Curacao - Surprisingly Happy

As you must know by now, I am a lover of all things beach.  I’m talking powdery sand, waters various shades of blue, the sound of the waves….ahhhhh.  And like most beach lovers, I have my favorites:  Orient Beach, Shoal Bay East, Trunk Bay, Tulum – and if I can’t get out of the country and need a quick dose of sand under my feet – South Beach.  So, when one of my travel buddies emailed with “Curaçao” as the subject, I didn’t even have to open the message to know that I would soon be laying in crystal clear water.

I began my research:  Curaçao, pronounced (pronounced kyur uh sow) is a Dutch Caribbean island located out of the hurricane belt with year round temperatures  hovering right around 80°.  This island is the largest of the three islands in the Lesser Antilles, better known as the ABC’s (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) and is one of the few places in the Caribbean to be placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

The heritage of the island is both European and African, representing more than 50 nationalities and while the official language is Dutch, most residents also speak Spanish, and English – as well as a local language, Papiamentu, which is a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, French with some Arawak Indian and African influences.

There are over 35 named beaches and over 60 diving and snorkeling locations, a sea aquarium, various restaurants and world class shops to explore.  Just reading about these 171 square miles of pure happy was making me, well, happy.  We set the date, booked the flight/hotel and off we went for 5 days of doing what we enjoy most:  NOTHING. 

But wait a minute.  What is this?  Culture?  Architecture?  History?  Hmmmmm, very unexpected and certainly not your normal cruise port.  This island piqued my interest and I could not get enough.  I began to read more about the history of the island and  quickly realized that the people of Curaçao are proud of their history and their heritage; and it shows.

All around the island I found remnants of a time long gone, but certainly not forgotten.  Beginning in Willemstad where there are approximately 700 buildings that are considered protected monuments to Den Dunki National Park, a former slave holding camp where many original structures still stand.  There were Landhuizen (Country Houses) where I could learn the history of the original occupants or I could check out one of the 6 remaining forts on the island and learn how the island protected itself against attacks.   Or walk the halls of the Kura Hulanda Museum, set on the site of a former slave trading yard, where you can almost hear the cries of former slaves.  Or visit the United Congregation Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, which has been functioning for over 350 years making it the oldest active Jewish Congregation in the Americas.  Or view the limestone formations and the Madonna statue at Hato Caves.

Of course I had to spend some time on the secluded beaches (I mean, that's what I was there for) and the Bocas were a do not miss attraction.  There was so much to see and do, yet so little time.  Before I left the island, I was already plotting my return.  Maybe for the upcoming North Sea Jazz Festival or for next year's Carnival, not sure yet.

I was surprisinly happy to find that that there is more to Curaçao than meets the eye.  I guess that’s why it’s called “the Caribbean’s best-kept secret”.

For more pictures of my visit to Curacao, please visit my Facebook page.

What Are You Collecting?

When traveling, I always like to bring back a little something from the place that I am visiting.  Not anything like a magnet or shot glass, but something a little more personal – like a handful of sand, a piece of art by a local artist, or even some cool pictures of the local people.  Lately, I have been collecting shells.  Yes, you heard it – shells.  I know, sounds very ordinary, but hear me out.

My love for travel was sparked by my Mother.  Once she retired, she couldn’t seem to sit still.  She wanted to see and do it all.  While surfing the internet, she would say “Angela, we should go here.  It looks pretty.”  I would respond back (with a laugh), “Sure Mom.  Where ever you take me, I’m going.”  Unfortunately, my Mom passed away before realizing all of her travel dreams. 

Dealing with her death was difficult for me.  The hardest part was saying goodbye to the home that held so many memories, but we had to inventory everything, lock the house, and hand over all keys to the estate custodian.  On the day of key hand over, I walked through the house grabbing random items:  the toaster, a cookie sheet, a jewelry box filled with junk jewelry and a crystal bowl filled with, you guessed it, shells.

That was 9 years ago.  I have since moved my Mom’s shell collection to a vase which I add to every chance I get.  My shells, coral and rocks aren’t secluded to the vase.  A large shell I found in Tulum sits on a shelf, rocks and coral collected in Puerto Vallarta are in the second sink of my bathroom, and a large rock that my daughter picked up at Magens Bay  in St. Thomas serves as a door stop.  Each one is a daily reminder of where I’ve been, and why I can never stop exploring.  

What are you collecting?  Is there a story behind it?

Just the Two of Us....

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I took our first Mother/Daughter trip.  Now, we have traveled together before, but never just the two of us and I will admit, I was very nervous about spending 5 full days alone with a teenager.  But we were both looking forward to our time together, but more than that - I was looking forward to some much needed beach time.

We arrived in St. Thomas, USVI on a Wednesday afternoon and the locals gave us a friendly welcome.  From the airport, we were whisked away in a cab to where we would spend the first half of our trip, the Marriott Frenchman’s Reef.  We arrived with a group of other travelers to learn that our room was not quite ready.  This was fine with me, but I could tell that my daughter was a little irritated as she was ready to get out of her “traveling clothes” and into something more comfortable, maybe a pair of shorts and tank top.  I invited her to come and tour the pool area with me so that when our room was ready, we could jump right into our suits and into the water.  That seemed to distract her – but for just a moment.  Within 15 minutes, the first of many questions came:  "do you think our room is ready yet?  and if not, how soon do you think it will be ready?"  Ahhhhhhh – that is when I realized that this child was going to ruin every bit of quite time I was planning to have.

Eventually we made it to our room and the child was pleased.  The room received a thumbs-up from her, we both jumped in the shower, threw on some island appropriate clothes and we were off to schedule our snorkeling tour, grab some dinner and plan our stay.  Wait?!  Plan our stay?  I already had our stay planned – beach, read, sleep, listen to music, repeat.  She can’t be serious:  99 Steps, Bluebeard's Castle, Paradise Point, Mountain Top, Shopping?!  Who gave this child access to the internet?!  I had to come up with an alternate plan.  I was deep in thought at dinner (best burgers EVER - Duffy's Love Shack) while she chatted and chatted away.  I thought I had a plan:  I would distract her with shopping first thing in the morning.  I figured the walking around town would wear her out and by noon she should be ready for a nap and some relaxing in Magens Bay would be all mine!  But who was I kidding?  She was 16, not 6.  There would be no napping.  I had to give in to the fact that this was her vacation, her time….I snapped out of my thoughts just in time to hear her say: “can we get some ice cream?” 

The next day, I gave up on my plan to nap and let her lead me around the island.  From downtown shopping in Charlotte Amalie to 99 steps to Bluebeard’s Castle to luxury shopping at Yacht Haven Grande to Mountain Top to Magens Bay.  YES!  Magens Bay where I was allowed an opportunity to lay in the sun (which was already starting to disappear) and enjoy the crystal blue water; but only for a moment before the next question was asked: “what are we doing next?”  And we were off…..

The following day was pretty much the same.  Snorkeling tour and more questions…..what’s this, where’s that, and her all-time favorite – what are we doing next?  Sigh...does this child turn off?  I was exhausted, and still had no tan lines.  When will vacation begin I wondered?

We left St. Thomas after two nights and headed over to St. John for the last leg of our trip.  Here, it was more of the same.  Shopping and eating.  Walking and talking.  Laughing and learning.  I was beginning to enjoy her (and her questions) as we jumped the waves at Trunk Bay and wondered the beach looking for sea shells.  I was enjoying getting to know who she is now, as a young adult, exploring the world and Tweeting as she went.  I suddenly realized that this is how she vacations, and her version was different from my version.  I accepted that.

There were moments that showed me how much she has grown, and no longer needs me; but there were also moments that showed me in a lot of ways, she is still my child and will always need me.  I watched as she played in the sand and explored the water with her new goggles.  I laughed when a huge wave came and, in her words, tried to take her out.  By the end of the trip there was something different about our relationship.  Our bond had become stronger.   There was a better understanding and appreciation for each other and our differences.  No longer were we just Mother/Daughter, we were also friends.

As we walked hand-in-hand onto the plane headed home she asked one last question: “where are we going next?”  Any where you want child, any where you want.

See more pictures at www.facebook.com/2girlsbikini