Curacao is one of the three so-called ABC islands, along with Aruba and Bonaire. These islands are just off the coast of Venezuela and are part of the Nederlands Antilles. While geographically close, the islands are dramatically different in terrain and climate. The locals speak a language known as Papiamento—a blend of Spanish, Dutch, and Arawak.

I visited Curacao in 1989 during a three-week-long trip around the Caribbean, which included the Turks and Caicos islands and the Cayman islands.