Today's port of call was Willemstad, Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles. The largest of the three islands that make up this area, Curacao is 38 miles long and 7 ½ miles wide. And this is our first time to visit here.
The weather is always good in Curacao, like today, for instance. The skies were partly cloudy, with an occasional spitting of rain and the temperature never exceeded 80 degrees. A strong breeze blew all day as well.
What is famous here? We would say the waterfront in Willemstad, the capital, has to be the most scenic setting with the typical brightly-colored houses with red tiled gable roofs facing Santa Anna Bay. The story has it that these houses were painted white back in the old days. However, the governor was inclined to get migraine headaches, and he ordered the houses to be painted pastel colors to reduce the glare. True or not, he was right about the blinding glare off stark white.
A floating pontoon bridge by the name of Queen Emma Bridge connects the Otrabanda and Punda districts. This bridge was built in 1888, and a toll of 2 cents was charged for folks wearing shoes. If you went barefoot, the crossing was free. It was nicknamed the Swinging Old Lady. This bridge was restored in 2005.
Other important events here are Carnival, the biggest party ever. And we cannot forget the famous liqueur, orange-flavored Curacao is made here. This alcoholic drink is made from the rinds of oranges, which are dried, then fermented. The original liqueur was bitter, until a Frenchman came along and combined the drink with sweet oranges. The newer and better version was tinted with a blue additive, to make the drinks more interesting. Otherwise the liquid is clear.
Things to do and see here are the neon blue iguanas and 10 foot cacti plants. There were ship tours that took folks on a country drive, or a beach excursion, and a trolley train trip. A tour of the distillery of the Curacao liqueur, or a ride to the ostrich ranch with a stop at the aloe factory would have been good choices. There are 38 beaches, most are small, and there are diving spots here and there. A sunset cruise took folks around the lit-up harbor and shops.
The ship took its time sailing the length of the island, giving us scenic cruising. Good time for us to be located on port side. We were supposed to have arrived at 8am this morning, but that got delayed until 2pm. There were two ships already docked when we arrived. They were the RCI Grandeur of the Seas, and NCL's Epic. We are not certain that all of the guests on these ships are vaccinated, so we wore our masks all day…..inside and out.
The ship was cleared shortly after 2pm, and those who were on tours, met onshore. Once they were off, we went down to deck A and walked towards the exit from the pier. Dancing ladies greeted us, and there was an information booth with convenient maps. This is nice because the ship does not provide printed maps often on these shorter cruises. Following the crowd, we wove our way through a series of shops at the Renaissance Mall. That led to the harbor that was lined with souvenir stands.
Arriving at the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, we crossed over to the Punda side, where many historical sites exist. Of course, this area is full of boutiques, cafes, bars, museums, a fort, casinos, and souvenir places. We found our way to Wilhelmina Park, and the Central Market as well as the floating fresh produce market. We have read that schooners from Venezuela come here to sell their produce. Fish used to be sold here, but it can be purchased from private homes these days. Nothing really caught our eye, so we came back with nothing. We will be back here in a few weeks, so we will look again.
After taking many photos, we headed back to the ship. Since the few pubs and cafes near the bridge were full of guests, we decided beers and a ham sandwich in the Dutch Café would be better. We got back by 4pm, and had a late lunch in the Dutch Café. The ship was nearly deserted with folks on tours and off into town. All aboard was 10:30pm, so many will be off at dinnertime as well.
One of us relaxed on the veranda, while the other worked on photos. It was enlightening watching so many folks from the ships go unmasked. These islands have been hit with the new variant, so why not be super-careful? We were.
Dinnertime was in the Pinnacle Grill with Barb tonight. There were few tables of people dining in there. So the service was good, and the food hot. Barb started with a steaming bowl of lobster bisque, although the bits of lobster were microscopic. Our waiter, Raj, gladly brought her another generous serving to add to the soup. In fact, we soon found out that Raj had a very great sense of humor, which was fun for a change. Salads were next with a side of clothesline bacon, a treat for all, especially Barb who never tried it before. She gave it a thumbs up. Our entrees were the 7 ounce steak, while Barb had one lamb chop, the perfect portion size for her. We all had dessert…..key lime pie for us, and crème brulee for Barb. Usually not a dessert person, she liked this one.
After the satisfying meal, we had intended to check out the BBC Earth Experience in the World Stage , but there was only one showing at 8pm, and we did not know that. We shall catch it the next time around.
Tomorrow we will be in Aruba, but arriving much earlier than today's port.
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Report #19 Willemstad, Curacao Wednesday - January 5, 2022 Partly cloudy & 78 degrees
