Aruba Tourism Gets a Failing Grade from National Geographic

 Aruba get failing grade from “controversial” travel magazine by National Geographic. (That would be sarcasm.) And they wonder why in Aruba that the added “black eye” of how they handled the Natalee Holloway case only added to their less than stellar travel image? National Geographic is hardly a group with a vendetta. Of course Aruba tourism officials will accuse them of something. The National Geographic will be to blame, isn’t that the MO?

Aruba
Score: 54

• “Social/cultural integrity is questionable.”

• “Inappropriate coastal development and misuse of the scarce water resources are the largest challenges to sustainability.”

Traveler compliments Curacao and Bonaire, (But not Aruba) Amigoe

The Traveler of National Geographic is very charmed with Curacao’s historic legacy.  In the picture Countryhouse Jan Kok.

WILLEMSTAD/ORANJESTAD – Although the tourism is growing in Aruba, the rumours about this island are not everywhere positive.  Based on 522 consulted experts, the illustrious travel magazine Traveler of National Geographic published the list of the best and worse island destinations.

Aruba ended up worse than three years ago: with a score of 48 versus 54 points in 2004, Aruba is in the category ‘in serious trouble’.  Traveler writes in a comment that the ‘massive high-rise hotels at the west coast of the island, have led to serious traffic jams’.  The magazine considers the hotels’ big dependency on foreign workers and the influence of the cruise ships on Oranjestad, a minus.  Because of this, Oranjestad has changed into a harbourless town center.  The magazine does not care for cruise ships anyway.  

Curacao and Bonaire are doing better, says Traveler.  The magazine considers especially the latest developments in Curacao and the restoration of the historic legacy, as very positive.  Curacao receives a score of 57 points, but the island is placed in the ‘moderate trouble’ category, which is a mix of negative and positive judgments, and must watch for the high criminality figures.  The magazine also warns for the shortcomings of the drinking water- and other utility provisions and ‘the presence of the refinery that pollutes the environment close to the tourist industry’.  All together, the island is ‘attractive for different kinds of tourism’.

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Red Cross Says No to Carnival in Aruba … “That would be irresponsible”

Finally some responsibility in Aruba … 

The Red Cross has decided to act responsible and stated that it will no longer help during Carnival. Why should the Red Cross allocate its thin resources to an event like Carnival when there are much more important things to devote their time and resources to. After all, if the government does not think its important enough to help fund, why should the Red Cross. It is obvious that the Red Cross could and should find better ways to spend their monies than “to subsidize the very lucrative carnival events in Aruba”.

Red Cross Aruba has announced that they won’t take part in events related to carnival this coming carnival season.  That would be irresponsible, considering the current circumstances, said the committee.  The organization has decided to devote their already limited means to immediate assistance and calamity control.

This has been a difficult decision for the committee.  They say that they were forced in this decision, because the government has still not committed to structural financial support, like compensation for the many hours and means that the Red Cross has been putting in for years. 

The committee indicated that it is no longer responsible to use the means of the Red Cross to subsidize the very lucrative carnival events in Aruba.

Amigoe:  Red Cross won’t help during carnival

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Snakes “Boas” in Aruba are Impossible to Control … Metaphor

When describing a predatory snake, they all begin to sound the same. “They are not shy and they can hide themselves”. What or who is actually being discussed in this article, the comparisons are uncanny. Talk about your symbolism.

“We know that boas eat birds, but we didn’t know that they also attach birds of prey.”  Even though the final report on the big boa-research is still pending, all the information is meanwhile in.  From this information it appears that the boas in Aruba are very difficult to control.  Not only are they shy, they can also hide themselves very well.  What we do know is that snakes “in Aruba are very difficult to control”.

“But a boa also knows instinctively how to hide, which makes catching her very difficult, almost impossible”, says Curiel.

Amigoe; November 9, 2007: Impossible to control boas – Boa eats warawara  

The hanging boa in this tree is savoring a warawara.

ORANJESTAD – Family Beijaard from Hoedekenskerke in the Dutch province Zeeland took this unique picture when they were on vacation in Aruba.  They ran across this amazing sight at Seroe Colorado on October 27.  Hanging of a tree branch, a strapping boa threw herself on a warawara (as this bird is called in Papiamento, or a kuifcaracara, the official name of this bird of prey) and ate it.

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Arubans Protest Against Nepotism and Oduber Cabinet

NO NEPOTISM … NO PEACE?

Arubans protest on “One Happy Island” against the Nelson Oduber, MEP Cabinet. If Arubans can understand the unfair practice of nepotism against their own, maybe they can now imagine that same unfair treatment to those who are not citizens of Aruba.

Most important aim was to tell the Dutch delegation of the fraction-leaders that not everything is fine on the island.  With texts like ‘Netherlands, please help us and set us free’ and ‘Cabinet Oduber, synonym for nepotism’

If Arubans feel that they are the unfair victims of the “Oduber Cabinet” that they feel is synonymous with nepotism, imagine what happens when that same favoritism is used in the investigation of a missing person not from Aruba. It cuts both ways. If one believes that nepotism is rampant in the present government in Aruba, then you must also believe that the same preferential treatment was used in the Natalee Holloway investigation. Its the protection and preferential treatment of all those with ties to the“Oduber Cabinet.” There is no difference. 

Amigoe; October 26, 2007: Protest in front of Parliament

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Aruba: More Arrests in Criminal Drug Gangs … Good Police Work in Aruba, So what Happened in the Natalee Holloway Case?

Would someone like to explain how the difference between the drug and money laundering cases in Aruba is different from the Natalee Holloway investigation?

The Aruban police have arrested two more suspects in the large scale drug dealing and money laundering investigation. Its amazing what the Aruban police can do when they set their minds to it.  Here is a rather interesting comment when it comes to the arrests of suspects in Aruba. So when a magistrate extends custody for 60 days, they have hard evidence in hand? We can remember that Joran Van der Sloot, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe’s custody stays were extended. What’s the difference?

Since September 24th, the OM has arrested a total of ten persons that are involved in drug operations.  Of the first eight, only one was released up till now.  The examining magistrate has decided to extend the custody of the other seven with another 60 days.  This means that the OM has hard evidence in hands.

Why was this investigation handled in a more thorough and professional manner than say the Natalee Holloway missing persons case? We were told that the Aruban police were overwhelmed by the enormity of the case. It would appear that a drug and money laundering long term surveillance and investigation would be quite an intricate and difficult job. So then it was not police incompetence, but something more? What would it look like or people say if everyone that was arrested in this drug and money laundering were released and never prosecuted?

What’s the difference?

Amigoe, October 23, 2007: More arrests criminal drug gangs

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