Steve's Genealogy Blog

The next stop on my trip was the island of Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles .  The capital of Castries has a sheltered harbor and a small airport .  While in Castries I saw several Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) flying overhead.

First View of Saint Lucia

SOURCE:  First View of Saint Lucia (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

George F. L. Charles Airport

SOURCE: Â George F. L. Charles Airport (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Safe Harbor

SOURCE: Â Safe Harbor (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)

SOURCE: Â Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The last stop in Aruba was Arashi Beach for my first taste of salt water in the Caribbean .  The beach was dotted with palapas, huts covered with dried palm leaves .  Nearby stands the California Lighthouse, built in around 1910 and named for the United States ship that sank off the coast on 23 September 1891.

Under the Palapa

SOURCE:  Under the Palapa (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Cactus and Palapa

SOURCE: Â Cactus and Palapa (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

The Sea from Arashi Beach

SOURCE: Â The Sea from Arashi Beach (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

The California Lighthouse

SOURCE: Â The California Lighthouse (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The oldest church on Aruba is the Roman Catholic Chapel of Alto Vista, originally built in 1750 and rebuilt in 1953 .  The chapel is well maintained, inside and out, and is popular with visitors .  Outside the chapel a species of Lantana thrives among the Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia wentiana).

Alto Vista Chapel, Exterior

SOURCE:  Alto Vista Chapel, Exterior (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Alto Vista Chapel, Interior

SOURCE:  Alto Vista Chapel, Interior (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Lantana sp.

SOURCE:  Lantana sp. (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia wentiana)

SOURCE:  Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia wentiana) (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Natural Bridge was one of Aruba’s most popular tourist attractions until Mother Nature had her way with it and it collapsed on 02 September 2005 .  Still, there is another, smaller, natural bridge nearby .  From the beach at Natural Bridge one can enjoy the beautiful, intense blue of the Caribbean .  Lizards are common on Aruba .  In particular, the Aruba Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus arubensis) can be seen around Natural Bridge .  The male Whiptails are blue and the females are brown.

Ruins of the Natural Bridge

SOURCE:  Ruins of the Natural Bridge (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Baby Bridge

SOURCE: Â Baby Bridge (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

A View to the Sea

SOURCE: Â A View to the Sea (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Aruba Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus arubensis)

SOURCE: Â Aruba Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus arubensis) (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

After leaving Curaí§ao, I arrived on the neighboring island of Aruba .  The first place I visited was the Casibari Rock Formations .  From the top of the rock formations, one can see for a great distance, although much of the vista is occupied by acacia, cactus, and rocks .  In the distance, the Santuario Santa Filomena, a Catholic church, can be seen, as can the volcanic structure, the Hooiberg (Haystack) .  Around Casibari are many flowering trees, including a species of Robinia.

The Casibari Rock Formations

SOURCE:  The Casibari Rock Formations (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

View to Santuario Santa Filomena

SOURCE: Â View to Santuario Santa Filomena (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Hooiberg

SOURCE: Â Hooiberg (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Robinia sp.

SOURCE: Â Robinia sp . (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

There was much to see and much to photograph in Willemstad, Curaí§ao .  The Queen Juliana Bridge, one of the highest in the world, dominates the skyline in Willemstadt .  As a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaí§ao pays homage to Queen Wilhelmina with a monument in Willemstad .  In addition to the various queens of the Netherlands, Curaí§ao also reveres Nena Sanchez, a local artist who was Miss Curaí§ao in 1966 and was the island’s representative in the Miss Universe Pageant that year .  Nena Sanchez is known for painting images of “The Blue Goddess” and street art near Nena’s gallery in Willemstad bears striking resemblance to Nena’s “Blue Goddess” .  Finally, the Rif Fort, with walls 1.5 meters thick, was one of several forts built to defend Curaí§ao.

The Queen Juliana Bridge

SOURCE:  The Queen Juliana Bridge (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

Queen Wilhelmina

SOURCE: Â Queen Wilhelmina (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011 . 

SOURCE: Â The Blue Goddess (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

The Rif Fort

SOURCE:  The Rif Fort (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

I’m not much of an expert on birds, but I enjoy photographing them when I see them .  Unfortunately, I know even less about how to photograph birds than I do about the birds themselves .  Nonetheless, I’m determined to learn .  In Curaí§ao, I saw a Greater Flamingo (Chogogo in the Papiamento language of Curaí§ao), a Bananaquit (Barika hel in Papiamento) hiding in the shrubbery, a Tropical Mockingbird (Chuchubi in Papiamento), and an incredible 3-D chalk painting with two Troupials (Trupial in Papiamento) and another unknown bird .  Whatever you do, try not to fall into the painting!

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber)

SOURCE:  Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

Bananaquit (Coreba flaveola)

SOURCE: Â Bananaquit (Coreba flaveola) (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus)

SOURCE: Â Tropical Mockingbird (Mimus gilvus) (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

3-D Street Art with Troupials (Icterus icterus)

SOURCE: Â 3-D Street Art with Troupials (Icterus icterus) (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Willemstad, the capital of Curaí§ao, is a tourist’s delight .  The streets are clean and bright and the buildings beg to be photographed . Â A canal splits Willemstad in half and, along the canal, Handelskade Street is home to brightly colored buildings with red tile roofs .  Many of the buildings are very old and have been repeatedly renovated through the years .  The Governor’s Palace faces the canal .  A short distance away, De Tempel, the former Tempel Emanu-El, now houses the Counsel for Prosecution .  Opportunities for shopping abound in the neighborhood, with the electronics store Boolchand’s and La Casa Amarilla, purveyor of fragrances and cosmetics, just two of the choices.

Handelskade Street

SOURCE:  Handelskade Street (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

The Governor’s Palace

SOURCE:  The Governor’s Palace (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

De Tempel

SOURCE: Â De Tempel (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

Boolchand’s and La Casa Amarilla

SOURCE: Â Boolchand’s and La Casa Amarilla (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 28 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Being an island, Curaí§ao’s coast is dotted with beautiful beaches .  Knip Beach on the north side of the island is graced with white sand, blue water, and interesting rock formations .  I was taken by the beauty of the underwater rocks and coral in the shallows and snapped a photo of it .  Like my previous attempt to photograph fish swimming in the waters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, my rocks and coral photo looks like abstract art .  It’s still beautiful, though.

Knip Beach

SOURCE:  Knip Beach (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 March 2011.

The Blue Lagoon

SOURCE: Â The Blue Lagoon (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 March 2011.

Underwater Rocks and Coral

SOURCE: Â Underwater Rocks and Coral (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 30 March 2011.

A View to the Sea

SOURCE: Â A View to the Sea (Curaí§ao, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Felipe Carneiro on 30 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko