Today these colourful stone buildings are a welcome, picturesque photo stop for most tour groups while exploring Bonaire, but for centuries these tiny huts were used to house slaves in harsh, inhumane conditions. While nearby Curacao was the centre of the slave trade, Bonaire was basically one big salt plantation. Convicts, indigenous peoples and African slaves all toiled here to harvest the valuable substance. Thankfully, a few of the buildings have survived to the present day reminding us of Bonaire's repressive and often cruel past. Although these hovels, no higher than a man’s waist, have now been painted yellow, the old name is still widely used on the island. Salt is now produced at nearby Pekelmeer, which is also home to a giant population of flamingoes.