An insight into Curazao

Preparations

Before going I tried to get myself informed on all the possible must-knowns. For that I searched around the internet for information about touristic places and hotels, nevertheless there was not much information and the really helpful resources were a couple of blogs. I was also a little bit worried because of the dates I was travelling: 21-30 December which I thought were Hot Season ones.

You can find the list of resources I got in the last section of references within this post.

ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curazao) are well known specially because of their high costs for tourism.

I decided to go to Curazao because it is the biggest of the three and i presumed there would be more places to see, being also cheaper than the more famous Aruba.

Lonely planet guides have been a immense help in other trips I have made (except Colombia one, where its information is vague and reduced, for that i recommend Routes of Colombia guide which you can get in a toll outside the city for around 10us, compared to the 40 US tag on Lonely Planet). Nevertheless I did buy an online guide for the ABC in Lonely planet, which was kind of affordable for only 4 US (Reduced chapters).

I decided not to take my laptop so instead I took my Palm with WiFi connection and a 1gb Memory so I could bring all the bloggers information and also the PDF I bought from Lonely Planet. I did this not only because I am passionate about environmental sustainability but also because of ease of use (did not want to carry around a backpack with a laptop or for it to be stolen). Its of course not as good as to have the guide on paper, but at least comfortable enough.

Currency

Curazao's currency is called the Florin in Spanish, Guilder (Netherlands Antilles Guilder) in English which people will usually abbreviate it as “Floro”. It has a fixed rate I don't recall exactly but its around 1.78 Guilders for a Dollar, nevertheless they would pay you usually around 1.72 if you exchange it in the Bank.

I would recommend to exchange the money in the Casinos, where they will give you the highest rate but have the drawback of only exchanging 100 US at a time. If you exchange it in Shops, Restaurants, Taxis or Buses the rate will be slightly lower, specially on the latest ones because of the “Rounding” that is made.

My recommendation would be to exchange most of the dollars you need into Guilders and pay most of the stuff with them. If you need to buy souvenirs in shops then I would recommend the credit card.

Sometimes they would give you square shaped coins, I got a couple of them and they told me they were scarce and quite rare (I actually brought them back with me), so if you are a currency collector, then its a good opportunity to get a valuable coin. From the Notes perspective I did not really feel impressed by their designs.

Language

Most of the inhabitants of the island speak many languages, being the most important one the Papiamento, which is a mixture of Dutch, Spanish and French with Portuguese accent. They are very proud of their language and its known that an immigrant will not be respected if he/she does not learn proper papiamento, although for us it actually sounds funny and unorthodox. People usually have a basic knowledge of Spanish, Intermediate English and Close to native Dutch.

From a General fact you can do with English, but it does not hurt to memorize some words in Spanish like “Cuanto” and basics in Papiamento like “Danke”.

Arriving

My travel went from Medellín – Bogotá – Curazao. I left at 10am and arrived around 6pm, which is quite a long trip which main disadvantage is not really the price (Quite cheap, specially if you use your air company Miles or promotions) but the time or arrival.

The bus stand is on the right side when leaving the arrival room and a small stroll is needed to reach it (its near Avianca's Offices). Once there you will need to wait for the bus for a long time, as it comes every hour and I had to wait exactly that amount of time!... seems when I went to get it I had just missed it.

During this wait I met a guy from Ecuador whose name is also William and he gave me lots of recommendations, like getting a bus to Punda and from there I would be able to cross to Otrabanda... but the most amazing thing regarding this encounter was that this person form Ecuador, who had just met me 30 minutes ago, seeing that is was kind of late to go around trying to find a hotel, told me that I could stay in his house that night to check for the hotel next day morning... this was really nice, to see some people from brother countries with a good heart that are willing to provide help to others even while not knowing them from long time ago.

First Impressions and Facts

Curazao is the biggest one of the ABC islands, its population is mainly Africans descendants (most), Original Inhabitants and Dutch (Very few). Total population amounts to 140.000, but it was interesting to know that half of the it is composed of Locals, while the other half are immigrants from Haiti, Dominican Republic and some South American countries like Colombia and Ecuador.

Mixture within the island is interesting, some people say the order it shows its because of the Dutch running most of the enterprise businesses, not to mention Europeans from other nationalities that also have their industry in the island. Its not difficult to see people with brown skin and curly hair and light eyes. It seems although is not very obvious, there has been a subtle mixture of Dutch with locals. There are also many Dutch alike but born in Curazao families that still keep their lineage and its normal to see very european-looking people that are not tourist but locals... it startled me.

Its also common to find most of the commerce is run by Indian families that went to live in the Island long time ago.

First Days

William lived on the south of the island in a small house around 30 minutes from Punda. I stayed at his house 2 nights because he was leaving back to Ecuador in order to spend time with his wife and children for the Christmas, but during this couple of days I had the opportunity to get to know the life of people who actually live and work within the Island.

William also gave me lots of tips regarding the best beaches, party places, costs and touristic places while also mentioning that I should take care because although Curazao is supposed to be quite safe, there are dark and dangerous places that should be avoided as there are robbers and the likes.

I discovered internet is not so cheap and connection speed is quite slow, so I would recommend writing the mails you are sending in advance.There are some nice WiFi hotspots around the city but sometimes they are difficult to discover. Also in some coffee shops there will be the possibility to access internet as long as you are within its allowed perimeter. By the way, Mac Donalds did not have WiFi.

Accommodation and Food

Lodging was one of my worries before going to Curazao, but in one of the blogs I found there was a girl that went and stayed on a Hotel that was not so expensive, nevertheless I checked many hotels and rates were starting at 50 USD for night and it was a surprising price because the places were average and for that amount of money in Colombia you can stay 2 or 3 nights in a good place.

Finally I stayed in the hotel the girl was recommending and I am glad I did so. The Hotel is located in Otrabanda part of Willemstad but its a little bit difficult to find, as it is not on the main street. The price I paid was a little bit more than 40 US per night but as I was going to stay for a week I managed to get a little discount for all the Price.

I can really recommend it, so here I leave you the information of it:

- Hotel Carlos
Otrabanda, Frederickstraat 111. Manager: Michael Kaense. Cellphone: +59996780614
Mail: papajack70@hotmail.com
In order to find the hotel you should go one street up from the main Street in Otrabanda and Hotel Carlos is located in front of a Disco. You could either reach it going up the stairs and straight from the Bridge that has some restaurants or either to go all the way around first reaching the restaurant that plays tropical Music on the corner (just before Estoril) and going backwards through that street. Do avoid the alleys, they are not safe and besides smell quite bad.

Also there was another place in one of my friends house, which is located near Punda, prices are 40 per night (you can bargain for a small discount too) and its a family place. Here is the contact information:

- Christian (Family House)
Phone: 5999-697-9038. E-mail: melcrint@hotmail.com

If you meet both of them you can tell them that William from Colombia recommended them :)

Regarding the restaurant I would recommend:

- If you need just a quick food Mac Donalds is the one and cheapest (Around 7 US).
- If you need variety and good price, the Estoril restaurant in Otrabanda is a good choice between quantity and price (must confess that I eat very little, so for me it was perfect). (Around 8-12 US)
- If you want the best sea food then Claudia is the best but I must warn that it is Expensive!. (Around 20 USD)

One of the things that were quite interesting from the Island is that sea food is very very expensive.

Cost of Life

Life in Curazao is not cheap at all. Yes, it is true that appliances and computer stuff is cheaper than in other countries and therefore many people from other countries, specially Venezuela, go there to buy gifts, perfumes and electric stuff, nevertheless life is far from being cheap, specially for the common tourist. There are some really expensive things, like Cinema (around 20 US for a night) and Taxis (they can be from 25-40US for a very short ride), which makes time an expensive ones for a Backpacker.

Now, for people who live within the island things could be cheaper, as buying a car 4 years old in model can be around 3000 US, also if you are renting a house and living with more people things get even cheaper not to mention that food in some places other than hotels can cost around 8 US.

Economy

Curazao might not have a considerable recognition in quality of life but low wage as it can be is sometimes two or three times as much as in some Latin American countries like Ecuador and Colombia, even for not qualified jobs. Usually a person might get something around 800 Dollars a month, which is even few for the Island but a lot for some other countries.

Therefore is easy to see lots of immigrants who saw an opportunity to improve their quality of life and came to the Island to work and be able to send some money back home. Some of the jobs they usually perform are related to Cleaning, Tourism, Crafting and Mining Industry as Curazao has a good reserve of materials like quartz and Marble.

During some seasons Cruiser Ships would stop for a day at Curazao and during those times around 10.000 people will get off at the island, which is a great business opportunity for locals. When this happens, usually the bridge will be closed and the ferry will start working heavily, carrying over 150 passengers to the other side of the place. Its possible also to get a free bus that will take you around and leave you in the other side station.

Distribution

Now, about the Map of the island, lets say its divided in some zones, and within those Zones you can find small neighborhoods. There are some places of the island which are quite deserted and you barely see a light in some miles. The biggest and most likely only city is called Willemstad, which is also divided in Neighborhoods and the city center in two sides, one being Punda and the other Otrabanda, both connected by a moving bridge named “Queen Emma Bridge”.

Punda is the Comercial District, full of souvenir shops, Restaurants and Hotels. Also Mac Donnalds is located on this side.

Otrabanda is where most of the electronic shops, Lodges and even Casinos are located. There is a new portion of Otrabanda, actually near the “Queen Emma” that runs a brand new hotel and commercial district mostly of first class designers and a new Cinema. There are also some late night coffee shops and restaurants, located on Riff Fort. The name of this wonderful hotel is Reinassance (Dont ask about the prices!). They even built a new place for the Cruises to unload passengers while passing through all these shops... good idea!.

Both places have a their Bus Stands, Otrabanda destinations mostly to the North and Punda's to South and Airport.

Most of the time I moved around using Buses (Small ones, more expensive but take you to the exact place you tell them) and Convoys (The big one that stops only on designated places). Only a couple of times I used taxis and it was because I was very tired and couldn't wait for the morning to get a bus and those ones were really expensive.

Buses cost depending on the length of the trip and can be between 1.4 to 2.1 Guilders and Convoys have a fixed rate of 1.4 Guilders (Those prices are approximate)

Places to Go

Well, there are many places you can visit. I will not speak much about culture and museums, because to be honest my activities were mostly Beach, Cinema, Walk Aquarium and Party. Shame on me that did not see much of the culture :(

Beaches

There are many beaches and here I give my insight on the ones I went to (The ones with mark * are my favorites):

- Laguna Beach: It looks more like a small pond, there is not much to see, only if you are doing some snorkeling its worth the 40 minutes by bus. Nearby to the north of Lagun there was another beach but I did not find it good so I don't remember the name.

- Santa Cruz beach: The worst of them all. It is not only like 15 minutes walk from the road but its also full of rocks and even if you get far into the see, you can still feel rocks hitting your feet and legs. Once I even tried to swim and almost hit my head against a rock. Really bad, but the one good thing was its length.

- Kalki: Its part of a Ressort which is very nice, but the beach itself is full of rocks and the best activity I saw there was to lie onto the benches. I did not even got in it.

- Mambo Beach*: This was by far the best beach of all. It was long, divided into three sections with a nice color, restaurants and massage places and quite lots of people. It is also the recognized place for Saturdays parties.

- Caracas Bay: Just an average beach, shame it was rocky (but not as bad as Santa Cruz).

- Yantil*: This one was incredible, I must say second in quality after Mambo. Here there was a baby Whale and you could see how the trainer was training and taking care of it.

Aquarium

Its near Mambo beach and its amazing!. I would definitely recommend you to go there. The staff is great and they do a good job. Its important to arrive at least around 1pm or just after lunch or on the other side very early at 8 or 9 am and leave before lunch. That way you will be able to experience all the shows that are well worth the price. My Favorite show was the Dolphin's (My favorite animal) training show, which takes place around 5pm.

Party

Party place I went was mostly Mambo beach on a Friday and music was good, drinks little bit expensive but not much (5 US for a Smirnoff Ice or a Beer). It was a good party and you will see a mixture of Europeans and Locals. Sometimes Locals would dance hip hop with amazing moves and I still don't know if those were just people who would go there to enjoy or on the other side employees of the disco.

It seems that regarding parties, there are some agreements that states where is the day for party, in the case of Mambo, its much better to go on Saturdays, as party will be the best there within the whole island. Now, about Fridays I was told there is a special disco by the beach (I think near Yantil) but I don't recall the name. On Sundays Mambo is good too.

Wespunt

It is what you could call a “small village” on the north side of the Island and around 1 hour from Otrabanda station. Buses depart every 2 hours so its important to plan in advance if you want to enjoy the day, nevertheless 4 hours is more than enough for visiting it.

While going I met a guy from Dominican Republic and together went to a Colombian own restaurant which is a 5 minutes walk from the bus stand (if you can call that a Stand, as there is barely a sign!). This place had a rock with something like 20 meters altitude form the see and you could jump from it. Its the second highest place I have thrown myself from but the experience was amazing, the sea was so clear that I even got to see a dolphin and some fishes swimming on the surface of the sea.

Its definitely one of the places I really recommend going to.

Cinema

Yes... I went to the cinema. Man, life ended pretty early in the island and is quite boring to go and sit to drink something, not to mention discos are quite far, so I went sometimes to the Cinema. I would recommend going to the one in Punda, although is the more expensive one and believe me, I saw the longest commercial times I have ever experienced in my life. Movie was supposed to start at 9pm and from 9 to 9:30 they were showing and showing commercials about real state and cars and coca cola among others... just a funny thing.

Other Activities

Curazao is a nice place to go scuba diving, but I did not have much experience (its not a hobby in my case) and the prices were high, but if you like going on those trips, I recommend going to the Aquarium and the resort which is nearby and asking for the plans they have. Some of those don't even need certificate.

One of the plus activities I had the opportunity to see because of the time of the year I went was the fireworks and the Christmas festivities were they would use the common parks around Willemstad for some local groups to perform their music and dances... definitely a good sight!. I was told nevertheless that the best fireworks were during new year. Seems that fireworks are prohibited all year long and they raise that rule during special seasons being December and January some of them (But I am not really into fireworks so I do not know much).

Also there is a publication you can ask about in the information shop in Punda, that actually gives the monthly activities that will take place within the Island. Curazao also has Museums and even a Theater House.

One interesting point regarding the culture within Curazao is that people do not really walk that much, so when I tried to walk around the countryside in order to go from one beach to another, everybody was looking weird at me and directing to the nearest bus station.

Extra Notes ( PG18+ ):

Although Curazao is a Caribbean island, it is very much Dutch and for that it has some of its culture. One of the places I could check was called Campo Alegre, which is something like a Village where girls from other countries go to work as companions. Its quite an interesting place, as it works 24 hours and has internet, restaurant, bar and disco. It has its similarities with the Red Light District in Amsterdam without the “Red lights”. Upon entry you will be asked to surrender any type of Cameras as its an extremely private place. In order to go there, you have to get a Bus from Otrabanda that goes to Fortunaweg.

Look Outs

I read that Bonaire and Aruba are quite safe, nevertheless I was advised against it in Curazao. The island is not very safe and you must take care while walking alone during the night, specially in dark alleys.

In the hotel they advised me against carrying things of value like expensive Cameras and PDAs during the night and if carrying them at least hidden of sight. It seems that there are lots of drugs issues and robbery, which is a must to lookout as it seems there is an high probability of violence. I was even told that some tourists that once rented a car were stopped by one sole guy that stole them all.

In my case I had an experience once while going to the Hotel in Otrabanda when I saw one local guy running frenetically towards me and when I saw it my first instinct was to run frenetically to the hotel and get in without thinking it twice. The guy was going to rob me?, it seemed likely.

Leaving.

When leaving its important to reach the airport at least 3 hours in advance. Queues for Colombia were not so long and Avianca service was quite good and prompt. Its also necessary to pay a fee in order to leave the airport which is 22 USD dollars or the equivalent in Guilders. They will not accept coins, only notes.

Conclusions

Well, Curazao its a place for couples, Families and excursions, nevertheless I did not feel it was such an interesting place for Backpackers, as amusement, night life and places to visit were not that many and prices are way too high for the average Backpacker. Parties were nice but mostly on weekends. Its easy to spend some hundred of dollars in few days, as compared to other destinations.

In my case I had a nice experience of meeting a person from Dominican Republic, William from Ecuador and encountering with a friend from my City (pure coincidence) within my trip.

Specially I enjoyed spending time with my friend's family whose father is working currently in Curazao and I got to experience some family time with them.

Its just my perception, other people might have different ones.

I am sorry if this guide is too long but I wanted to put the most experiences I could, and certainly hope this information is of use for someone wanting to go and experience Curazao. Any doubts or comments regarding this writing are welcomed.

References

Guide:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/aruba-bonaire-and-curacao

Blogs (Spanish):
http://www.viajeros.com/diarios/antillas-holandesas/curazao-para-mochileros-por-fin
http://tesne.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/una-pequena-guia-de-que-hacer-en-curazao/

Forum (Spanish):
http://www.tripadvisor.es/ShowTopic-g147277-i583-k1674483-Hoteles_baratos_en_curazao-Curacao.html

The Phases

I was delaying this, perhaps because either was I too lazy, busy or unprepared to write about it.

A great piece of the analysis I have made before lies beforehand in the corners of my mind, but at least this will be a worthy try.

In the past have I tried to analyze the situations that at some extension comes while a heart is suffering.
Of course, this information is completely biased towards particular experiences.

Likeness, Feelings, Relationships... yes sure its a path, but here about the end of the chain let me write about.

Causes of these don't really matter, the end of it is similar in many ways, in some its better and light in others its heavy and distressful. The consequence is simple and my case study: End.

-----------------------------------
First Phase: Negation
-----------------------------------
Symptoms: Distress, Anxiety, Fight..
Phrase: Should I?.
~Time: 1 week

Its just difficult to believe. And even if the mind tries, it become a burden it is still not prepared to carry. The body is uttermost affected by it.
The classical scene depicts the image in cartoons where the character makes a hole in the floor, because of walking so much.... this walking is full of anxiety, trying to figure it out, whether fault and responsibility lies within ourself or other heart.

This is a particularly weak phase in analysis and many decisions are taken by heart, not that I have anything against it, but heart must not only feel but also think, from its own perspective in the sense of fast thought.
- Should I call her?.
- But it was not all my fault...
- Perhaps it was a little bit
- Shall I call her?.

Then the sound of a heartbeat just breaks the enchantment and you find yourself dialing...
Concentration its at its worse, the heart fill the mind with intense memories of the best moments, daydreaming its just a strong symptom. Concentration?... mmm 30%?. The paradoxy is that the concentration you need to put into some other things is the one that will at the end transfer your mind to the next stage.

Dreams are also intense, un-restful, heartbeats increase their rate in an even dangerous manner.
This stage is the worst of them all, very painful, energy draining and time consuming. Thank God it only lasts for 1 week.

-----------------------------------------
Second Phase: Acceptance
-----------------------------------------
Symptoms: Thoughtfulness, Analysis, resignation
Phrase: What if?.
~Time: 2 Weeks

Things have come to a stage in which there seems there is no place to go back.
Sometimes the wonder if you did make all the things you could have done, fight immerse deeply in your mind.

This could be called the connecting phase. Still heart is greatly attached and within grasping the sense of solitude it slowly start accepting what the mind is telling it.

Some showers of feelings-driven actions may arise during this phase, as human heart is by means the strongest invisible force on the face of the earth, for whatever it may be... love, desire, greed. So on.

A small percentage of things can be solved and returned to "normal" during the first phase, but should the matter be serious, this stage is the critical one, not for our senses, but for the time drift that separates beings. Board a single boat or stay in the harbour of company.

It is uttermost important to make a decision, because after the storm the calm comes... and that is a really steady one.

What at the beginning were shared dreams, still are, but will not be for long. That's when the analysis of the self being counters the situation, allowing our mind to extrapolate itself from its current state, finding new paths which will enable the upcoming separation.

--------------------------------------------
Third Phase: Forgetfulness
--------------------------------------------
Symptoms: Remembrance, security, stability, tranquility.
Phrase: Life is short Lets move on..
~Time: 1-3 months

The most awaited moment, yet the one that last the longest. This is not an isolated process, remains of previous phases actively roam around mind and heart.
Security comes from the sense of having done everything you could on previous moments, stability inspires your mind to concentrate in bearing the diminishing yet upcoming mixing of feelings and reasoning.
Human beings looking for happiness, many times the only place where they can get close to it its through tranquility, where nirvana just fills you in a paradoxic instant of time that from hair to tummy refreshes your energy and issues a gently soft set of tickling sensation.

Memories of past are safeguarded in the most hidden places within our brain. Though our heart may have closed its doors from the negation phase, here its only when it comes to terms with itself, not being unknowingly selfish enough to prevent its healing.

Like after monsoon, small drops come into your dreams, yet to remind you of the value and not the difficulty that the endurance posses. I still see her, clearly as ever, appearing, moving, speaking... sad, happy... completely lasting moment like a rose that is fastly withering, yet there is such loveliness enclosed to let it fade away.

It just heals, may not be a fast process, may take even months or years.
Courage stays within, after so many things experienced in life. Questions become answers.
Resentment dissolves in the air, fresh breeze tenderly touch the cheeks of your future.

Am I open enough?. May one never know, but everything must be done for, as per beautiful persons are always unforgettable, life goes on.

But we are, and we had, have and will become, one thanks to what those everlasting experiences from valuable beings inscribed in our most deep self being.

......
END

Planet is yet so vast at the same time so small. May this letters compose useful words.

Important Note:
----------------------
This was written not at the start, not at the end of events, but rather just after entering the second phase and in the middle of third. So words may not express all the feelings and experiences in complete untouchable and unexposed, candid manner.