Curaçao (Part II): Willemstad, a World Heritage Site

Friday, 10 December

After our beach time and island drive (see previous post), we returned to the ship briefly to exchange our footwear for comfortable walking shoes before heading back out around 1:30p.  Our goal: to explore a bit of Willemstad, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Downtown Willemstad … Otrabanda to the left; Punda to the right.

Despite the hot and humid afternoon, we opted for a 15-minute stroll on the paved pedestrian way that connects the Mega Pier with the heart of Otrabanda.  It’s actually more like a 5-minute walk, but we made frequent stops along the way to read the informative historical markers.  And that’s how I came to learn some of the theories about the origin of the island’s name … take your pick … the last one is the most colorful:

• The name is derived from the Spanish or Portuguese word for healing, cura(ción) or cura, respectively.  Because of the curative effect of the many tropical fruits, the European explorers gave the island the name curación, corrupted to the Portuguese word Curaçao or Curazao.
• Due to the island’s slightly heart-shaped bays, it was given the Spanish name corazón (heart) or the Portuguese corãzao.
• Others claim that the word Curaçao is derived from the Spanish phrase cura asado (grilled priest) …

… I don’t think the last theory has anything to do with the natives asking the priest a lot of questions!!!!

This tile mural commemorates the restoration of the Queen Emma Bridge.
(originally built in 1888)

The pedestrian way took us through the Rif Fort, now home to shops and restaurants.  From the ramparts we caught our first glimpse of the iconic buildings lining the Punda waterfront.

The Rif Fort is one of two fortifications built to protect Willemstad.

Looking across the Rif Fort and Queen Emma Bridge to Sint Annabai.
(Carnival Miracle [left] and Wind Star are docked inside the bay.)

Can’t resist framing Punda through an opening in the fort’s wall.

Once through the fort, we had no problems finding the Queen Emma Bridge, which connects Otrabanda and Punda.  We couldn’t just walk across the bridge, of course, and stopped frequently for photos of the colorful buildings.

The pontoon bridge makes a good photography platform.

I found the “tropicalized” Dutch architecture in Willemstad’s oldest neighborhood (dating to 1684) quite charming.  The story goes that the buildings were painted in colorful hues because an early Governor of Curaçao suffered from migraines that were aggravated by the white paint that originally covered the walls.  It was later discovered that said governor was a part-owner of the island’s only paint store!!!

the original roof tiles were brought to the island as ballast.

Our meandering walk behind the waterfront took us into narrow streets lined with shops, shops, and more shops.  Eventually, we found ourselves at the floating market … too late to catch the hustle and bustle, but interesting even so.

The Floating Market is best visited in the morning.

When the heat and humidity forced us to call it quits, we sought shade and refreshments at the Iguana Café, overlooking Sint Annabai and Otrabanda beyond.  Having skipped lunch, we ordered a simple Tosti Havai (toasted ham and cheese with pineapple), a cold Coca Cola, and a scrumptious Peach Melba to share.

Otrabanda has its share of colorful waterfront buildings.

Can you say “yummmm!”

From our sidewalk table at the café we had a clear view of Carnival’s Miracle and Wind Star, a tall-masted ship, as well as the Queen Emma Bridge.  Seeing the ships docked inside the bay, we bemoaned not seeing the Queen Emma Bridge swing aside to let them into their moorage.  Fondly known as the “Swinging Old Lady,” the original bridge (built in 1888) was “the brainchild of the American Consul Leonard Burlington Smith, who made a mint off the tolls he charged for using it: 2¢ per person for those wearing shoes; free to those crossing barefoot.”  (from the Fodor’s Ports of Call guidebook).

The Queen Emma Bridge is designed to swing aside to let
seagoing vessels in and out of Sint Annabai.

No sooner were the words past our lips that the air was rent by blaring horns.  This was followed by pedestrians running to jump on the bridge before it was too late.  The opening was imminent and we had a front row seat to watch the action.

From inside the yellow pilot house, the operator slid back the bridge in an arc to permit passage of a barge, a tugboat, and a yacht.  Fifteen minutes later, the bridge was back in its locked position.  (Make sure you check out the video in the next post to see the bridge in operation.)

First the bridge swings open ...

... then it swings back to close.

Strolling back across the bridge, we wandered a bit around Otrabanda, but we cut our exploration short.  Heat and humidity have never been my friends, and by now, I was starting to feel downright nauseous.  It was time to make our way back to Grand Princess for our 5:00p sailaway.

It's not just the ocean that's blue around here.

We had just enough time for a refreshing shower before Grand Princess sounded her horn.  That was our cue to settle down on the veranda with a couple of cold brews.  As the trade winds fanned us, we watched Carnival Miracle back out of the bay and swing around towards her next port.  Grand Princess was next to slip her lines and head out to the open ocean.

There’s still plenty of daylight as we leave Curaçao behind.

Our plan for the day was based on the fact that snorkeling is best done in the morning.  If we were to find ourselves in Curaçao again, I’d reverse the order in which we did things today and tour the city first.  While we enjoyed our stroll around town, we didn’t get a chance to really explore either Punda or Otrabanda.  The high humidity, combined with a temperature of 81F (27C), made the afternoon heat downright draining.  If not for the fairly constant breeze that gave us some relief, we probably would have melted into the pavement in no time.  Lesson learned.

Let me introduce you to Mui's girlfriend; he met her at the Rif Fort.

Our evening followed the usual pattern of reading, blogging, and catching up on the news before dinner.  Around 7:15p, we went to the Da Vinci Dining Room where Rotchana and John once again took good care of us.

Mui: shrimp cocktail; romaine lettuce with sun dried tomatoes, avocados, and red onions; sautéed red snapper in a Thai hot (not) and sour sauce.

Me:  eggplant and roasted garlic served with a crispy pastry; chicken noodle soup in a clear broth; penne pasta with Italian bacon, spinach, and tomatoes.

Dessert: fresh fruit and Princess Love Boat Dream … to share.

The featured headliner was a hypnotist whom neither of us had an interest in seeing.  After a couple of partial laps on the Promenade Deck (the stairs up to the bow are locked after dark), we returned to the cabin to rest up after a draining day in port.

Tomorrow’s a day at sea and we’re looking forward to enjoying it before we start the longer series of port calls ahead of us.

Next Up … Video: Curaçao