Over 40 countries compete in professional freestyle windsurfing, yet one tiny Caribbean island dominates -- Bonaire. How could an island of 13,000 people with almost no tax base and no formal training facilities produce world class athletes? Set against the backdrop of the 2011 professional competition on Bonaire, Children of the Wind uncovers this question, depicting the fifteen year struggle of brothers Taty and Tonky and their cousin Kiri, who journey from poor fishing families to the cover of windsurfing magazines.
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Go underground in the Dominican Republic's La Cueva de Rulfo.
Olive trees' healthy bounty
Want a few healthy-eating secrets? Look at the olive tree and, specifically, who's in it.
Swim With Giants in Tonga
I came to see the whales and a remote island, and instead found something much bigger. See the photos.
Snorkeling in Curacao
This region’s people, places and things are as diverse as the islands themselves. Getting the goods (and the bads and the weirds and everything in between) is what our esteemed cadre of contributors does best. Go snorkeling on Curaçao’s feral side; try turtle soup in Barbuda (or maybe don’t); sleep where Richard Gere slept; jump into the water at the Baths. We can’t promise things will turn out like you imagined, but if they did, why would you travel at all?
Best Beer Story
They’re beer guys in New Zealand’s wine country. That might explain why Andy Deuchars and Brian Thiel, expats from California, have given the name “Paradox” to one of the pilsners made at their Renaissance Brewing Company. Or why they describe an ale with equal parts sensory effects and breakfast-buffet details: “Layers of biscuit, maple syrup, and hints of black currant and toast.” The combination works. Just like a winemaker (Andy, 45) partnering with a Mercedes mechanic (Brian, 43) to create beer 7,000 miles from home.
What Island Would You Retire On?
Here are your best answers. The map below reveals the top regional picks. Hello, Hawaii.
LIFE IN UTILA
Donkeys flee the tarmac. cows stumble over each other, leaving fresh souvenirs on Utila’s airstrip. And here comes Rebecca Engel, 23, on a golf cart. “Taxi service,” she says. Rebecca has made these airport pickups for her family’s Utila Lodge since she was 12. She says the widest cart path (“the highway”) didn’t exist when she moved here with Mom and Dad from Minot, North Dakota, in 1994. There are now ATVs and at least 20 trucks islandwide. “It can be dangerous,” Rebecca says. This from a girl whose first friends were “man-eating” creatures.
Underwater Pumpkin Carving
There's nothing more frightening than an artistically carved jack-o-lantern on Halloween night. Carving pumpkins has been a Halloween tradition since the late 1800's. Now, divers in the Florida Keys have taken this carving tradition underwater.
Best & Worst: Shore Excursions
Cruises — travelers seem to love or loathe them. Some people think of being on a boat as a vacation in itself; others see these vessels as merely a means of accessing the remote islands they dream of. Our mixed bag of contributors contains plenty of both. Follow them as they fend off unwelcome guests in Borneo, become one with the moai on Easter Island and sail to the end of the world. Seas are calm right now, but that could change.
51º South: The Reel Governor
Multifaceted, articulate, and surprisingly humorous, Nigel Haywood is incumbent Governor of the Falkland Islands and Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. In addition to his diplomatic charge, which he see's simply as to assist the people of the islands as they wish, he is an avid angler. When fishing for trout and mullet some days, he may write a speech in his head, while on others he won't recall a single thought in the world. When determined however, he admits fishing can be the extreme opposite of relaxing, and in the Falklands, can also leave you quite damp. See more at 51DegreesSouth.com
The Virgin Islands in HD
Set sail in the British Virgin Islands. The turquoise sea looks good enough to drink, but we brought provisions for a week anyways - enough to go island-hopping, shipwreck diving, and cave snorkeling. As night falls in a sea of anchor lights, I find myself surrounded by stars above and below.
