In 2007 my wife and I traveled from our home in Richmond, to the island of Curacao in the Greater Netherlands Antilles Islands. Curacao joins Aruba and Bonaire to form the so-called \u201cABC islands,\u201d which lie a few miles north of Venezuela. Aside from choosing the resort where we would be staying, we did not spend much time researching before our trip. We learned a few helpful phrases in the local language of Papiamento, and briefly considered the Dutch influence on the island, but for the most part we went into our experience blindly.<\/p>\n
We left Richmond with visions of white sand and frozen drinks in our heads. Upon our return, however, we had replaced the false fantasies of a homogeneous island vacation with the irreplaceable memories of a place that we did not imagine we would find. An island of hidden beaches in unexpected deserts, a colonial history of more than just colorful buildings, and complex human dynamics playing out over the centuries.<\/p>\n