Explore and pay homage to the history of Bonaire by visiting the Slave Huts at Pekelmeer, near the Red and Orange Pan.
Even though they can hardly be called houses with their 20 inches height, four to six men slept here every night. This is where the slaves sought shelter for the night from Monday to Saturday, after a day of hard work on the plantations. On Sunday they walked home to their families, all the way to Rincon, a six to seven hour walk!
The slave houses were built in 1850 and even though we find sleeping in these small spaces barbaric, after years of sleeping on the beach slaves were fortunate to have them. Obviously this was a terrible time. Thousands of slaves worked on the salt plains in harsh conditions.
Shoveling salt in wheelbarrows which were brought to the ships throughout the day, the slaves were ongoing knee high in caustic brine. These men were maimed by the salt. Tucked feet, legs and arms were common symptoms after years of exposure to the lakes, and blindness by having to look daily in the blinding white salt was common. Learn more about Bonaire’s history at www.feelbonaire.com
