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Bonaire Slave Huts |
Better suited for housing children than grown men. | |||
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Located near the salt pans on the southern end of the island, these small huts--so small you have to stoop to enter--on the shoreline were once used to house slaves, who slept 2 by 2 in the tiny huts. However, they were not forced to spend the whole week at these huts. On Saturdays, they were given the opportunity to walk the 7 hours to their homes in the village of Rincon in the northern hills; on Monday, they came walking back. The tall stone obelisks near some of the huts have no religious significance. Instead, the four stone markers were vital to ship captains for their bearings; much of the lee island is protected by shallow reef, and it would not be difficult to pile up a ship on shore. They were each painted a bright color for easy visibility at sea: red, white, blue and orange. An appropriately colored flag would be hoisted to let the approaching captain know which pan to approach. The orange obelisk has since been destroyed. You can spend the night in one of these huts. Bring your own bedding and any other comforts. Such as a good air mattress.
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