Reports from Valley Forge Convention Center Demonstration/Protest against Aruba Tourism Authority … Justice For Natalee

JUSTICE FOR NATALEE CONTINUES … KUDOS to those that went to Pennsylvania to provide a voice for Natalee Holloway. Here are some accounts from Richard, one of the individuals who participated in the campaign for “Justice for Natalee”. This is a brief report on today’s demonstration/protest against Aruba Tourism Authority. It was held at the Valley Forge Convention Center, or a name very similar to that, although it was billed as happening in a town called King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Somehow there is something appealing in the idea of demonstrating at Valley Forge. It wasn’t QUITE as cold as it probably was in George Washington’s day, but none of us mutinied.

Listen to Richards interview on the Dana Pretzer Show

Anyway, here’s a basic overview of what happened, at least as I saw it. Anyone is free to post this on a blog. Those participants who took photos will be asked to send them to the key blogs. We had six participants at the maximum. Four of us post on Scared Monkeys as follows: 10061906, NM, Elaine, and Richard. JusticeforNatalee and her husband dropped in; she had taken part in the “original” Boston protest, and we were all pleased that she joined us. None of the rest of us had ever met, but we all worked together effectively.

UPDATE: PICS FROM THE PA TRAVEL SHOW

Arrangements had been made with security, who gave us a place to stand near a main entrance to the convention center. This place had a huge parking lot, so it wasn’t like the Boston event, where everyone had to pass by us. As there was at least one other main entrance, a number of people might have not seen us. Also, the traffic pattern in the huge parking lot was chaotic at the best. Anyone who pulled over to take our pamphlets, read our signs, or to just take a look risked incurring an accident. I think that a post in front of an entrance would have been safer for everyone.

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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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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, Natalee Holloway Disappearance: In The Face of Evil part VI

 In The Face of Evil part VI