Curaçao: Real. Different

Friday, 10 December

As the crescent moon illuminates the ship’s wake, I’m enjoying another quiet evening on the veranda.  We are definitely in the Caribbean.  If the warm nighttime temperature is not enough proof, the humidity definitely is.  Luckily, the gentle breeze that occasionally comes across the veranda makes it comfortable enough to sit outside.

CuraÇao, with Aruba and Bonaire, makes up the ABC Islands.
(inset shows where we docked and toured in Willemstad,
and where we played on Playa cas Abou)

Our day in Curaçao was real; it was different — though probably not for the same reasons the locals came up with the island’s promotional slogan.  And all because of one “reality” experience that intruded into our day.  You’ll have to read on to find out more.

We were up at 5:30a and at the Horizon Court for breakfast an hour later.  We watched the twinkling coastal lights as Grand Princess slowly made its way to the Mega Pier, which overlooks the area of downtown Willemstad known as Otrabanda (literally, the other side).  We stayed on deck for our first glimpse of the colorful houses that have become a symbol of the island before returning to the cabin to grab our bags and head to the gangway.

Willemstad
(mega pier and otrabanda in the foreground; Queen Juliana Bridge
on the horizon; punda and the water fort on the far right)

We were amongst the few passengers who disembarked when the ship was cleared shortly after 7:00a.  Dockside, vendors were just starting to set up their booths and the Avis office was still closed.  Finding a spot cooled by the gentle Trade Winds, we waited for the agent to show up.

Welcome to CuraÇao

As promised, the agent was at her desk by 7:30a, but there was no sign of the car we had reserved.  “It will be delivered at 8:00a,” she told us.  (The cars are kept at the airport where the main rental office is located.)  It was closer to 8:15a when the car was delivered, inspected for dents and such, and the keys handed over to us.  By 8:30a, we were leaving the port behind, taking a left at the first roundabout, going straight through the second one, and taking another left at the third roundabout to get on the main road, Weg Naar Westpunt (literally, towards West Point).

Here’s where I admit that we got a bit lost making our way to the beach that was our destination for the morning.  We had a detailed map from Avis, but since the side roads aren’t well-signed, we missed the turn-off to Cas Abou (Lower House).  A word to the wise: pay attention to the signs for the various landhuis (plantation house) that dot the island and you’ll fare better.  When we stopped to ask directions at a gas station near Barber, a local kindly offered to lead us to the right turn-off in the road.  Nice guy!  Once we were on the correct side road, the rest was easy and there was plenty of signage to keep us on track.

playa cas abou … White sand and every hue of blue in the sea and sky.

Playa Cas Abou is accessed via a road that runs through a plantation by the same name.  We paid the guard at the gate the $6/car (good for 4 people) entrance fee and received our car pass, which included a 10% off coupon for the restaurant at the beach.  The short drive was on a dirt road that had us dodging the occasional pothole, but was otherwise uneventful.  There was only one other car in the parking lot when we arrived around 9:30a and claimed two chairs and a palapa for ourselves.  There was a sign indicating that the chairs were $3 apiece, but no one came around to collect the fee from us (nor from the other beachgoers that followed on our heels).

Ready to check out the snorkeling.

Cas Abou is said to have the brightest blue water on the entire island.  It did not disappoint.  While I made myself comfortable in the shade and read my book, Mui went snorkeling.  Unlike yesterday in Aruba, he had better luck seeing plenty of colorful fish, but he reported back that the coral was dead.  “I didn’t tape anything; the battery of the underwater vidcam is dead,” he explained when I asked to see his footage.  (It turns out that it’s not just the battery that is dead; the camera is kaput, finito … there will be no underwater footage on this cruise!)

the Troupial (Orange-Breasted Oriole) is the national bird of CuraÇao.
the bird is rumored to be the harbinger of good news if it sings
its melodious song while facing east … this one was!

rain clouds on the horizon, but a beautiful day on Playa Cas Abou.

Although we had intended to visit one other beach before returning to Willemstad to explore the town, we decided to do a drive around the north side of the island instead.  But first, a detour back to the gas station to put some air in one of the tires, which looked a bit deflated.  The one and only gas station in the area did not have a compressor, directing us to the tire shop next door instead.  A lucky break as it turns out!

Here’s where the “Real. Different” part of our day came into play.  The tire in question had a slow leak and needed more than just some air.  This tire was up against the sidewalk when we inspected the car at the rental office.  I’m guessing that’s why we didn’t notice the problem until we were ready to pull out of the parking lot at Playa Cas Abou.  In any event, ten minutes later the tire was off the rim, repaired, tested, and re-installed.  Cost: $6 USD, plus a $1 tip, which the mechanic was surprised to receive.

This is my first time seeing a tire being repaired.

Fast, friendly service and the tire repair is complete.

After a quick stop at the colorful church in Barber to grab a few quick photos of the above-ground crypts, we were off on our drive around the island.  In hindsight, we should have either picked a seaside town to explore or visited the caves of Shete Boka.  But, we didn’t want to dally long since we had plans to explore downtown Willemstad in the afternoon.  In the end, with the coastal scenery hidden behind the vegetation along the road, we had a “green” drive, but that’s about all it was.

Sint Jozefsdal Church in Barber

Since I can’t see over the wall; let’s see what the camera sees
if I sit it on top of the wall.

We were back at the Mega Pier shortly before 1:00p.  The Avis agent had told us that she would be out from noon until 2:00p, so we were prepared to come back later to drop off the keys.  When Mui tried the door, however, he found it unlocked and the agent at her desk.  Returning the car then gave us an additional ½-hour to explore Willemstad, but the agent wasn’t happy … she made sure to lock the door behind us after she processed our paperwork!  (By the way, Avis did refund the cost of the tire repair when we presented our receipt.)

Thus unencumbered, we returned to the ship briefly before starting the second half of our day in Curaçao …

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