You know that dusty bottle of liqueur, full of blue liquid with a name you cannot pronounce that’s usually pushed right to the back of your cupboard/bar? Well, we went to where it originated from this week and we still don’t know how to pronounce its name.
What we do know however, is that Willemstad, capital of Curacao is a lovely, gentle little place full of brightly coloured buildings, friendly people and lots of places where we could sample this sticky blue liquid.
It was another easy day of sailing from Barbados to Curacao. Being well and truly in the Caribbean now the ships loungers and pools were popular as the temperature climbed and from our balcony the sea was busy with cargo ships heading towards the Panama Canal and fellow cruise ships. Not interested in splashing around in the pools we spent our time listening to various guest speakers, avoiding eating too much and actually not much else.
Unlike Barbados, we didn’t book a tour for Curacao. We knew Willemstad was within easy walking distance of the port and as seeking free wi-fi was our main aim, chose to limit our time to here. With a land area of only 172 square miles and most of this stark and flat we hope our decision was a wise one.
Curacao is an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, gaining independence back in 2010. Its Dutch heritage is plain to see in the neat little rows of houses with gabled tiled roofs. Although Dutch in design, the colours are pure Caribbean with bright pastels predominant.
Our search for wi-fi took us on an interesting journey. We found ourselves traversing a floating bridge which when powered by its diesel engine will swing open to allow ships through. And we found ourselves snapping photos of architecture dating back to 1634.
Darryl found himself miming how he wanted his hair cut to the Spanish speaking local hairdresser (although Dutch, the main language spoken here is Spanish). And I found myself arguing the merits of Birkenstocks versus Havianas at one of the local shoe shops (Birkenstocks won).
Finally, foot sore and battle weary we found our free wi-fi at a little bar called the Blue Curacao Experience. To keep the proprietors happy (and to access the wi-fi password) Darryl had a good go at the local beer while I experimented with the different Curacao liquors.
It’s two happy, sweaty Australian’s that make their way back to the Arcadia. The journey is interrupted by numerous stops at interesting gift shops and local market stalls, but it is water and deodorant only that is purchased at the local supermarket.
Next blog – the Panama Canal.
Fun Fact – Having to sit, eat and make conversation at tables of eight each night is driving us crazy. We now mainly try for tables for two.
