ALL PHOTOS BY RITA MENDES-FLOHR.
The Gum Tree grows a massive reddish trunk made up of soft, almost leathery wood. In fact, donkey saddles were made of it back in the day, hence its Papiamentu name: Palu di sia (Saddletree). The ‘white’ Gum Tree (B. bonairensis) is indigenous to the ABC islands and has a much lighter colored trunk.
The outer layer of its bark flakes off in a paper thin film, appearing as if the tree is continuously shedding its skin. It does particularly well in drought-prone climates as it’s one of the first to drop its leaves. Hence its South and Middle American name: “The Naked Indian”.
Leaves or no leaves, this tree is a sight to behold: her long, graceful sinews evoke a school of dancers blowing in the wind.
Source: de Boer, Bart. Nos matanan i palunan Onze planten en bomen Our plants and trees. Curaçao Bonaire Aruba. Curaçao, 1996.
1000 Awesome Things About Curaçao 
Lieve mensen mag ik jullie danken net zo danken alsdat ik alle politici doe voor de aandacht die jullie hebben voor dingen die mensen al jaren jaren achtereen doen met een idealisme die zijn weerga niet kent . Dank jullie
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Op 8 sep. 2013 om 15:55 heeft “1000 Awesome Things About Curaçao” het volgende geschreven:
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