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Our Trip to the Netherland Antilles

Background

Our second trip of the year carried on the Caribbean theme. We decided to go to Curacao, a tiny island about 2.5 hours from Miami. (click here and here for maps of the island; click here for the island map relative to the Caribbeans).

Like the Fiji trip the year before, we were flying in rather unpredictable times: The September 11, 2001 WTC collapse, the subsequent attack on Afghanistan on October 7th, and the American Airlines accident on the day after Labor Day affected the psychology of travelers around the world.

And so began a week long trip that ended up being one of the best vacations we've ever had.

Some Highlights from our trip

But before we tell the tale, here are the highlights of our trip. They made this vacation one of the best that we've taken.

1) The Ostrich Farm, where we fed, rode and played with ostriches, and where we held a one day old ostrich chick.

2) Iguana for lunch at Jaanchi's.

3) Porto Marie, a beautiful beach that rivaled the waters of the French Polynesia.

And so here goes the story!

The Flight

Our trip began with a flight from SFO on November 17, 2001. After getting our checked luggage scanned, our carry-ons rummaged through twice, and our bodies getting scanned from head to toe twice, we were finally allowed to get into the plane on a red eye flight into MIA. This was followed by a lay over in MIA at 5am, and an eventual flight out at 10am and our arrival in Curacao in the afternoon. It was brutal.

Day 1

Our arrival into Curacao was definitely worth all the effort. We felt the familiar warm, humid air as we exited the plane, and we knew we were on vacation.

After a quick ride on the cab, we checked into the Marriott, where we were greeted with moist towels and big smiles. Our room was 204, facing the ocean.... and topless sunbathers.

Day 2

We started the day with two very different plans: Vera went diving in the ocean while Shu took a tour around town. Click here for Vera's photos from the dive.

Shu first visited the Hato Caves, a cave which is approximately 200,000 years old. Much like the caves in Belize, there were fruit bats and large formations of stalagmites and stalactites. The difference, though, were two fold: (1) this cave was unfortunately "modernized" with lights and walkways, which took away the mystique, but more importantly, (2) was a hideout for the slaves who worked the area. The slaves would come to the cave and practice voodoo near the entrance of the cave; any further in caused problems because the fire consumed the oxygen. But the fact that slaves used the cave was a valuable piece of history for the current citizens of Curacao.

Shu's driver then took him around the island. Some key findings:

1) Oil refinery is the island's source of income besides tourism. Oil is pumped out of Venezuela and is brought to Curacao for refining. Ecological destruction in one country, air pollution in the other. And only 30 minutes away from each other.

2) Pamiamento is the native language. Dutch is taught in elementary school, followed by English and Spanish. It's interesting to see how Pamiamento is spoken on the radio, streets are named in Dutch, many stores have Spanish names, and English is understood by all.

3) Iguanas and lizards are everywhere.

4) The local currency is the Netherland Antilles Gilder, and the exchange rate is pegged at 1.78:1. Just don't expect everyone to follow the exchange rate, because people tend to estimate the rates in their favor. The good thing, though, is that the US Dollar is accepted everywhere that tourists go, but don't bring anything over $20, cuz I even had a slightly hard time breaking a $50 travelers check at the hotel.

In the afternoon, we fell asleep on the beach, and when Vera woke up, she went to get her massage. A nice ending to a perfect day.