ABC Island Visit Part IV Curacao

                      ABC Islands Visit- Part IV- Curacao

Wed. December 25,2024- Christmas Day

         We were up and ready by 6:30 A.M. It was already 80 degrees and humid out. Breakfast, in the Deck 14 cafeteria, was followed by an assembly on Deck. 4. At 8:15 A.M. We were headed off on a three hour “Tour of Curacao.”

       “Taber Tours” collected us in an air-conditioned coach. Our guide Laura detailed the early history of Williamstad. The Spanish had arrived first in 1799. They found no gold on Curacao and dubbed the island “Useless.” The Dutch had followed in 1828. They built two fortifications at the mouth of the harbor. They also realized that the island was a treasure trove of “white gold.” Salt was then the only major preservative for both meat and fish. The marshy bays of the island were ideally suited for creating salt beds. The sun would evaporate the ocean water, leaving behind chunks of sea salt. It was to be a source of wealth for the next two hundred years.

        150,000 residents call the 28-mile long island home. They speak Dutch, English and Papiemento. The U.S. Dollar and the Dutch Guilder are the official currency. Curacao is now a special district  of the Netherlands. There is a sizeable population of Hollanders, many of whom own second homes and vacation here in Winter.

        Most of the businesses were closed. Everyone was home enjoying Christmas morning with their families. The traffic was sparse as we rolled through the town. A large oil refining facility had been closed a few years back, costing 3,000 people their jobs. There is no oil on Curacao, but for years they had refined and stored oil from Venezuela. Venezuelan Premiers Chavez and Maduro had run that industry into the ground. Venezuela, once the most prosperous country in South America was now a beggar’s paradise.

        “The Floating Bridge” is a local tourist attraction. It is a pedestrian bridge across the harbor, that also opens up as a draw bridge to allow sailing vessels to come in and out. The commercial buildings in the city center are all of the attractive Dutch-colonial style. The various hues of pastel made them eye-appealing. Laura told us a delightful story explaining their multi colored beauty. Supposedly a colonial governor had complained about the glare from the white terra cotta facades. It was he claimed causing him severe head-aches. He asked the villagers to paint their buildings in softer pastels. They readily complied. It was not until the man passed on that they all found out that he in fact owned the local paint supply company. True or not, it is a good story.

       We drove along the “Hoogstradt” a neighborhood of wealthy home owners, admiring the two-story homes. They reportedly sell for $800 K and up. We then crossed the very high Queen Julianna Bridge. From the crest of the bridge, you could see much of the Island. Venezuela lies forty mile south. Curacao is a dry Island. There is no source of water available. The government had built a desalinization plant that supplies all of the fresh water needed.

      Our next stop was the W.V Seniores “Triple Sec” distillery. The original Spaniards had planted orange trees on the island to fight scurvy on their sailing ships. The fruit tree had not prospered in the arid soil. What did evolve was a tough, little ,sour-orange tree. The Seniores mastered the art of taking the tough orange rind and boiling it, then adding sugar and cardamon for a six-day process. The result is a delightful liquor called “Curacao,” composed of 25% alcohol and blue in color. In the gift shop it was selling for $31 per bottle. The small distillery only manufactures a limited amount of the prized liquor. We sampled a few of the various flavors.

All around us the bushes and trees on the island were lush and laced with bougainvillea and other colorful flowers. Laura said that when the dry season came, in late March, all of this green would die off and turn brown, waiting for the next wet season to grow back.

Our last stop was at a small notions store on a high rise of land. It has a balcony with a commanding view of the ocean and harbor. It also has a small loo. Unfortunately, they have brought across the European concept of “pay to pee” loos. I hope that practice doesn’t spread. The view was majestic. We all dutifully took selfies with the Bay as a backdrop.

It was both hot and humid. As picturesque as the tour was, we were glad for it to end. We returned to the air-conditioned bubble of the Reflection. We changed into our gym clothes and hit the deck 12 gym for an hour’s workout, hoping to fight more of the caloric battle.

Lunch was fish and a vegetable. Then, we read on our balcony for a time and enjoyed a mid-afternoon nap. Life is good. Cocktails at 4 P.M preceded our arrival at the Opus Dining Room. A glass of Cabernet introduced “scallops Rockefeller,” A Lobster Tail and a chocolate yule log for dessert. It was a memorable Christmas repast.

After dinner we walked top-side for a time, admiring the starry sky above, before returning to the cabin to read and surrender to the sand man. It had been a nice Christmas Day on a beautiful island in the Caribbean