Welcome to
Attila's
Curaçao
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Bini na e
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Curaçao
is one of the five islands of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean.
It is located 40 miles off the coast of Venezuela, 42 miles east of Aruba,
and 30 miles west of Bonaire. Curaçao is the largest of the five islands and
the government of the Netherlands Antilles is located here.
The island is about 62 km long and 14 km wide (4 km at its narrowest point in
the middle of the island).
About 150.000 people live on the island.
The local language is
Papiamentu (or Papiamento), the
official language is Dutch, and English and Spanish are widely spoken.
Curaçao is an island with many small
and beautiful beaches surrounded by clear and refreshing water.
On August 23, 1996, Attila
moved to Curaçao and lived there for about two years,
leaving the island on July 18, 1998. Hopefully one day we'll be able
to move back to this paradise.
Beaches
in Curaçao are small sandy bays with crystal clear
water. On weekends many people go to the beach, but during the
week you might find yourself alone on many beaches. Most beaches
are located on the southern coast of the island and the water is
calm. The northern coast is rocky and the sea is very rough. A few
beaches are within minutes from the city, but most of them are
in Banda 'Bou, the northwestern part of the island.
Some beaches have restaurants and facilities
(usually the ones that charge entrance), others are more simple.
Some of the favorite beaches are Playa Knip, Cas Abou, Porto Marie,
Playa Kalki, Barbara Beach, and Mambo Beach.
Just about every beach is good for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Scuba
Diving
is a breathtaking experience here. Curaçao is known for
its underwater paradise consisting of coral reefs and
sponge formations with thousands of colorful tropical fish.
The water is pleasant and the visibility is excellent.
Spear fishing, breaking or removing corals or shells is forbidden
to preserve and protect the under-water life.
Curaçao has over forty dive spots, some of which
are only accessible by boat. However, many dive spots are
accessible from beaches which
allows for a nice combination of beach time and diving.
Occasionally flying fish follow the dive boats and they sometimes
fly next to the boat for several seconds.
At the Seaquarium divers can enjoy encounters with stingrays, turtles,
all kinds of tropical fish, and can even feed sharks and have their
picture taken.
Many dive operators and several diving schools offer their services:
joining boat dives and renting equipment is not a problem;
becoming a certified diver can be accomplished in a few days and
courses are offered in many languages.
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Sightseeing
on Curaçao comes in many flavors. Of course,
beaches and scuba diving are one of the main attractions.
The Seaquarium displays many fish and sea-life and the
under-water observatory lets even non-divers observe the
aquatic world.
While driving out to Westpoint,
a stop at Boca Tabla is highly recommended.
Landhouses are worth
a visit for their architecture and history,
especially landhouse Brievengat, Chobolobo, and Knip.
Many old buildings in Punda and Otrabanda have been restored
and renovated and give a nice insight into the early settlers' lives.
Curaçao is also the home of the oldest Synagogue
in the Western Hemisphere and an old Jewish cemetery.
For hiking fans, the Christoffel Park is a nice but hot place to visit.
A tour of the Curaçao Ostrich Farm will reveal details on
how these giant birds grow up. The Hato Caves are a great place to
learn more about Curaçao's geological history.
Last, but not least, simply walking around in Punda, crossing
the Emma bridge, looking at the waterfront, and observing
people and their activities is a nice way to pick up the flavor
of the Caribbean and Curaçao.
Shopping
in Curaçao is famous for its variety. Articles from Latin America,
North America, and Europe can be found here. The main shopping areas
are Punda, Otrabanda, and Saliña. Other nice shopping centers
are Promenade and Bloempot. Sometimes it takes a little skill to dig
out the best deals and to bargain for the best prices.
Shoes, clothing, jewelry, tobacco, and watches are usually good
buys here. The floating market is a good place to buy fresh
vegetables and other things from Venezuela. Most stores are closed
for lunch and also on Sundays. The local currency is the Netherlands
Antilles Florin (NAF, sometimes called Guilder), and it is tied
to the US Dollar (approx. 1.8 Florin = 1 US Dollar). US Dollars,
Traveller's Checks and major credit cards are widely accepted.
Nature
Curaçao is the home of many
lizards, iguanas and tropical birds. Wild goats can be found
everywhere, out on the street and in peoples' neighborhoods.
Since Curaçao is comparably dry, many cactus trees in all
shapes and sizes are growing here next to Aloe plants and rough
bushes. Curaçao is sometimes called Cactus Country.
Curaçao is also famous for its Divi-Divi tree,
the one that always grows in the direction of the wind.
Curaçao has been built by a volcano, and the highest
point is Mount Christoffel (about 300 meters high)
surrounded by the Christoffel Park in
the north-western part of the island.
Climate
The sun shines here most of the time and the average
temperature is 82° F / 27° C. At night it doesn't
get much colder than during the day, and in the winter it
is hardly any colder than in the summer.
The constant trade wind from the west is very
important here since it keeps the island breezy and cool.
Curaçao is fairly dry compared to other Caribbean islands and
it is less tropical here.
Located in the south Caribbean, Curaçao
lies outside the hurricane belt.
However, when storms are passing through the northern Caribbean,
the wind in Curaçao will slow down
and it will be less breezy.
People wear casual beach and summer cloths all year around,
but dress up when going out in the evening,
especially in casinos, some restaurants, and for other events.
In addition to providing shade, a hat, cap, or hair cover
is generally not a bad idea since a fancy hairdo will not go
well with the wind here (providing the hat won't fly away).
Protection from the sun is essential for people not used to
the vertical sun rays in regions closer to the equator.
Hato
Caves
are limestone caves located close to the Curaçao airport.
The cave has been
commercialized in the early 90s and is now open to the public.
Joining one of the hourly tours, visitors can enter the cave and
learn more about Curaçao's geological history.
The Hato Caves were formed below sea level thousands of years ago
and as the water level dropped with the Ice Ages the cave became
exposed. Like in other sea caves, shells and corals can
be recognized in the stone.
The cave is still active and stalactites (icicle shaped rocks hanging
from the roof) and stalagmites (inverted stalactites on the floor) are
growing to form columns. Flowstone and dripstone,
curtain formations, lime ribs, and terrace formations suggest
that the cave has been wetter in earlier times.
Movements of the earth about 4000 years ago caused
cracks (visible by lime deposits) and
rocks fell down from the roof of the cave creating a small opening.
This opening is used by the few hundred bats living in the cave to
leave at night and hunt for food.
Outside the cave Caquetios Indians carved Petroglyphs into
the rock wall indicating that some of their religious ceremonies
took place there about 1500 years ago.
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Boca
Tabla
On the northern side of the island the rough sea water has
been smashing against the rocky coastline for centuries
and has built several
caves and little inlets into the rock. The most interesting
one to see is probably Boca Tabla which is located close to
Westpoint on the north-western end of the island. Visitors can
walk over the massive volcanic rocks and observe the wild
sea and listen to the wind. It's exciting to climb down into
the cave to observe the waves clashing against its walls.
On weekends simple but good local food is offered and people
can sit in the cool shade of Divi-Divi trees and eat.
Music
is very important on the island. Starting in early days,
the slaves here performed the Tambu in which they expressed their
criticism and complaints. Today it can still be heard and people
typically complain about increased taxes, high water prices, etc.
Besides some European traits, the
music here is mainly influenced by Latin and Caribbean styles.
Popular music is typically a variation of either Merengue or
Salsa, while more traditional music is usually a bit slower
such as the Montuno or Waltz.
The carnival music is Tumba (in contrast to Tambu),
and once a year local bands will meet at the Tumba Festival
to present their new carnival songs, one of which will be
chosen to be the winner.
Food
is also very important on Curaçao, just like music.
The local food includes
delicious seafood, meats and side dishes. Some of the local sea food
is Dradu (Mahi Mahi), Piska Kora (Red Snapper), Karko (conch meat),
shrimp, and lobster. Kabritu Stoba (goat meat) is also a local
specialty. Plantains (fried bananas) are usually served as
vegetables or side dishes. Keshi Yena is also very delicious
and means "filled cheese"; the cheese is filled with chicken,
raisins, beans, and many other good things. Funchi is another
specialty and is made out of corn; it's similar to corn bread
and is usually fried like french fries. Another local specialty
is Iguana soup. Typical side dishes are rice with beans, white rice,
french fries, or baked potatoes.
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Carnival
is a main event in Curaçao which usually
takes place in late February. Many carnival groups come
up with unique and interesting themes, colorful costumes, and
large floats that they display during
the parade. Preparations always start several months in advance.
The carnival is not government funded and groups have their own
way of raising money. One of the main fund raisers every year are
the so called Jump-Ups that start in January.
Bands on trucks playing carnival music followed
by a dancing crowd move through the streets of Willemstad and party.
Participants have to purchase a T-Shirt and get music, drinks, and
fun in return. Most importantly, everybody is getting into the
carnival mood and bands can practice their carnival songs for
the year.
The actual carnival parade usually takes several hours and
is done twice, once during the day and once at night, resulting
in two very different looking displays. Every year one of the
groups participating is chosen to be the winner based on their
theme and their appearance. In addition to those
groups, popular bands on trucks and drumming groups
are contributing with live music, and floats with Miss Curaçao
etc. are participating. Carnival is known to be the busiest time
of the island since many international spectators come to visit.
History
Curaçao was discovered in 1499 by Alonso de Ojeda,
a lieutenant of Christopher Columbus. The Spanish settled
the island in the early 1500's. In 1634 the Dutch took
possession of Curaçao and founded a Dutch settlement.
Until the early 19th century, both the English and the French
tried to take Curaçao. In 1800 Curaçao came under
a British Protectorate returning to the Dutch in 1802. The British
captured the island again in 1807 and it returned to the Dutch
in 1815. Curaçao was always a place of racial tolerance
and religious freedom, and Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Moslems
all have their own houses of worship. In 1954 the six islands
Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Marteen, St. Eustatius, and Saba
became autonomous and formed the Netherlands Antilles. Today the
Netherlands Antilles are made up of only five islands since Aruba
became independent as of 1986. Both, Aruba and the Netherlands
Antilles, are still part of the Dutch Kingdom.
Landhouses
on Curaçao date back to the 17th and 18th century, the
time of plantations and slavery.
Curaçao has about 70 landhouses, all displaying the typical
Dutch architecture found on the island. They are strategically
located on top of hills to oversee the plantation
and to maintain visual contact with each other.
This allowed for communication in case of emergencies. Today
these landhouses are mainly in private hand, and some of them
are carefully restored and open to the public. Some of the more
famous landhouses are Brievengat, where a lot of music and
cultural events take place, Knip, displaying antique furniture,
household items, and telling a bit about its history, Chobolobo,
where the Blue Curaçao Liqueur is made, Ascencion, Jan Kok,
Zeelandia, and Groot Davelaar.
Transportation
on Curaçao is provided by buses, mini-buses, taxis, and
ferryboats. Mini-buses are especially popular since they are quick
and comfortable. The main bus stops are Punda and Otrabanda, and
just about every spot on the island can be reached from one of
these two centers. Upon request and for a few guilders more, a bus
driver might even drop you off in your neighborhood or in front
of your house.
Taxis are the more expensive option. They do not have meters installed
and the prices are fixed. Many hotels and resorts also have their
own shuttle service.
When the Emma Bridge, the one connecting
Punda and Otrabanda is open, a ferry service free of charge will
bring people from one side to the other.
Renting a car allows for a little more mobility
and major international rental car companies
in addition to some local ones offer their services.
Utilities
Curaçao gets its water from the sea. The world's
largest desalination plant is located here and produces
delicious tap water. In houses there is no hot or cold water,
just the water,
and its temperature depends on how strong the sun is.
Electricity here is a bit of a specialty. The current is officially
127 volts and 50 hertz, but the voltage can fluctuate and sometimes
burn transformers. It's best to use some multi purpose transformers
that are made for this current.
Some appliances such as refrigerators need special transformers. Houses
usually have the above current in addition to 220 volts,
mainly used for air conditioners, washing machines, etc.
Water and electricity may drop out on occasion.
For cooking, every house has gas bottles to operate stove and oven.
Related
Links
This page has been created in August, 1996 by Attila Narin <attila@narin.com>
and was last updated on February 3, 2004.
Copyright © 1996-2004 Attila Narin. All Rights Reserved.