On Statia, the sky can stay perfectly blue for days, so blue the island looks dry and dusty. This is mostly due to the Sahara dust, which at this time of year crosses the ocean in large quantities, settling over everything. After a while, people start looking dusty too – not everyone showers when the water’s gone. And after a long dry spell, it really is gone.

When the cistern runs dry, you order water from the tanker trucks. It’s expensive and slow, as everyone has the same problem. Sometimes you wait a week or more. Until then, flushing, washing, and cooking are all done sparingly.

Then suddenly, a grey cloud appears. The first drops are big, heavy, and festive. Within a minute, puddles are everywhere, and some drivers can’t resist ploughing right through them. By day’s end, every car shares the same colour: mud grey – along with a few unsuspecting pedestrians and a wandering goat.

The rain rarely lasts long, but after a few days of showers, the island slowly turns green again. For locals, it’s not an inconvenience but a chance to make everything shine – from the yard to the car. Some even wait for rain to do their shopping: cooler weather, and quieter streets.