Colors of the Caribbean

South of Marco, Key West, and all of Florida, lies Cuba and then the Caribbean Sea. Architecture in Florida has changed over the years with many factors defining the style, the size, and the color of our homes and businesses.

For many of the Marco Beach Boys and Girls, traveling south and into the Caribbean Islands has always been a source of entertainment and education. Tropical islands, after all, have always offered inspiration and as visitors arrive to our islands, they take away what they learn and what they like. On many occasions, architecture, style and home colors often come from traveling abroad, because we bring home the designs and the concepts we admire. What we bring home and admire however, can sometimes have roots in the most unusual, surprising, and very clever circumstances. 

Deep down in the Caribbean Sea, just above Columbia and Venezuela lies the tropical island of Curacao. Curacao is the largest of the six islands that encompass the Dutch Antilles. Beyond the miles of golden beaches and turquoise water glowing like neon, there are lush mountains with hidden caves and a centralized underwater lake. Inscribed on the walls of the coral rock caverns are mysterious and colorful petroglyphs from times gone by. Near the harbor and the beaches, there are saltwater ponds where thousands of flamingos’ flourish, and a quaint capital city where a colorful history has left a vibrant legacy all across the Caribbean and now into Marco, Goodland, and the Isles of Capri.

Once upon a time in Curacao, living in the Dutch settlement of Willemstad, there was a very clever Governor. The Governor lived high above the harbor in the old stone fort known as Castle Nassau. Being the local administrator and the individual responsible for everything in his little island kingdom, the governor was concerned about the only real problem in Curacao.

Every morning when the Governor awoke, he would stretch his legs on the battlements of Castle Nassau and look out over his sovereign responsibility. All along the rising mountains, beginning with the bright and glistening sea, there were of course, all the people’s homes and businesses that made up all the buildings of Curacao. There was only one problem and that issue was painful and extremely troubling.

All the homes, businesses, and warehouses were white! In fact, every structure on Curacao was made of the native coral stone and then coated repeatedly with whitewash. Everything was bright white, just like the salt harvested from the salt ponds, and as everyone knew, the crystal white salt was brilliant in the Caribbean sun and bright enough to blind anyone who worked in the salt industry too long.

Day after day, as the Governor looked over his subjects and their blinding white buildings, he became more concerned. After a time, he even began to develop headaches from scrutinizing the brilliant white of all the structures in Willemstad. Finally, on a particular sun drenched and very bright day, he called for his good friend the doctor to come to Castle Nassau for a consultation.

After prescribing medication for the Governor’s headaches, the doctor strode along the high battlements of Castle Nassau and gazed down at the sea and the swash of whitewashed buildings below.

“My dear Governor,” the doctor began, “The medicine I have prescribed will soothe your headaches but a permanent cure for the blinding pain cannot come from any medication. The only remedy that I can guarantee is you must use your powers and make a decree. From this day forward, from the mountains to the sea, all of Curacao’s buildings must be painted pretty colors for everyone to see. When any color but white can abound, no one will go blind and your terrible headaches will be only a dream!”

“Truly?” the Governor replied. “I can see the value in your educated advice. Then let it be so! From this monumental day, all the buildings in Curacao must be painted and never again will there be whitewash. Let there be the pink from the flamingos, the many colors of the sea from the different depths of the waters and let the colors from all flowers be represented in our effort to save our island eyesight from the terrible glaring white.”

The doctor smiled as he could see his counsel was valuable and then merrily went on his way.

As the decree was ordered, and the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, slowly but surely, all the buildings on Curacao began to change color. The pink from the flamingos was indeed a lady’s favorite, just as the men choose colors from the depths of the ocean and the greens from mountains and hillsides.

The new colors of Curacao soon became very popular as visiting ships arrived, departed, and took away the new colorful theme. After a time, the governor’s wish and the doctor’s prescription began to flourish and on the neighboring islands, all of the homes and shops also began to embrace every color from the rainbow.

The only problem for the people, and their homes and businesses, was that with all the salt, and all the sun, every house, every business, and even the dockside warehouses had to be painted every two years. This was also in the governor’s edict and in the doctor’s prescription, but it was not known until many years later; when the doctor and the governor had both passed away, that the only paint company on Curacao was owned by none other than the very clever governor and his business collaborator, the doctor who suggested the decree.

Architecture trends might change slowly, but the inspired color of a house on an island can change in a day. 

Tom Williams is a Marco Islander. He is the author of two books: “Lost and Found” and “Surrounded by Thunder - the Story of Darrell Loan and the Rocket Men.” Both books are available on Kindle and Nook.