Chapter Two – Bonarais (4/25)

May 6, 2025

“The path of least resistance.” (The path of the most loot.)

Bonarais 4/13/25

“Island of the giants,” was the name the Spanish gave to Bonarais in the 1400’s because the native people were so tall. The prehistoric people of southwest Florida, the Calusas, were exceptionally tall also. Maybe the earliest sailing explorers?

We are watching as they are unloading a container ship on the finger dock near where we are tied on. Four people halt its sway as it dangles from a crane and approaches the ground. A flatbed truck is already there, the container is placed and driven away. Repeat, repeat, again, again. An island has to import most of its needs.

Bonarais is like a village of beautiful doll houses. The Dutch who were historically of colonial dominance, after they drove the Spanish out, and still maintain significant influence, designed the buildings with color and form that reminds them of their homeland. Pastel orange, yellow, and turquoise structures with contrasting gingerbread eves, cafe's where locals sit outside with coffee and converse in Dutch. The children eat ice cream. Very civilized, unhurried, no garbage.

While it is cold in the Netherlands many Dutch nationals stay here untill the weather improves. They accept dollars and the prices are the same as in the US. $800,000 to buy a 3 BR apartment, 3,000 to rent a vacation place for a week, and to buy a condo, (the Dutch are tastefully building them all along the coast), one million five hundred thousand dollars and they are selling them to Americans. Beautiful beaches, snorkeling, and perfect sailing conditions are the main attractions.

Suddenly while you gaze out at the turquoise water, red and yellow flippers poke from the surface and you realize there are people underneath there snorkeling. Peering into the water from above you can see blue and green parrot fish and other fantastically decorated fish.

When we return to our ship three hours later they are still unloading the containers. They have removed about half and there is another container ship in the distance waiting to approach.

In the interim we had hired a taxi with another couple. We saw the salt flats, the donkeys, the flamingos and the slave houses. The couple we were with are the only people who have shown sincere interest in the Parallel Currency. Jeff has spoken to maybe 15 people on the ship so far. Not an unusual percentage.

The slave houses, no longer in use, are a shockingly cruel structure. Two to four people in a 5 foot by 5 foot coral block structure with a roof. The door is only big enough to crawl through. Resembles a dog house. No trees to shelter from the heat. Only the relief of a sea breeze in the evening. In the day they would have been like ovens. This was where the slaves who worked the salt flats stayed during their 6 day work week. Saturday they walked into town to get their rations and see their families. They walked back to the salt flats Sunday morning to work the rest of the day.

The Dutch East India Company got into the slave trade in the 1600’s. Salt was in great demand as a preservative. The slaves who worked the salt flats named it the “white hell.” Slavery was not abolished by the Dutch until the late 1800’s. Then they brought 'indentured servants’ from India.

Huge flocks of flamingos share the salt flats with Cargil, Inc.? who now owns the salt industry and most of the south end of the island. The birds spend their entire lives walking about in the shallow pools, eating, nesting, socializing, and sleeping. We could see the dark mounds of their nests in the distance. They lay one egg and nurture that “only chick” to maturity.

The salt is harvested mechanically now. The shallow saltwater pools ripen in the heat for 6 months or more, until they turn a lovely pink, like the flamingos. Then the water is drained off, the chunks of salt are ground and flow from the machine like through an hourglass, to form a pure white pyramid of salt below. (Pink salt turn white?

What can I say about the donkeys? So gentle and their sad brown eyes have seen everything. But they don't speak.

At sea.

Curacao 4/15/25

This Dutch colony acquired its independence but still maintains the feel of their presence. Historically it was the main Dutch slave transshipment center.

The current population is multilingual. They speak Dutch, English, Spanish and Papiamento. A local man, Nathan, was very helpful with information.

A black and white drawing of a man 's face

Papiamento is the native language developed during the 17th and 18th centuries within the multi ethnic community dominated by Africans that had been imported as slaves. They maintained the structure and sound laws of their African dialects and borrowed words from all the other languages, including Amerindian and Portuguese. An incredible act of will and assimilation reflected in this language.

The locals refer to Curacao as “Hoya Presioso”, Precious Rock.

To get an idea of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade here are some numbers. Conducted from 1444 -1867, 35,000 voyages, 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped to Europe and the Americas. Almost 2 million died during the passage. The Spanish, Dutch, English, and French all participated. Slaves were the original “renewable energy” their labor used to build fortunes in sugar and salt.

An historic coral block fort dominates the port entrance. It has been converted to a mall with shops and restaurants. Mostly souvenir shops, and high-end shops dominate as far as you can easily walk. Toward the extreme of that the local life becomes more active and there is an open fruit and vegetable market along the canal with small houseboats where the vendors sleep. A thin fellow thrusts a small plastic bag under your nose. “Pot, you buy?”

The pontoon bridge was built in 1888. It allows container ships and other large boats into the deeper harbor. Built on 15 floating pontoons as a walking bridge to span the inlet it opens frequently, clearing the bridge of people with an alarm, closing gates at either end, uncoupling and motoring till the whole expanse is pressed against the side. The movement takes about 10 minutes. Some walkers stay on and ride to the other side.

A black and white drawing of a man with a beard

It has its own government but the parliament is still Dutch. Children are in preschool as early as 2 yrs old, it is compulsory and also parents pay a small fee. Fees continue through the rest of schooling and uniforms are required, (paid for by the parents). College is available for about $1,000 a year. Medical care is covered. Housing is stressed at this point because investors have made many B&B’s and driven up the prices of housing. Locals can't afford to own so they stay with their parents. They have to go away if they plan to study medicine and usually don't come back. They make more money elsewhere.

As I watched the sun disappear, a white gull flew up, climbing, it became pink and climbing higher, grey. Finally, dark blue as it left the light of day.

How rich is too rich? If that is decided, a moment is opened. The wealthy can give their excess to whatever human basic needs they choose; food, shelter, education or healthcare. This is not a tax, taxes would not be necessary if a ceiling for wealth were agreed upon. The narrowing of the extremes of wealth would enhance communication between all sections of society. People would more readily socialize, form bonds and empathize. Creation of a Parallel Currency for basic human needs would not be out of reach. The habit of including everyone in national economic prosperity would make providing basic food, shelter, education and healthcare Worldwide a natural conclusion.

At sea

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Chapter Sixteen – Japan Part 4

September 26, 2025

Japan Chapter 16, part 4, Looking back

Chapter Fifteen – Japan & S. Korea (8/25)

September 15, 2025

Japan Log, Part 3 General impressions, Japan and Jeju South Korea

Chapter Fourteen – Japan Part 3 (8/25)

September 9, 2025

I went to the Nagasaki Museum of Art. There was a special exhibit there called War in the Eyes of Artists; from Goya to several Nagasaki artists. Though I had deliberately avoided visiting the epicenters of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki for reasons I have already expressed, seeing this exhibit at the museum was just as intense. For this log I am going to highlight a display I found most moving. I am including the youtube address where it can be seen and heard. Place address here The display starts with a poem and an illustration. Both commemorate the bombing of Nagasaki. After viewing the illustration and reading the poem you enter a small theater to sit down and watch an animation of the illustration set to music. All the children, adults, animals and Shinto like creatures that are in the illustration (in a huge tree) come to life and move to the rhythm of the music. A male voice sings overall, lyrics that may have to do with the poem, written by singer/songwriter Masaharu Fujiyama and entitled, “Kusunoki; Blown by the 500-year Wind.” The illustration is the work of an artist named Junaida. The lyrics were inspired by the Kusunoki (camphor trees), which survived the atomic bomb.

Chapter Thirteen – Japan Part 2 (7/25)

September 2, 2025

Shizuoka

Chapter Twelve – Japan (8/25)

August 25, 2025

We dock at Hakodate, Japan on the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That stands as a singular horror among the many horrors humans commit on each other and Nature and continue to commit to this day. There is no apology possible and unfortunately nothing may have been learned. We still threaten each other with nuclear weapons. No treaty has stopped the building of nuclear bombs. I wonder how the Japanese people keep the memory of this tragedy so that living can continue with some normalcy. Maybe it can be equated to a typhoon or earthquake, like a natural disaster having no morality or intention. It has influenced their imaginations ever since though, revealed in movies like Godzilla and in their Manga. Threatening creatures, imagined power that cannot be controlled or resisted. People can be like a natural disaster to each other. People can also be wonderful. We saw this as we left the city. A small group of dancers appeared on the dock to say goodbye. The dancing they did was so charming and touching. It was a traditional dance, maybe 15 dancers. About 8 people played instruments to accompany them, flutes, drums and other unique percussion. Watching from the top deck of the ship the dancers appear like exotical dolls. Three warriors pantomime their strength, emphasized with elegant gestures of their fans and their golden, brightly tasselled headdresses that bow and flash in opposition. Then the little children emerge, five of them. Their elders position them precisely and they wait for the music to begin. Their tiny movements are sweetly in time as they step then extend their fans to tap the air with it lightly, creating a feeling of certainty and control. Moving to one side with a gliding motion they unfurl their fan, flourish and close it, then glide to the other side and do the same. The dance continues with variations of these movements and some new ones punctuate occasionally. So intent and serious, each tiny performer dressed in elaborate traditional clothing, a magical, miniature display. The dance becomes hypnotic as it continues to the simple rhythms of the drums and flutes repeating and repeating an ancient significance remembered by a few. After they finish, our ship pulls away with several blasts from the horn. The tiny dancers wave goodbye, with their hands crossing again and again in front of their faces, for so long it seems as if they might continue until we are out of sight. Finally we are too far away to hear the children cry out. This experience was fleeting and very moving. A dancing gesture of dignity and friendship. People are not their military, they are not their government. They have to participate in their society but they are first of all human. They want to create understanding beyond language and country.

Chapter Eleven – Alaska Part 2 (7/25)

August 12, 2025

Alaska feels like a different country; not like one of the United States. Maybe its vastness and extreme climate have created this unique presence. People who adapt themselves to living half the year in darkness and half in light, in a lot of cold and rain with magnificent beauty all around, this has an impact. The unique environment of Alaska transforms people. The Tlingit were one of the aboriginal Alaskan groups. They crossed the Bering Strait from Asia, approximately 9,000 years ago. There are also some theories about individuals island-hopping from Polynesia. Both scenarios may be true. Nonetheless, they formed a highly complex social, legal and political structure along with extraordinary creative arts and oral culture. Before European contact their population reached approximately 20,000. Status was based on birth and wealth, creating a hierarchical social structure. There was a noble class (determined through hereditary) followed by medicine men and women, warriors, traders, commoners and slaves. The Clan House was home to three resident classes; nobles, commoners and slaves. The construction of the Clan House was a sacred event involving rituals for the dead. The two ritual groups (moiety) were Raven or Eagle/Wolf, and they were expected to marry outside their group (exogamous). Tlingit followed a matrilineal clan system. Children inherited the clan side of the mother. All rights were through the mother; these include fishing, hunting and gathering places, the use of certain clan symbols, totem designs, house decoration and ceremonial clothing designs. The Clan had spiritual, psychological and medical protection from a medicine man or woman. They were also known to control weather, bring luck, predict the future, expose witches and speak to the dead. They did not cut their hair in order to keep their power strong. Their power would pass to a younger relative when they died.

Chapter Ten – Alaska Part 1 (7/25)

August 4, 2025

Some context for this trip and log. The ship we are traveling on is the Villa Vie Odyssey. It is a small cruise ship with about 300 passengers and 300 crew. We have bought a cabin aboard. My plan is to document one circumnavigation. This will take about 3 and ½ years. So far this has been a record from when we boarded in Barbados, going through the Panama Canal, up the western coast of Mexico over to Hawaii then up the western coast of the United States to Alaska.The following is an account of Alaska. After this we will travel to Japan. Thank you for your interest. I was unprepared for the profound beauty of Alaska. The more you see, the more it astounds. How is it possible that people could hunt seals, foxes, wolves and beavers to extinction, log evergreen trees to bare brown ground - as if a massive electric shaver was used to mow the mountains- that grow back in patches and trails made for giants? Vastness is not endless. The harsh environment, remoteness and beauty did not protect them. Still, how was it possible? Only people caught in a frenzy of commerce could do this. The same frenzy that brought thousands of men with dreams of making fortunes in gold to remote outlands of Alaska. They became insane devourers. Luminous white water rushes from a cleft at the top of the mountain sliding in and out of evergreens to the river below, pinched along the way by grey rocks. This was the land of the Tlingit for at least 10,000 years. Theirs was a highly developed social structure equal to those found in Europe. Spanish contact in 1775 dropped their population by about 80 percent, with typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and measles. The Russian fur trade changed their lives even more. It began after Vitus Bering’s 1747 expedition and “discovery” of the Bering strait. Sea otter pelts were the incentive. Other fur was also sought but sea otter pelts were the most coveted. It is the warmest fur. It has the most hairs per square inch of any animal fur. An adaptation that allows it to live in the extreme environments of Alaska. Unfortunately for the otters its fur can be made into the warmest of coats. By 1799 the fur trade was thriving. It involved the forced labor of the indigenous people. Their local knowledge of the animals and their hunting expertise were essential. This industry brought significant change to the native communities, disease, dependence on trade goods and inter-tribal conflict. Russia traded furs to China and Europe. When competition for pelts and political factors involving Russia affected their ability to continue the trade, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. The US had been pressing westward and getting involved with trapping, fishing, mining, logging and homesteading. In 1867 the US bought Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million dollars. In 1788 the US entered the maritime fur trade; sea otter furs for Oriental goods. By 1801 the US controlled the fur trade at its height and Boston was at its center. When a major discovery of gold was made in 1896, Alaska became the gateway to the Klondike gold fields. Purple mountains are passing by my window as we glide to our next port. I can watch this ‘movie’ before I go to sleep. It stays light till around midnight and never becomes completely dark. The sun is up at 5:00. Locals describe the endless darkness of the winter months as depressing. “What do you do?” “Watch movies, watch TV.” Native people used the long dark Winters to create. The memories of summer beauty and important events, documented in beadwork, carved figures of animals from walrus bone, charms for hats and masks, hand made fur garments beautifully beaded with flowers, leaves and animals, scrimshaw pipes of bone, a crown for a baby beaded and decorated with carvings, two white pom poms hanging from thin leather strips on either side. The intensive summer hunting over, food dried and stored. Time for handwork, music, story telling and conversation. While the mountains and sky silently hover near in all their variety and beauty.