2019 Curaçao part 1
Arrival
5:00am wake up call and off to the airport in warming weather. A few bags to check and a long walk to get to our gate. Breakfast coffees and muffins (a bagel for me) before boarding the WestJet flight - which is now pay for everything and no free food even on a 6 hour international flight.
Curaçao end we could clear through the e-channel by scanning our passport and having its machine take our photograph (it was marked for only those who had online filled in an arrival card - but the attendant waved us in anyway).
Then it was the maneuver through duty free before getting to baggage claim - so money was spent. After exiting it was a short wait and onto a bus for the 9 mile ride to Hilton Curaçao. The hotel is oriented so that both sides have ocean views - but the other one from John and I is the better view (Kerry & Donna’s room is there).
We gathered at the beach side bars and lazed there till dinner (and the start of the Super Bowl). We ended the evening with a scotch on the balcony of K&D’s room.
Day 2 : Beach Day
John’s leg was bothering him so he returned to bed after breakfast. K, D and me headed to the hotel beach starting first in lovely raised platform covered gazebos but had to move when we were very politely informed that there use had to be booked ($). Then onto unshaded loungers (others used the resort trick of “reserving “ chairs by placing their towel on them and then heading off for extended times... how annoying.
We did have mostly cloud cover with scattered droplets of rain. Later when the sun peeked through and the clouds disappeared we got lucky to move under a large palm frond umbrella - in time for
John to join us. The house reef was a pleasant snorkel opportunity with a variety (but not a load) of
colourful fish.
John to join us. The house reef was a pleasant snorkel opportunity with a variety (but not a load) of
colourful fish.
At one point a fairly large iguana sauntered across the beach and straight up stock wall.
That evening we walked over to another local beach and had drinks and dinner at Pirate Cove.
Day 3 : Otrobanda & Willemstad
Tourist day. Off by taxi for the 15 minute drive to the Otrobanda waterfront. We first walked around the old ruins (now shopping complex) of Rif Fort. Next door to hit 2 huge cruise ships dominated the skyline.
Next we walked along the waterfront and watched as the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge swung back to its closed position after letting boat traffic through. Beyond that we made our way to the Slave Museum Kura Hulunda - https://www.curacao.com/en/directory/do/museums/kura-hulanda-museum/#). Built by a local magnate along with adjacent hotel and restaurant and bar. The museum has many interesting exhibits and chronicles the Trans-Atlantic slave trade that featured large in Curaçao’s past.
Off to the waterfront again and across the pontoon bridge to Willemstad side. We spend some time
walking it’s shop alleys as we headed over to the round two story Market for lunch. We were told that the second floor had popular locations which locals used for lunch. The food itself was limited to a
few choices and best described as basic but they did a good job on the red snapper that I had
walking it’s shop alleys as we headed over to the round two story Market for lunch. We were told that the second floor had popular locations which locals used for lunch. The food itself was limited to a
few choices and best described as basic but they did a good job on the red snapper that I had
Onwards to complete a square found us back to see the pontoon bridge let a sail boat through. Once again across to catch a taxi back to the hotel and an evening in.
