT a solution. I suspect that keeping numbers up is for the benefit of the government's image than anything else- that way they can tell the Arubans that numbers are up…but of course that is only a small part of the equation. Since Caribbean hotels operate on no more than a 30% profit margin if they're lucky (Source: American Hotel Lodging Association), that means that a 10% discount rate takes away 1/3 of their profit....and if 1/3 of your profit is $7 per hundred your profit margin is very slim anyway.

2. To help recoup these losses and raise occupancy again, the travel industry in Aruba is going to have to spend MORE on more advertising - thus cutting into their already shrinking profit margin even deeper. They've already started by spending money on more USA Today ads, hiring spin doctors like Steve Cohen, and most recently sinking about $700,000 into a new government-sponsored tourism campaign and millions into hotel and airport renovations.

3. Many people will be unwilling to cancel their prior reservations to Aruba when the boycott started due to time constraints (difficult to find another destination in such short notice) or monetary cancellation penalties charged by cruise lines and travel agencies. The issue is not how many people don't go to Aruba prior to today, it is how many go in the coming months. I notice that there are several things that have yet to be done to push the boycott, and if they ever are things will only get worse.

4. As Jossy Mansur suggested, if the travel agencies prefer to suggest alternative packages to make up their commissions, then my guess is the cruise lines (who are already losing business due to the upcoming Congressional hearings) will also feel this. Remember: the boycott doesn't just affect travel packages; it will affect cruise lines and airline tickets as well. Let's look at this snowball effect for a minute: how many cruise lines will choose to keep stopping in Aruba if the travel agencies that refer guests to them stop referring guests as much? The same is true for airlines. When one considers this boycott, you have to remember the ripples that a dip in one industry causes to other industries. If Aruban tourism business drops- or I should say when (but keep in mind that it will take months for the full impact of this boycott to be felt)- so does the many guided tours in Aruba, the restaurants and nightclubs and bars, the souvenir shops, even the bordellos! Think about it this way: what would happen to the OPEC nations if they suddenly had no access to their own oil reserves? How much money from oil sales go to the Iraqi government now with oilfields only capable of a fraction of normal production? This is exactly the situation Aruba is facing: a coordinated and specific attack on the vast majority of their wealth! This boycott would not work nearly as well if Aruba had a varied economy (and this is why boycotts against other places for different reasons haven't worked. Any economist will tell you that the more varied a nation's resources are, the less susceptible to economic ruin it is). As it stands, 70% of Aruba's livelihood is in jeopardy!

5. The U.S. makes up 70% of Aruba's tourism income. That means 30% comes from everywhere else. Assuming that all tourists to Aruba spend the same amount (and since the U.S. is in general a quite prosperous nation the truth is Americans probably spend more per person), $1400 let's say (again, Jossy's number). So for every 100 tourists, $98,000 of revenue comes from the U.S. and $42,000 comes from everyone else (a total of $140,000). What happens if 27% of Americans stop going to Aruba (a total loss of 18% of total Aruban tourism)? We get a flat loss of $25,200 per 10 days per 100 tourists! That is $252 a day per person. Now multiply this by the 500,000 American tourists that visit Aruba yearly, and the loss becomes $1.2 million dollars a year from hotels alone!

6. The question remains, can Aruba make up this 27% loss elsewhere? Perhaps, but can they make up the amount of income? Remember, numbers do not equal income. If Aruba can make up the difference from the boycott with European visitors but these visitors spend less than Americans, that is not quite as good as it would first sound, is it? And don't think that just because the Euro is stronger than the USD right now that Europeans will spend more- there's a nasty little thing called inflation that goes along with this that actually robs people of spending power. The Euro might buy more in Aruba, but the cost of living is higher in Europe so Europeans bring less disposable income with them.

7. More so than many businesses, tourism and hospitality tend to pay disproportionately to the managers and owners over the laborers. In other words, in such a strongly service-oriented industry, few people are management and most are labor. As any economist will tell you, pay cuts and economic downturns hurt the least-paid workers from a standard of living standpoint the most and the soonest. Let's say our Aruban hotel has one manager, 3 assistant managers, 3 shift supervisors, and 20 maids, cooks, porters, etc. Assume the manager makes $60,000 a year, the assistant managers make $45,000 a year, the shift supers make $30,000 a year, and the others make $15,000 a year. Now let's say that the boycott causes a significant loss of the hotel's business and everyone has to take a 10% pay cut just to keep their jobs. The manager now makes $54,000 a year, the assistant managers make $40,500, the supervisors make $27,000, and- here's the important part- the laborers make $13,500. Assuming a 40 hour work week 50 weeks a year (allowing for two weeks vacation since Arubans seem to take vacations left and right), that means the laborers went from making $7.50 an hour to making $6.75 an hour. The manager, however, went from making $30 an hour to making $27 an hour. Now- whose lifestyle do you think will be hurt most? Which of these people are living the closest to broke to begin with? Finally, consider this: what percentage of Aruban voters work in the bottom tier of the labor force and will be very upset about the economy very fast? Let me remind you that even in a prosperous nation like the U.S. blue collar jobs outnumber white collar jobs significantly. This dichotomy is historically even worse in a Third World nation like Aruba.

8. Nobody is going to keep a business open in a financially worthless location. Do you think that Marriott or the Holiday Inn will keep their hotels open for a 25% or even a 50% occupancy rate just to give Arubans jobs? What do you think will happen when the stockholders start crying foul? Most Caribbean hotels and motels operate at a 20-30% profit margin. This means that if you want to make money you can't lower rates more than about 15-25%. But by the time profit margins are down to 5%, most of your stockholders will sell out and your stock will be devalued. So how do you avoid this if you're a stockholder with a failing company? You sell and get out, or you close locations that are showing a loss. The loss of tourism in Aruba will not hurt American businesses there one bit- they'll simply open new hotels wherever the tourists go. Besides, U.S businesses in Aruba like the Holiday Inn and Marriott don't employ Americans- they employ Arubans. While we're on the subject, note that the annual trade between Aruba and the U.S. is something like 117 million USD. That is less than 1% of the U.S. annual trade surpluses. We won't miss Aruba nearly as much as they'll miss us.

No wonder the Aruban government and the ATA are running scared of a boycott. And make no mistake, they are- why else would they be four months behind in releasing tourism figures? Why else are they trying so hard to convince their own people, not Americans, that everything is fine and that they are competent?

Another ALE Stall Tactic?

My buddy Richard R. e-mailed me this in regards to the supposed upcoming Aruban visit to interview the MB kids. Italicized comments are mine.

"Everyone here should have received from me a Birmingham News article saying that the Arubans are about to begin interviewing the Mountain Brook, AL, teens who went on the ill-fated trip. The interviews could begin on Monday. Apparently the FBI will also participate ... perhaps the Arubans will learn some professionalism?
Don't count on it. Unless they demonstrate real, undeniable, immediate progress soon 'professional' is not a word I would ever associate with ALE

So what is up? Why is this just starting now?

Does anyone think there is not a cover-up in Aruba? I cannot imagine that any rational person would doubt it, judging by the lies and evasions that we have seen from day one. The only question in my mind is how extensive it is.
My educated guess is the vdS and Kalpoes are at the bottom of a very, very tall stack of corruption...Aruba has a history of corrupt governments after all.

One thing to note is the timing of these interviews. The Arubans have had eight months to talk with the Mountain Brook teens (through the FBI of course), yet they are doing so only now, just as the new searches at the sand dunes (where Art Wood found that belt that Aruba ignored and seems to have conveniently "lost") and in the water are underway.

Is this synchronicity by chance? I don't think so.
I doubt the ALE agent- that's right- one single investigator- ever makes it to the U.S. Then Aruba will blame the family or the FBI or the media for their own latest broken promise.

It seems to me that there must be some kind of debate within Aruba on what to do about this case. Are they prepared to protect their own, risking a continued American embargo? Yes. Not only that, but possible American pressure on the Dutch (IF our government ever decides to do anything), who in turn are in a position to come down on their colonial administration?
There is a precedent for this: they once took over direct administration of the St. Maarten finances following a scandal. I have been thinking of trying to set up a "concerned citizen committee" meeting with the Dutch envoy here to urge that they do the same with the Aruban police. I'm sure they would heed what I have to say!

I think it could go either way. They could try to come up with some statement by someone putting Natalee in a bad light, and try to use that as fodder to close the case. (That wouldn't solve the question of what happened to her, but who knows whether that fact would impress Aruba.) Or, at least, to let it go cold.
Nor would it stop the boycott; I imagine Beth and her allies have a lot planned for that still- just waiting for ALE to give them a reason to keep attacking.

But if all the statements point to the three scumbags, and I can't imagine that anything wouldn't, maybe the "anti-vdS" faction (IF there is one) might push for stronger action. What more would they need? What more could they get?"
A reporter I know from Aruba tells me that the whole island is anti-van der Sloot; the word he used was 'pariah' I think. The Arubans don't hate them enough to break some knees apparently...but this same man told me Arubans are apathetic too.

Now some of my own thoughts. A friend of mine got a call from Spencer Bachus's Washington D.C. office today in reference to her questions about this supposed meeting. This is what someone from that office named Spencer Britt said to her:

"I ask him if officials were coming from Aruba today to
reinterview the Mt. Brook Kids, and he said as far as
they know that "police officials" were coming later
this week from Aruba. I ask him, if they were coming
to specific requestion Mt. Brook kids and he said yes,
as far as he knows they are. I ask him if the
information was correct in the newspaper article. He
said to his knowledge it is. I ask him who released
the information and he said the FBI in Birmingham
released this information to the Birmingham News. I
told him that was odd because in the past they had
been very tight and close lipped about releasing
anything. I also stated that it was odd that the
article would appear in the paper and gave only one
days notice that officials were coming from Aruba. He
stated that it is police officials only that are
coming..and then again specifically he indicated it
would be only one Police Inspector. I ask him point
blank if Steve Cohen was involved and got not answer.
I told him that I was concerned as to where this
information had come from. I ask him if he could give
me any other information and he said "no ma'am"

It is no secret to me at least that this possibility of ALE using interviews with the MB kids to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing in the investigation or to get out from under it altogether has been a concern of the FBI and other key individuals ever since Dumb Pig first mentioned it. At that time I understood that the FBI was going to force ALE to go through official channels and the FBI would be calling the shots and watching the questioning like a hawk. I can only hope that if the ALE actually goes through with this (I bet they'll claim MB students approached them outside of the FBI's reach and said who knows what if they come to the U.S. at all), the FBI is getting something in return. Maybe a peek at the so-called evidence or tapes of the interrogations of the three suspects.

Arubans should be alarmed that Americans so thoroughly distrust their government and what passes for law enforcement that the FBI doesn't even trust them anymore professionally and Americans in general question their actions before they even see them through! Do you not comprehend how much America feels betrayed by how terribly and underhandedly this investigation has been from the start? My God, we don't trust a single thing your corrupt government and crooked investigators do at all anymore!

A Little Help from Friends

I am looking for the following information to include on my upcoming boycott website at www.truthfornatalee.com. Any and all help is greatly appreciated; let's show Aruba that the truth is hard to hide from thousands of pissed-off Americans! I need:

- Any verifiable, reputable news articles or official governmental reports on organized crime in Aruba, especially from 1980 to today;

- Any verifiable, reputable account of crime of any kind by or against tourists to Aruba; I am especially interested in any reported rapes or sexual assaults, kidnappings and missing persons cases, murders, and an armed casino robbery that occurred in 1998 I believe;

- Verifiable, reputable tourism figures from not only Aruba but also from companies that do business in Aruba (arilines, cruise lines, hotels, etc) from May 2005 to the present. Tourism figures from other Caribbean islands (remember they all compete and Aruba's loss is someone's gain) are also welcome;

- Verifiable, reputable articles and reports on internal and political strife in Aruba since the MEP came to power, the more recent the better.

I say verifiable and reputable so much for a reason. Here's the caveat: anything you want to send me must include the URL, website address, or other source so I can link back to the source and give proper credit to the original author when it goes up on the truthfornatalee.com website. I intend to use such information not only to show America what a sleazy place Aruba is under the well-crafted veneer of paradise, but to back it up with reputable sources. Send anything you find to lionhunter053005@yahoo.com, or even post your findings on the message boards here (I've enabled anonymous posts now). I'm not interested in theories or tips (send those to the FBI, Dave, or Beth please but NOT to the morons in ALE), but anything you find doesn't necessarily have to pertain to Natalee's disappearance. Anything that shows Aruba's true nature is welcome. As always, anything that I consider slanderous or insulting to myself, Natalee, her family, or any of their supporters will be deleted and will not see the light of day on this blog!

I know there are more people that support Beth than do not in the U.S. Jump on even a markedly anti-Beth, anti-boycott website like Riehlworldview and check out the messageboard; you'll see what I mean. Here's your chance to help, folks. Remember: Beth and Dave and a handful of dedicated people are up against a corrupt government that is calling all the shots on Aruba, and the U.S. and the Netherlands are markedly uninterested in trying to resolve this through political pressure. It is up to us, and as of today I am still convinced that destroying the island's economy and pressuring the Aruban people to force their own government into honest action, transparency, full and unconditional cooperation with the FBI, and real progress is the best way to find Natalee.

Truth About Aruban Tourism

I did a little research, and I discovered something interesting: Aruba is not one of the most inexpensive Caribbean destinations, it is actually one of the most expensive! Here's what I did:

1. Reviewed the most popular Caribbean tourism destinations there are, choosing those with the most comparable events, activities, and attractions as that 'safe, happy island' we all despise so much.
2. Using www.travelocity.com, www.expedia.com, www.orbitz.com, and www.priceline.com, I averaged the three least expensive round-trip airfares for one adult to each destination. I also averaged the three least-expensive three-star hotels at each destination, again using single-occupancy as a benchmark to obtain a per person price. I chose multiple-stop flights and specified no departure or arrival times to better obtain the least expensive results.
Note that I did not compare cruise prices; given the Congressional hearings and widespread concern about cruise line safety and accountability, I just do not feel comfortable advocating this industry in any way.
3. I multiplied the lodging / hotel figures by 7 to get a weekly, per adult rate and then added the round-trip airfare cost for each destination, and compared these.
4. Finally, I compiled the rates into a table for ease of comparison:

Jamaica
$834 (48% less than Aruba)

Dominica
$1283 (20% less than Aruba)

Barbados
$1311 (19% less than Aruba)

Cayman Islands
$1341 (17% less than Aruba)

Puerto Rico (Joe Mammana's favorite and part of the U.S.A.)
$1356 (17% less than Aruba)

Bermuda
$1381 (15% less than Aruba)

Bahamas
$1381 (15% less than Aruba)

Martinique
$1380 (15% less than Aruba)

St. Kitts & Nevis
$1438 (11% less than Aruba)

Anguilla
$1454 (10% less than Aruba)

U.S. Virgin Islands
$1588 (2% less than Aruba, mostly due to high airfares)

British Virgin Islands
$1610 (about equal to Aruba)

Aruba
$1615

What a surprise- Aruba is more expensive than all but one of the destinations I examined! But wait, it gets better. Aruba has all those wonderful attractions like casinos and hoppin' night clubs (a girl for every guy and a Rohypnol for every drink), horseback riding along the beach, private island retreats, sailing, fishing, and many other wonders including legal prostitution that other islands don't? Wrong...well, except for the prostitution; Aruba has a monopoly on that. Take a look:

Aruba has: fine dining and restaurants
So does: Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands

Aruba has: horseback riding and equestrian events
So does: Anguilla, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Kitss & Nevis

Aruba has: museums and historic sites
So does: Anguilla, Barbados, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, U.S. Virgin Islands

Aruba has: music, concerts, and festivals
So does: the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, Puerto Rico

Aruba has: night clubs (date rape drugs and sleazy 'wingmen' not included)
So does: the Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

Aruba has: ecotours
So does: the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis (who pride themselves in ecotours), U.S. Virgin Islands

Aruba has: hiking and cycling
So does: the Bahamas, Dominica, Jamaica

Aruba has: sports venues and facilities
So does: the Bahamas, Barbados, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis

Aruba has: golfing
So does: the Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Puerto Rico

Aruba has: casinos and gambling (a good father and son activity if you're Dutch)
So does: the Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis

Aruba has: sport fishing, watersports, sailing, guided tours, art and local crafts, and scuba diving
So does: every other Caribbean island in this study!

What doesn't Aruba have (a competent and honest police force goes without saying)? I couldn't find any educational attractions, health spas, theatre, caving and rock climbing, botanical gardens, or zoos and wildlife parks in Aruba. But Anguilla, Bermuda, the Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do.

Once again, my friend at www.caribbean.com come through for me. Thanks!

Other Caribbean Destinations Part III

St. Kitts & Nevis

Once super-wealthy from the 'white gold' of sugar, this tiny nation remains super-rich in scenery, history, culture, class and charm. St Kitts was first of the Lesser Antilles to be colonized by Europeans, hence the nickname: Mother Colony of the West Indies.

The incredible beauty of these islands makes it understandable why so many nations and people have desired deeded ownership. Lower slopes of St Kitts glimmer with the emerald green of sugar cane stalks. Fertile fields rise to a rain forest and then on to mountain peaks atop stunted woodlands. The mountains are sometimes sheathed in fluffy white clouds that supposedly reminded Spanish explorers of snow-capped peaks back in Spain. The name "Nevis" is believed to have derived from nieve, the Spanish word for snow.

St Kitts is the larger of the two islands and the site of the island capital: Basseterre. This picture-postcard town is chockablock with charming West Indian architecture backed by mountains such as Monkey Hill and the South Range. About half of the island's population lives in Basseterre. The French name Basseterre dates back to the days when the island was French colonial. The gentrified Fortlands residential section of Basseterre is the site of the Governor-General's residence - not open to the public, however. The highest point is the volcano Mount Liamuiga, also known as Mount Misery and noted for being (almost) inactive. A road from Basseterre leads to Frigate Bay, once the site of early-morning duels by ticked-off members of high society. Today, however, golf clubs and jet skis have replaced dueling pistols as the most popular way to defend one's honour, at least in the sports line.

From the St. Kitts tourism website (http://www.stkitts-tourism.com/)

Intoxicating natural beauty, sunny skies, warm waters, and white sandy beaches combine to make St. Kitts one of the most seductive spots in the Caribbean. Christopher Columbus first spotted St. Kitts in 1493, when it was populated with native tribes, but the Europeans did not colonize until the British arrived in 1623. Its strategic location and valuable sugar trade led to an advanced and luxurious development that was among the best in the Colonial Caribbean.

While development has been of the highest quality, it has fortunately remained in low quantity, so St. Kitts remains un-crowded and unspoiled, famous around the world for excellent preservation of the ecosystems. Nature lovers will want to take advantage of the various tours through lava formations, tropical forest areas, and seaside lagoons. Boating tours and scuba diving expeditions are also favorite activities. Plantation homes have been transformed into grand, intimate inns. Quaint shopping areas and beautiful Colonial architecture draw visitors to the tiny towns. If a quiet vacation in a luxurious and alluring corner of paradise is what you seek, you'll find it on St. Kitts.

Anguilla

Sometimes a resort is known for what it doesn't have - such as casinos, jazzy nightclub action, duty-free shopping plazas, nudist-friendly beaches, cheap junk food and the like. Such is the case on the eel-shaped island of Anguilla where serenity, divine dining, multi-starred hotels and body-pampering spas - plus some 33 beaches - are the main tourist draws. Forget that other stuff.

Architecture is another Anguillan plus, and represents a myriad of styles and cultures. Maundy Bay is wrapped in Moorish-type villas where your welcome drink is apt to be an island herbal magical medical cure called "bush tea." Other encounters of the architectural kind include resorts done up in Spanish Mediterranean fashion, rainbow-hued Caribbean clapboard houses, Greek-island structures in glistening white and cobalt blue and wrap-around verandahs on West Indian-styled bungalows.

And another thing - as befits a proper English place, no skinny dipping, for heaven's sake! For un-English, clothing-optional beach escapades, take the 30-minute ferry ride from Blowing Point Harbour to French and saucy, nude beach-friendly St Martin.

But why on earth would you want to leave behind Anguilla's world-class diving, sailing, yachting, windsurfing, health spa and fishing opportunities in the blue-green, gin-clear seas of an island media types have christened as: Tranquillity Wrapped In Blue.”

U.S. Virgin Islands

St. Croix:

St.Croix's rich culture and history, along with its beautiful beaches and world-class recreational activities, create an experience unlike any other in the Caribbean. Since the day Christopher Columbus first arrived at Salt River on St. Croix more than 500 years ago, sugar and rum have shaped the island's life and land. Fifty-four sugar mills, each with imposing windmill towers and factory chimneys, still rest in the shadows of stately eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century homes. Located on the west end of the island, Estate Whim Plantation is just one example of these "greathouses." With acres of rolling green hills,
St.Croix's plantation estates also bore crops of okra, cabbage, corn, and other vegetables still prominent in Caribbean cuisine. As the sugar industry declined after the 1960s, tourism became the most important industry on the island. Christiansted and Frederiksted, the two main towns of St. Croix, flourished as commercial ports during the eighteenth century and nineteenth century. Distinct architecture reflects the seven flags--Spanish, Dutch, British, French, Knights of Malta, Danish, and American -- that have flown over the island. Today, visitors to St. Croix can enjoy a number of indoor and outdoor activities, from fine dining, shopping, and a casino, to golf, scuba diving, and horsback riding

St. Johns

St. John, the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, retains a tranquil, unspoiled beauty uncommon in the Caribbean or anywhere else in the world. Settled in the early 1700s by Danish immigrants attracted to the island's potential as a sugar cane-producing colony, St. John soon
blossomed into a thriving society. The ruins of the Annaberg Sugar Plantation and other smaller plantations on the island attest to the island's agricultural history.

The extensive sugar cane farming, however, did little to affect the natural beauty of St. John. Its unspoiled forests and stunning beaches attracted the attention of wealthy families such as the Rockefellers, who sought privacy and tranquility on the island. In 1956, Laurance Rockefeller was so moved by the island that he bought and donated broad expanses of land to the National Park Service to keep St. John "a thing of joy forever."

Today, two-thirds of St. John is part of the Virgin Islands National Park, featuring fascinating trails, secluded coves, and dazzling white beaches. The Reef Bay Trail takes hikers through dense forests, plantation ruins, and rock outcroppings marked by well-preserved petroglyphs. Trunk Bay, Hawksnest Bay, Cinnamon Bay, and Maho Bay are just four of the dozens of beaches. Cruz Bay, the center of activity on St. John, contains colorful shops, lively bars, and fabulous restaurants.

St. Thomas

St. Thomas combines the natural beauty of the islands with a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is one of the most beautiful harbors in the world and the most visited port in the Caribbean. Elegant dining, exciting nightlife, and world-class duty-free shopping are abundant in Charlotte Amalie. The city's reputation as the shopping abundant in Charlotte Amalie. The city's reputation as the shopping mecca of the Caribbean draws visitors from all over the region and around the world. A mountainous island, St. Thomas offers stunning vistas in almost every direction. While Charlotte Amalie is full of energy, St. Thomas also provides natural wonders such as the indescribably beautiful Magens Bay and stunning views of the Caribbean from 1,500 feet above sea level. Drake's Seat is particularly famous for its vistas.

Sports and activities are abundant on St. Thomas. Golf enthusiasts will enjoy the George and Tom Fazio-designed Mahogany Run course. St. Thomas is also well known for its world-class yachting and sportfishing.

Courtesy of the U.S. Virgin Islands Dept. of Tourism (http://www.usvitourism.vi/)

British Virgin Islands

Virgin Gorda is an idyllic isle, hilly in the north, flatter in the south. There are three speeds available on this relaxed island - slow, slower and dead stop. Everything is geared to water activities - especially yachting, diving, snorkelling and windsurfing.

Look at a map of this island and you will see why Christopher Columbus named it Virgin Gorda, Spanish for Fat Virgin. Actually, the island's shape suggests a reclining expectant mother. But to call the place Pregnant Virgin just doesn't seem proper. Smack in the middle of the island's seemingly pregnant belly is Gorda Peak, rising to 1,370 feet. It is a somewhat tiring climb to the top, but the stunning view is worth every drop of perspiration.

You will find the simpatico people as winsome as the island's wandering billy goats, lizards, cattle, and geckos. Eateries range from rustic/simple to classy/pricey. Their names are part of the fun, for example: Sip and Dip Grill, The Bath and Turtle, Flying Iguana, Mad Dog and Drake's Anchorage. The latter takes note of privateer Sir Francis Drake, who sailed by on his way to pillage and plunder Spanish ships. Mad Dog is all about Caribbean-based Sir Noel Coward's musical observation that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the tropical noonday sun.

The most unusual of the many beaches is called The Baths. There, you will find boulders of film-set appearance. When the sun goes down and the moon comes up, there is a small but lively collection of spots for "limin'," as islanders call hanging out.

In 2004, Virgin Gorda was cited by Conde Nast Traveller magazine as one of "20 enduring Edens." The reason? Strict laws prohibit the wide-open "development" that has "condo-ed" and paved over many a formerly pristine Caribbean isle. Land speculation on Virgin Gorda is a serious no-no. There is almost full employment, so there is no need for any huge, glitzy resorts. Besides, new hotels would require importation of workers and helpers. The residents of Virgin Gorda like things the way they are. And who can blame them? It's so nice to live on an island that is almost a desert isle, but with scads of sea-splashed coastline. Virgin Gorda, at this writing, is so free of petty crime that hardly anybody locks his or her doors. One of the local restaurants is called Sidney's Peace and Love. That has to tell you something.”

All of the above information courtesy of www.caribbean.com unless noted otherwise.

Other Caribbean Destinations Part II

Puerto Rico

Of the four largest Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico is the only one under US jurisdiction. Nevertheless, Puerto Rico is more Caribbean, Spanish, Latino, tropical and colourful than anything Stateside. The island's Spanish heritage rings especially loud and clear in the seven blocks of restored San Juan Viejo - Old San Juan.

The crown jewel of Puerto Rican eco-tourism treasures is El Yunque Rainforest. El Yunque - the Anvil, in English - is a movie-set jungle ensconced in mist and rain over trees as high as 100 feet. You will hear many a squawk of the indigenous Puerto Rican Parrot, along with the croaks of millions of coqui, tiny tree frogs that are a national symbol. Some drink from the forest's two waterfalls, but you are advised to stick with the purified and bottled stuff, just to be on the safe side.

The island's second city, Ponce, may have been named for the aforementioned Ponce de Leon. Local residents call their city La Perla del Su - the Pearl of the South. It resembles provincial Spain in the daytime when locals gather in the cool shade of the Plaza Central. During the evenings, people re-group to socialize.

Delightful country inns known as paradores are a little-known aspect of Puerto Rican tourism. These government-promoted inns, patterned after those of Spain, are ideal for inexpensive family vacations, usually in a rustic setting.

See also http://www.gotopuertorico.com/index.php



Bermuda

Dreaming of Bermuda? Think pink and green. Pink for the soft pastel shades that wash this 21-square-mile island, and green for the colour of money that Bermuda's offshore banking and insurance sectors generate (though in reality the island's currency is as colourful as its British founders were).

Bermuda is too far north - 600 miles due East of Cape Hatters in North Carolina - to be considered geographically part of the Caribbean, and it boasts an island culture all its own. Actually, make that plural - as in islands - since Bermuda is really an archipelago, or a series of islands, joined by causeways and bridges.

Bermuda's isolation in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe, coupled with a history of English settlement, make it unique. It is spotlessly clean, quaint, orderly (almost to a fault) and extraordinarily pretty. There are no slums, no billboards, and very, very few fast food outlets. From the colonial architecture of the tidy homes that line its roads, to the fragrant tropical flowers that drape its old stone walls, Bermuda is a glorious sight. Indeed, that is surely what the island's first English settlers must have thought when their ship, the Sea Venture, wrecked off Bermuda's coast in 1609. Prior to this fateful encounter, the island was a navigational point for the Spanish. Throughout its early history, Bermuda had to defend itself against the Spanish, the French and the threat of invasion by the newly formed Republic of the United States to its west. During the Second World War, the tiny island played a significant role in keeping the vital North Atlantic sea lanes open. As a result of this colourful past, Bermuda boasts a number of forts and historical points of interest worth visiting. It remains a British colony to this day.

In general, Bermudians are gracious and polite hosts to the half- million people who visit their island each year, dwarfing the native population of about 65,000. Hotels and restaurants abound. So do churches. The vast majority of islanders are devout churchgoers. In fact, Bermuda claims to have the most churches per square mile than any other place on Earth. Most religions are represented, from Anglican and Roman Catholic to Islam and Christian Science. Perhaps as a result of this, there are no topless or nude beaches and no glitzy casinos in Bermuda.

Bermuda can get downright chilly in winter. However, the average temperature is about 65 degrees F - 70 degrees F from December to March and 75 degrees F - 85 degrees F during the warmest months of May to October. Outdoor pursuits abound, including the island's famed golf links, which have attracted presidents, royalty and some famous pros over the years. Bermuda also boasts a bike trail and is a prized sailing location, with many secluded inlets. Walking tours through the rolling countryside are also popular. Bermuda is generally flat, with a highest elevation of 259 feet. Underwater there is a treasure trove of shipwrecks to be explored ? some a mere 30 feet deep ? as well as pristine reefs and an abundance of marine life.

Shopping is a sport in itself on Bermuda. Many stores in the shopping districts of downtown Hamilton, the island's capital, and historic St George are housed in attractive cottages or historical buildings, and the quality of goods is generally high. While prices can be high for everything on Bermuda, where imports are subject to sometimes-hefty tariffs, there are also many unique items you might not find so easily elsewhere. The US dollar is on par with the Bermudian dollar.

Bermuda is a convenient 2-21/2 hour flight from most major cities on the US East Coast and is served by most major airlines.

See also http://www.bermudatourism.com/



Martinique
Martinique is part of overseas France, much like Hawaii is an offshore US state. The official language is French. Stores sell warm baguettes and fragrant pastries. Pharmacies stock the world-class French scents and toiletries so prized by women (and men) all over the globe. Supermarkets sell mostly French products. Shopping here is not much different from what you would expect of mainland France.

Other than fine wines, Martinicans are obsessed with the sweet, syrupy rums produced by the island's 11 rum distilleries. These distilleries make some of the world's best-fermented sugarcane liquor. Martinique boasts the only rum carrying France's prestigious Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) label. In mid-December 2004, the 24th annual rum festival was slated to kick off a special salute to the rums, dances and music of Martinique. The island's rum fete centres around the island's rum museum in a classic Creole house of 18th century vintage. Rum distilleries, as well as a banana museum, are located in the heart of the island's extensive banana plantings. And oh, the flowers! There seems to be no end of them, especially the conch-pink anthurium blossoms.

As befits a French venue, Martinique has marvellous museums. They include a collection of Paul Gauguin artefacts at the very spot where he painted Martinican beauties and splendid seascapes as well as tropical landscapes. Gauguin's former studio provides a view of St Pierre, once the prettiest and busiest city in the Caribbean-and known as "Little Paris." That ended in 1902 when the volcanic Mt Pelee (Mount Baldy in English) blew up, and 30,000 people died in the space of just a few minutes. Only survivor was the lone prisoner in the city jail. Today a museum and excavations suggest that Little Paris is now the Caribbean's Little Pompeii.

Martinique, as a part of France, has a much higher living standard than in other West Indian isles. Martinicans have such mainland France benefits as five-week paid vacations, universal health and education plans, paternity as well as maternity leaves, 36-hour work weeks - the lot.

English is widely spoken but it is a plus to know at least high-school French. There are wonderful subtleties in island culture - such as the tying of special knots in Martinican head coverings. A single knot is said to mean "my heart is taken," two knots means "my heart is available," and a triple knot can mean "I am spoken for, but you may still have a chance."

Martinique's capital city, Fort-de-France is for the most part chic, classy and tres Francais. Take the local ferry to major tourist centres and beaches across a bay so beautiful it has been compared to Italy's breath-taking Bay of Naples.

See also http://martiniquetourism.com/ (in French and English),


Bahamas

The glamourous parts of Grand Bahama are highly touted, well known and sometimes too busy to fully enjoy. However, there are many other places on the island that only the curious ever get to savour and appreciate. Most don't possess the pizazz of the hot spots, but they offer a close look at the real Bahamas. Today's tranquillity masks its often ribald past. Still the official capital of Grand Bahama, despite its small population, it lays claim to the island's most colourful past.
Stop and enjoy one of the island's most spectacular beaches, then as you return to the main road you pass Ben's Cavern, the central point of the Lucayan Cave system and Lucayan National Park, about seven miles from the Owl Hole.

Excerpt below from, “On Grand Bahama, Its Just Natural” by Cindy Loose of the Washington Post (February 27, 2005; http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53376-2005Feb25.html)

“About 20 minutes down the road, at any one of 26 shacks built on wooden decks overlooking the ocean, you can order up a dinner that comes to your picnic table on paper plates that are about to collapse under the weight of fried fish and raw conch and peas 'n' rice and potato salad. Between 9 p.m. and the wee hours, you can catch music and dancing at competing shacks filled with locals and a few tourists.
The contrast between those two dining options typifies for me the grandest part of Grand Bahama Island: The tourist infrastructure has been nicely developed without overwhelming the island or sucking the life out of the local culture. Major corporations own some of the big hotels, but native entrepreneurs still have a piece of the action. Together, they've left a lot of empty space for nature and created distinctly different atmospheres.
You can, for instance, reserve a spot with one of the biggest and best dive companies in the region, or go by the dock and ask around to see if Bonefish Folley or one of his sons is available to take you fishing for the day.
My friend Kathy and I came to Grand Bahama earlier this month to enjoy nature. The 96-mile-long island is bigger, but much less populated and less developed, than its more popular neighbor, New Providence (home to Nassau). A favorite with families, it's known for having some of the best fishing, golfing, snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean. I was attracted by the fact it has three national parks and was only slightly put off by how tiny they are. Once I read that Grand Bahama has the best horseback riding in the long string of Bahamian islands, I was sold.
True, the island has casinos, too, but I never made it inside them -- and given the lack of neon and blinking lights advertising headliners, it's easy to forget they are even here. I suppose you could have a wild time on Grand Bahama Island if you went looking for it. But the most obvious thing to do is to soak in the quiet, friendly, low-key atmosphere, and relax.”
See also http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/index.aspx

Other Caribbean Destinations

Aruba isn't the only island of its kind; in fact, it is not at all unique among Caribbean destinations (even Aruba's claim to be out of the hurricane paths is untrue). This is the first part of several- you see, there's no need to deprive yourself of a Caribbean vacation by boycotting Aruba; Aruba's loss will be someone else's gain!

Note: all excerpts are from www.caribbean.com unless noted otherwise.



Jamaica

Kingston
For the best of Kingston, check out the ultra-modern commercial centre called New Kingston, and/or the mansions and villas that cling to Kingston mountainsides. For a look at the rich lifestyle of the late 1800s, visit Devon House with its louvred balconies, antique furnishings, and palm-patterned silk wall hangings. Then there is Jamaica House, built in the 1960s to house the Prime Minister, and Kings House, official residence of the island nation's Governor-General. The city's zoo and botanical gardens are also highly recommended tourist destinations. Bob Marley fans will want to visit the Bob Marley Museum. The Mona campus of the University of the West Indies is another place worth visiting, as are the many art galleries. Kingston is ground zero for the nation's lively art scene. Jamaica produces some of the finest paintings and pottery in the Caribbean. National Heroes Park pays tribute to Jamaican political leaders Norman Manley and Alexander Bustamente. Also remembered is Simon Bolivar, liberator of Spanish South America. Bolivar spent time in Jamaica as an exile planning the liberation of his people in Venezuela, Colombia and elsewhere.

Montego Bay
Montego Bay, better known as MoBay, is encased in mountaintop jungles and edged in miles and miles of tropical beaches. Jamaica's "Second City" is where most Jamaica visitors arrive by air, landing at ultra-modern Sir Donald Sangster International Airport. Older sections of MoBay look pretty much like they did two centuries ago. Sightseeing musts include 18th century plantations, restored Great Houses revealing the splendour of planter digs and, sadly, the squalour of slave lifestyles. But then, all great civilizations have been built on the backs of slaves, from Egypt to Greece, Rome, and the pre-Civil War American Confederacy.

Today's distillery near MoBay produces Jamaica's famed Appleton rum. The sugar cane ingredient for choice rum is grown in Jamaica's rich soils. The lush rainforests of Jamaica and its green valleys evoke the Emerald Isle of Ireland. Bucolic meadows, chockablock with grazing livestock, resemble England outside its teeming cities.

Ocho Rios
Call it Ochee. Most everybody else does.

Jamaica's No 2 tourist magnet is about 70 miles from Montego Bay and around the same distance from Kingston. Ocho Rios sounds like ochos rios, Spanish for eight rivers. A more likely name derivation is the corrupting of Las Chorreras, meaning waterfalls. Dunn's River Falls, after all, is Ochee's main claim to tourism fame. A collection of waterfalls tumbles helter-skelter about 600 feet from top to bottom. This is the place to really "get down," act a little juvenile and silly, if you will. Join a line of crazy tourists slippin' and slidin' as they cavort on the edge of a cascade of water.

Note: Jamaica is included here because of its reasonable rates and overall poularity. However, Jamaica has a high street crime rate outside of tourist areas. An American woman is currently missing from Jamaica under very similar circumstances as Natalee Holloway’s; American collegiate soccer player Jamie Lue was shot to death in Jamaica as well. Travelers to Jamaica are advised to be very careful and stay within tourist areas at all times.

See also http://www.visitjamaica.com/home/Default.aspx


Dominica

What makes Dominica so different? To mention just a few of the island's unique offerings, there is Dominica's historic heritage as the last home of surviving traces of the once proud and warlike Carib race

he island is so rugged and mountainous that it was the last to be developed by Europeans. Today, it remains the least developed of the larger Caribbean isles. The island's interior evokes the romantic beauty of Kauai, Hawaii's Garden Isle. Like Kauai, it is almost always raining somewhere in the ubiquitous rain forests. Chances are, you will see quite a number of rainbows at just about any given moment while exploring the jungle-clad interior. Also, as in Hawaii, whale watching is an option.

Caribs called the island Waitukubuli or "tall is her body." And tall the island is! The island's peaks rise higher than any in the mother country: England. The interior is chockablock with trails, rustic but comfortable mountain lodges, a national park and some magnificent public gardens. Little wonder, then, that the island is called Nature Island of the Caribbean.

Dominica beaches tend to be dark volcanic grey or jet black, except for the golden sands in the far northeast. Beachcombers prefer the area around Portsmouth where beachfront bars and water sports are available.

Roseau, the island's capital, is located on the protected east coast. The only sizeable town on the island is framed by magnificent mountains and looks out over a wide expanse of colourful Caribbean water. Despite extensive hurricane destruction, Roseau has been rebuilt without losing its Caribbean flair for quaint architecture and a charming atmosphere. Friendly townspeople are apt to greet you in a French patois, the French having been first to settle on the island. Like so many Caribbean Windward Islands, Dominica has switched back and forth from French to British jurisdiction. It ended up being a British colony, but French patois can still be heard and most of the people are Catholic.

Note: Dominica is not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, a much poorer and more dangerous nation adjacent to Haiti.

See also http://www.ndcdominica.dm/index.php


Barbados

After about 300 years of British heritage, Barbados has become 'veddy British,' and Bajans, as Barbadians call themselves, are not about to stop now. Cricket is huge in the sports category of Bajan lifestyles. There is a statue of British Royal Navy Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson in Trafalgar Square, Bridgetown, the Bajan capital. There is also a dress code; formal attire isn't just for weddings and funerals. Businessmen dress up, even to the point of sometimes wearing a jacket as well as a tie. And, here, bathing suits are strictly for the beach.

What to do on Barbados? For starters, there is kitesurfing, windsurfing, spelunking (exploring caves), golf and tours ranging from safari to rum, submarine, helicopter and catamaran adventures. Highly recommended are the so-called Seven Wonders: Harrison's Cave, for its gallery of stalactites; the huge Baobab or Monkey Bread tree; two of the Western Hemisphere's three Jacobean mansions; the intact and restored Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill; the 17th century Jewish synagogue; the world's rarest collection of 17th century English iron cannons; and the place where a Bajan citrus cross-fertilization produced the world's first grapefruit. In addition, there are many romantic plantation houses, a zoo, and the world-class Pelican Crafts Centre. At Orchid World, there are thousands of orchids in and around the cane fields of St George Parish.

See also http://www.barbados.org/


Cayman Islands

Our Marine Parks and spectacular dive and snorkel sites are full of sea creatures that make science fiction seem tame. Ashore, you can see rare flora and endemic wildlife found nowhere else. Year-round we have a feast of cultural and sporting events for every interest, and special "island lifestyle pleasures" and values only residents know about. But finding out about these hidden attractions takes someone on the inside to guide you. The Tattling Turtle cruises around Cayman constantly, spying on all three islands, on and off the beaten track, and brings back this report.

Out here, nature will take your breath away - and relax you in ways you never imagined.
Our Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman have preserved that elusive tranquility and natural island charm many search all over the world for. Located 89 miles northeast from Grand Cayman, they are a short flight but an enchanting world away; an ecotourism paradise for divers and nature-lovers. The Sister Islands legendary underwater walls and breathtaking marine life have thrilled many of the world's most famous underwater photographers for decades.

Today, professional dive operators on both Sister Islands offer services ranging from instruction to underwater photography centers. Above water, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are as colourful and exciting as the surrounding Caribbean Sea. Discovering the terrestrial treasures of each enthralls curious travelers, nature lovers and photographers. Small, casual beachfront resorts, condominiums, cottages and guest houses offer modern comforts and amenities that make sampling the Crusoe-like attractions a pleasure.

Information courtesy of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism
http://www.caymanislands.ky/

Letter-writing Campaign

Remember when Nelson Oduber asked the U.S. government to 'blow the whistle' on Governor Riley of Alabama for asking for a boycott? The fact that Oduber (the same man who said Natalee's disappearance was 'insignificant' in his inauguration speech) fully expected this to happen and the fact that to date the Aruban government, the tourism agencies, and ALE all think we should believe them and trust them without question leads me to believe that Aruba is not the free, democratic place it pretends to be. Why else would Oduber be able to fine Diario editor Jossy Mansur for printing anti-government articles? Why else would they expect someone at the federal level to stop the media blitz and governors like Bob Riley? This is the beauty of a grassroots campaign, and it is something that Aruba obviously doesn't understand because they do not have the same freedoms: nobody in the U.S. has the power to tell boycott supporters to cease and desist, be they state governors or average people like you and I. Once we have made up our minds, they will have to fully demonstrate and prove beyond doubt we are wrong. It takes a long time to build a reputation, but only an instant to destroy one.

Dennisintn asks, "so how do we win this war? and it is a war. " The easiest thing to do is write many angry letters, not only to U.S., Aruban, and Netherlands representatives, but also to cruise lines, travel agencies, and even U.S. companies that do business in Aruba. Let them know that we will not be going to Aruba anytime soon, if ever, until Beth and Dave know beyond doubt what happened to Natalee. Cruise lines will stop serving Aruba once numbers drop low enough and long enough. U.S. companies will pull out of Aruba if they find it unprofitable. Travel agents will have no choice but to push travel packages to other places. It can be done; many people will insist that boycott s do not work. They forget one thing, though: nothing like this has ever happened before. We have the chance to remind the world (and our elected representatives) that the American popular opinion is still a force to be reckoned with.

Strategy one: write letters ASAP! The USPS provides guidelines for mailing letetrs to Aruba at http://pe.usps.gov/text/Imm/immicl/immiclab_010.html

CONTACT THE NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands Embassy to the U.S. (complete with smarmy and insincere letter about the boycott):
http://www.netherlands-embassy.org/homepage.asp
Ambassador: Mr. Boudewijn Johannes van Eenennaam
Netherlands Embassy - Washington DC
4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 - USA
202-244-5300 (phone) - 202-362-3430 (fax)

Queen
Her Majesty Queen Beatrix
Kabinet van de Koningin
76 Paleis Den Haag
Den Haag, Nederland

Justice Department
Minister of Justice Mr. J.P.H. Donner
Schedeldockshaven 100
Oranjestad, Aruba Den Haag, Nederland
tel.001.70.370.79.11
fax: 001.70.370.79.00

voorlichting@minjus.nl

The Ministery of Interior and the Antillis,
the Haag, Netherlands
Minister Remkes or Minister Pectold
info@minbzk.nl

CONTACT U.S. OFFICIALS

House of Representatives:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

U.S. Senate:
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

U.S. Embassy to the Netherlands
http://netherlands.usembassy.gov/
Ambassador
Embassy of the United States of America
Lange Voorhout 102
2514 EJ The Hague.
T: +31 70 310-2209
F: +31 70 361-4688

Chargé d'Affaires:
Chat Blakeman :
Political Affairs Counselor
Andrew Schofer

CONTACT ARUBA:

Diario Aruba:
diario@setarnet.aw

Aruba Today:
news@arubatoday.com

Amigoe:
webmaster@amigoe.com

ATA (Aruba Tourism Authority)
http://www.aruba.com/pages/contact.htm

Aruban government officials
Govenor General Fredis Refunjol
Plaza Hnery Eman 3
Oranjestad, Aruba

Prime Minister Nelson Oduber
L.G. Smith Boulevard 76 Oranjestad, Aruba

Minister of Justice Rudy Croes
Victor Hugo Stratt 8
Oranjestad, Aruba

Chief of Police R.F. Bernadina
Wilheminastraat 10
Oranjestad, Aruba

Minister of Tourism Edison Brieson
L.G. Smith Boulevard 76
Oranjestad, Aruba

Attorney General Theresa Croes Fernandez-Pedra
Havenstrat 2
Oranjestad, Aruba

(The above thanks to http://ashvickers.tripod.com/id1.html)

CONTACT CRUISE LINES & TRAVEL AGENCIES:

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/gohome.do

Celebrity Cruise Lines:
http://www.celebrity.com/

Carnival Cruise Lines:
http://www.carnival.com/

Holland America:
http://www.hollandamerica.com/

Princess Cruise Lines:
http://www.princess.com/index.html

Carlson Wagonlit Travel
http://www.cwtvacations.com

7 Blue Seas
http://www.7blueseas.com

http://www.cruiseshopping.com/

Finally, some talking points for your letters- things you might want to mention…

* Why did ALE wait 10 days to arrest the last known people Natalee was with on Aruba: Joran Van Der Sloot, the son of an Aruban judge, and two of his friends, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. It is believed that Natalee was misled into thinking that the Kalpoes car was a taxi, since her companions on the trip report that Joran claimed to be a tourist from the Netherlands who offered to share the 'taxi' ride;

* Failure by Aruba officials to allow the FBI any access to collected evidence, including statements that Natalee's mother Beth Twitty now knows were altered from the originals she signed. Failure to share recorded interrogations of the suspects with the FBI as promised, and furthermore allowing the FBI no opportunity to participate in the interrogations in any way except as observers,

* Failure to search the entire Van Der Sloot property for clues or evidence that could implicate Joran- only his separate apartment was searched. We also have conflicting reports about this: the Kalpoes' attorneys claim the entire property was searched, but assistant Police Chief Gerold Dompig told U.S. reporters that a search warrant was issued only for the suspects' apartment not the main house his parents occupy on the same property,

* Failure to interrogate all of Joran's and the Kalpoes' friends as requested by Natalee's mother Beth Twitty and father Dave Holloway,

* Failure to obtain any search warrants for residences or the suspects' vehicles until days after Natalee disappeared- even though the Kalpoes were spotted washing their car the shortly after Natalee disappeared but after the Aruban authorities knew they were somehow involved,

* Taking no further action as investigators when suspect Joran's father, judge Paulus van Der Sloot , admitted that he 'coached' the three suspects and told them, 'no body, no crime',

* Acting police chief Jan Van Der Straaten threatened Beth Twitty more than once that he would stop the investigation altogether once she began to publicly question their tactics and actions,

* Repeated instances of lost evidence gathered or surrendered by the public , such as possible human remains,

* Investigators who were more concerned with how much money Natalee's parents have at their disposal than her disappearance are still involved in the investigation and still have a job,

*The Aruban government and investigative team have had absolutely no contact with Beth Twitty or Natalee's father, Dave Holloway since August 30, preferring to blame Beth Twitty for compromising the investigation somehow instead of simply extending a basic courtesy to the victim's family,

*Time and time again, the Aruban officials in the investigation and the government chose to shift blame, make excuses, slander the victim and her family, break promises, and pour far more effort into public relations than proving that any allegations of cover-up or simple incompetence are untrue.

*Failure to re-interrogate suspect Joran Van Der Sloot while he was in Aruba during the last week of December 2005 despite Aruban indications that this would be done.

* an utter lack of oversight, accountability, transparency, and extreme conflict of political interests and professional 'incest' on the part of the Aruba Ministry of Justice and the investigators,

* repeated loss and tampering of evidence, altering of signed documents, and unfulfilled promises to Natalee's family by the Aruban investigators and government,

* the fact that Aruba is a major hub for drug smuggling (due to tariff- and search-free trade ports in Aruba) (source: U.S. State Department),

* Aruba's financial laws that protect the identities of investors so well that it encourages offshore money laundering from organized crime and drug trade (source: U.S. State Department).

I hope you guys have as much fun with this as I have. Just rememebr to be respectful and professional.