Well, we are back at Willemstad, Curacao, and we have sun. Puddles in the parking lot left us to believe the storm from yesterday may have passed by here as well. At least it was not raining like in Bonaire. Curacao is the largest of three Dutch islands here, and is located only 35 miles from Venezuela. Willemstad is the capital and also proud to say it is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also famous here is a street by the name of Handelskade. It is home to the infamous painted houses with gabled roofs…all painted many shades of pastel.
Another icon has to be the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge, which swings open to allow boats and ships in and out of St. Anna's Bay. It is nicknamed the "Swinging Old Lady" as it was built in 1888. It has gone through a complete restoration not too long ago.
We were off and running by 10:30am, and took our regular walk to the Renaissance Mall. A Diamonds International was there, so we popped in for their "crab" charms. From there, we continued through Rif Fort to the pontoon bridge, and timed it just right. It was going to open for two tug boats. We happened to notice that there was no other cruise ship in the bay today. That left room for the rest of us.
Going straight, we walked the main street, Breedestraat, and found Milano, the other jewelry shop with charms. Theirs was a turtle. At Wilhelmina Park, we came across a group of teenage girls practicing for a dance routine. Their teachers were warming them up, but not quite ready to begin. They all seemed to have the moves of a Carnival procession, which might happen here before Easter. It seems that every island celebrates Carnival at different times of the year.
The side streets are as interesting as the main street. We passed several small cafes and shops on the way to the Central Market area. By accident, we did discover a fabric store, but most all of their bolts were cotton material. There was a big selection of tablecloth fabric too. Outside this store, we ran into walkers, Howard and Gyl. They said to walk further up the street to see some monuments. So we did and took several photos, before turning around and heading back.
An interesting place to visit is the Floating Market, where boats from Venezuela come to sell their produce and fish. Very little in the way of veggies can be grown locally, so this is a good place to trade their products. Today we watched as one vendor prepared to chop up a small dorado. We were searching for koozies for our soda cans on the ship. Between all of the shops and local vendors, we saw none, except for koozies for beer bottles. Normally, you can find these anywhere.
We even went into the huge Central Market that sold everything. No koozies there at all. Making our way back to the painted houses of Handel- skade, we took our time walking back. The bridge was getting ready to open we thought, so we walked faster to get across. Usually the ferry was there to help folks cross when the bridge is swung. But today, it was gone.
Walking through some stores in the Rif Fort area, we struck out again. The last job of the day was to download the Kindle. Gyl suggested doing this at the Renaissance Hotel and Casino area. We did, and it worked. It was fast speed as well. Back to the ship by 1:30p, we had completed or three hour tour.
The afternoon evaporated as we relaxed and had a light lunch in our room. At least, the ship was docked port side, and we had the view of the dock area in front of us all day. We could also watch the infinity pool at the Renaissance Hotel, where many people were swimming and laying on the beach. All of this sand has to be imported, since there seems to be no natural sandy beaches in this area. Some of the crew members we know told us they get to go to this pool, as long as they buy a drink. And with the all aboard time at 10:30pm again, we suspect some of our crew were allowed off today.
We were willing to try room service for dinner, but decided to go to the dining room instead. Actually, it wasn't crowded and the service was quick. We had visits from head waiters Fredy and Wayan, who will be leaving for home in a few days. We will miss him. Presty stopped by, and chatted for a while. We asked if guests were allowed to come on the ship for a short visit, and the answer was no. Besides being a security issue, the Covid requirements would not permit it. Oh well, these sure are not the old days, are they?
Our dinner consisted of tomato bisque, salted fish cakes, two salads, and one lamb shank, and a brisket meal. All was very tasty. We saved a bit of room for butter pecan ice cream and one frozen peach yogurt. Good thing we are in Aruba tomorrow where we can walk it off….hopefully.
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Report #85 Willemstad, Curacao Saturday-March 12, 2022 Sunny And Windy 78 Degrees
