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CURACAO
Kon ta bai from Curacao! Curacao (pronounced Cure-a-sow) is an island nation 37 miles (60km) long and 6 3/4 miles (11km) across at its widest point. It’s located 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela in the Southern Caribbean. As you might imagine, its turquoise water is beautiful but this place has much more than just stunning beaches. Curacao, the Portuguese name of this island oasis, means “heart” and the locals show a lot of it. Not only that – the food is good, the architecture makes you feel as though you’re in Europe and best of all … there’s Carnival! That’s right! I’m not only here checking out this wonderful place, but celebrating the island’s biggest event of the year! If you’re up for dancing until your feet hurt, cliff jumping and exploring the island on ATVs (the way Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes did), then grab your dancing shoes and costume because we’re off to the Netherlands Antilles! For those of you who are in a hurry or have ADD (it’s okay, I have it too!), there’s a 4-minute Johnny Jet video at the end of this week’s story.
GETTING HERE
You might think it'd be tough to get to this island, located 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela, but it's not. You don't need to go through Chavez's crime-riddled country to get here. Instead, hop on one of the two U.S. carriers that offer service. American Airlines
has flights from Miami and San Juan, while Continental offers a flight from Newark. Those who live in Holland actually have more choices (four different airlines to be exact). Although Europe is much farther away, the majority of the quarter-million annual visitors hail from there. Even more surprisingly, U.S. travelers only represent 20 percent of Curacao's visitors. How bizarre! I read that Curacao has one of the lowest ratios of U.S. tourists in the Caribbean. Once you see this island, you'll agree that this doesn't make sense.
WHY CURACAO
What makes Curacao so attractive (at least to me) is that it's only a two hour and forty minute flight from Miami. It's on Atlantic Standard Time (1 hour ahead of New York in the winter) so you won't experience jet lag if you're arriving from the east coast. The water is safe to drink (they have a huge, modern desalination plant). Curacao lies outside of the hurricane belt. The average temperature is 81°F (27°C) and as for the wet stuff – the average rainfall is only 22 inches per year. And thankfully, there's not much crime. I felt safe all the time and I didn't see any street beggars or depressing slums.
DUTCH ISLAND
Curacao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which includes five Caribbean islands (the other four are: Bonaire, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten). Curacao operates its own government and relies on the Netherlands only for military support and foreign affairs. Curacao's residents have Dutch passports and can travel freely to and from the Netherlands.
Note: Aruba used to be a part of the Netherlands Antilles but gained its independence in 1986.
Curacao and Aruba are part of what's called the A-B-C islands (Aruba-Bonaire-Curacao). There's more European flavor in Curacao than in the other islands and at times I really thought I was in Holland. There are windmills, and streets and squares reminiscent of Amsterdam. That's because in the 1600s, the Dutch built many of the buildings that are still standing today. The capital city, Willemstad, is so impressive with its pastel-colored Dutch architecture, that UNESCO
named
Handelskade Street
a world heritage site.
HISTORY
Obviously, there's a lot of history here. It would be impossible to go into all the details, but to give you some background, here are some key dates: In 1499, Alonso de Ojeda, one of Christopher Columbus' lieutenants, discovered Curacao. Spanish troops killed most of the peaceful Arawak Amerindians who were living on the island. The Spaniards thought the island was worthless and in 1634 the Dutch took it over because they liked the location (it took only 40 days to sail there from Europe). They founded a Dutch settlement and it has been associated with Holland ever since. NOTE: During Dutch control, there were brief invasions by the British and French. The Dutch then turned it into the center of the slave trade (more on this later). In 1915, the Royal Dutch/Shell Company built one of the world's largest oil refineries in Curacao, in order to process crude oil from Venezuela. It turned the island into a multicultural community as workers came from around the world and is still Curacao's biggest industry today, not tourism as one might expect. The population of Curacao is about 171,000 and 85% are of African descent. The rest are made up of various races and nationalities, including Dutch, Portuguese and American. After the slave trade ended, Curacao turned into a place of racial tolerance and religious freedom. Now, one of Curacao's mottos is "Biba i laga biba" ("Live and let live"). The majority of the residents are Catholic but Jews, Muslims and Protestants all have their own houses of worship. In fact, Curacao has one of the oldest, continuously operating synagogues in the Western Hemisphere – it was built in 1732. To learn more about Curacao's history, visit: KuraHulanda.com/04b05b_museum_slavery_trade.html.
LANGUAGE AND CURRENCY
Most of the locals are multilingual and speak Dutch, Spanish and English. However, the official language of the island is Papiamentu (In Aruba it's Papiamento), a distinct blend of seven different languages but mostly Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. Because the US dollar is accepted everywhere, I didn't even bother to change my money into Netherlands guilders (NLG). It's a bit weird that they aren't on the Euro like Holland. All the menus I saw were priced in guilders or U.S. dollars and written in both Dutch and English. At the time of publication $1 USD = 1.65 NLG.
SPEAK LIKE A LOCAL: Masha danki (mas-ha-dank) means "Thank You" in Papiamento.
GETTING AROUND
Curacao
has a brand new, $44 million international airport
terminal (it's really nice) and I was picked up by one of the coolest men I've ever met. Stanley Camelia is an official tourist guide. Although he recently retired from working in the Curacao tourism office, he still offers private tours. (If you want to hire him, here's his business card). For those taking taxis, they are not metered so be sure to ask the driver how much the ride will cost before you get in. There's an official rate
sheet, which they're supposed to show you if you ask. Note: After 11pm, fares increase 25%. If you plan on exploring the island, you might want to rent a car. Avis, Budget and Hertz
have offices here. The roads are paved so it's easy to get around. They drive on the right side of the road, U.S./Canadian visitors can use their own licenses and most (if not all) hotels don't charge for parking.
TIPPING: Islanders and Dutch don't tip but tourists are welcome to tip up to 10%.
WHERE TO STAY
Depending on the season, you just might have a problem finding a hotel room. That's because Curacao currently doesn't have enough rooms to meet demand. There are just 2,800 hotel rooms on the island but there are plans in the works to double this number. I stayed at the Curacao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino, which is on Piscadera Bay and considered the nicest hotel on the island. (I would rate it 4 stars. It's next door to the Hilton, which I checked out and it's just okay.) What's nice about this hotel is that it's just 10 minutes from both the airport and Willemstad (the capital city) so it's in an ideal location. The staff is friendly, the grounds are immaculate and the pool
and the soft, sandy beach are the most popular spots. The hotel features 247 rooms in a series of three-storey buildings. My room
was colorful, had Marriott's comfortable "Revive" bed, a clean bathroom
and a balcony
with a slight view of the Caribbean Sea. Rooms have high speed Internet for $12.95 a day and an in-room safe, large enough to hold oversized laptops. There's a small casino
near the open
air
lobby
but I didn't spend any time in there. Instead, I ate at the hotel's
four restaurants, which served consistently good (not great) food. At times the service
was slow but then again, it's an island, and things tend to move at a slower pace. For those feeling active, there's a great gym, two tennis courts, two hot tubs, beach volleyball, kayaks, sailboats, snorkel gear and water-skiing. It's family-friendly and they offer a children's program. Room rates begin at $189 USD. The Curacao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino, Piscadera Bay, P.O. Box 6003, Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles, tel: (+5999) 736-8800, Toll-free: (1-800) 223-6388.
HOTEL KURA HULANDA
Other hotels worth checking out are the Kurá Hulanda Hotel
and Lodge Kurá Hulanda. A remarkable Dutch man named Dr. Jacob Gelt Dekker
owns both. Jacob, as he likes to be called, made millions in one-hour photo stores throughout Europe. He has put his money to good use in charities and in improving Curacao. The Kurá Hulanda Hotel has 84 rooms, a casino and is on St. Anna Bay in Otrabanda. Jacob spent millions of dollars restoring
the 18th and 19th century Dutch
colonial buildings. The bedrooms
are nicely refurbished with Indian marble bathrooms
and feature both a tub and shower. The hotel is not on the beach but is attached to the Museum Kurá Hulanda (more on this shortly). Neither should be missed. If you don't stay here, at least have dinner at Jaipur, the hotel's Asian restaurant. Jaipur is closed on Mondays. Its specialty is traditional Indian food and it's considered one of the best restaurants on the island. Room rates begin at $190 a night. Kurá Hulanda Hotel and Casino, Langestraat 8 (Otrabanda) Willemstad, Curacao Netherlands Antilles; Tel.: (+5999) 434-7700. Toll-free: (1-877) 264-3106.
LODGE KURA HULANDA AND BEACH CLUB
Jacob's other hotel (where I'd like to stay one day) is the Lodge Kurá Hulanda. This property is located on the western side of the island and is situated on 350 acres. Some of the rooms are on a cliff overlooking the beach. This property is a member of the Leading Small Hotels of the World. It's quite secluded and it's a good 45-minute drive from town. The lodge has a variety of rooms, including spacious
villas, a tree house and Jacob's personal residence, which can be rented out most of the year (he's usually only in town for a few days). His open air, eco-friendly residence is designed
like a luxurious African tree fort and is exquisite. It has furniture from all over the world and there are three bedrooms, so you can bring the whole family or some friends. The three-bedroom suite goes for $1,500 USD a night. Lodge Kurá Hulanda & Beach Club, Playa Kalki 1 Westpunt, Curacao Netherlands Antilles; Tel.: (+5999) 839-3600.
MUSEUM KURA HULANDA
Museum Kurá Hulanda is also one of Jacob's masterpieces. He built it because he couldn't believe the island didn't have a museum to showcase the island's history, including its involvement in the slave trade. This is now one of the largest museums in the Caribbean and is housed in a series of buildings from the 1800s that Jacob rescued and restored. The museum's main focus is the history and culture of Africa. It offers a chronicle of the Origin of Man, the African slave trade, West African empires, Pre-Colombian gold, Mesopotamian relics and Antillean art. There's a life-sized reconstruction of a slave ship
with pictures detailing how captured slaves would sleep on top of each other in the most horrific
conditions
on their journey from the Ivory Coast. It also includes Jacob's personal collection
of art and artifacts from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, which he collected in less than a year. Hours are daily from 10am to 5pm; admission is 10 NLG ($6 USD) for adults and 5 NLG ($3 USD) for children 12 years old and younger. Museum Kurá Hulanda, Klipstraat 9 (Otrabanda) Willemstad, Curacao Netherlands Antilles; Tel.: (+5999) 434-7765.
WHAT TO SEE
You really won’t want to miss Willemstad. This capital city is what most cruise ship passengers
see since they dock in its harbor. The highlight is Handelskade Street, which has rows of pastel-colored, red-roofed townhouses. They look like something from a fairy tale
and are described on UNESCO's World Heritage List. As the local story goes, the buildings were all originally white, but the bright reflection from the sun hurt a past Governor’s eyes so he had them painted. It’s also said that the Governor had them painted because he owned the paint store. Smart man, eh?
WILLEMSTAD
There’s a canal that divides Willemstad in two. The historic side is called Punda (meaning "point") and offers great shopping while Otrabanda (meaning "the other side") is more contemporary. To cross
the canal, there’s a floating bridge called the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge. Built in 1888, it swings open to let ships pass by. When the orange flag is hoisted, it means it will just be a short opening but when there’s a blue flag, it means that in order to cross, you must take one of the two ferries
that shuttle passengers back and forth for free. For automobiles, the Queen Juliana Bridge was opened in 1973 and is 194 feet high (59m) making it the highest bridge in the Caribbean But it’s still not high enough to let the new mega cruise ships pass through.
TOUR GUIDE
I had a tour of Willemstad from a very stylish (wearing Prada glasses, pearl earrings and shell-patterned capris) and knowledgeable Dutch woman named Eveline van Arkel (click here for her Business Card). Eveline, like many retired Dutch, moved to the island from Holland. She’s been here since 1984, knows the island better than most locals and charges just $15 USD for a 2-hour tour. This rate is per person and tours require a minimum of four people. She showed my group around the waterfront, including the pervertedly carved out trees
by local sculptor Mac Alberto. We visited Fort Amsterdam, which is where the Governor's Palace is and a 1769 Dutch Reformed church. We then walked
through the shopping district and met the island’s most popular artist Nena Sanchez
(Biz Card ). Eveline offers a variety of tours including visiting Curacao’s liquor
factories and trips to the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
(tel.: (+5999) 461-1067). Services
are held every Friday at 6:30pm and Saturday at 10am.
CAFÉ GOUVERNEUR DE ROUVILLE
If you’re in the capital city and are looking for a great place to take a break in and have lunch, check out Restaurant and Café Gouverneur de Rouville. The building dates back to 1737 but was restored in 1987. It’s located on the Otrabanda waterfront and has a spectacular view
of the famous Handelskade. The restaurant offers salads, sandwiches and one of the best soups I’ve ever had. Creamy and spicy, the Cuban banana soup is worth going for alone. Other popular dishes include Old Gouda cheese with mustard and mayonnaise, raw beef
sausage with capers, mustard, mayonnaise and egg, and fried eggs served on bread with cheese and tomato. ‘Keshi Yená’ is a local specialty that was created by slaves; they took the hollowed-out rounds of imported Dutch Gouda cheese, stuffed it with chicken and prunes and melted it. No matter what you order, chances are you’ll be washing it down with the island’s most popular beer – Amstel Bright
or Awa di Lamunchie
(water of limes), which essentially tastes like limeade. (Curacao doesn’t have lemons on the island). Restaurant and Café Gouverneur de Rouville, De Rouvilleweg 9 Otrabanda; tel.: (+5999) 462-5999. Click here for their business card.
BOAT HOUSE
Another good restaurant is the Boathouse Food & Marina. It’s got a fantastic view
but is located further away from the town centre. They serve local fish, farm-fresh poultry and fresh vegetables. The wait staff
are mostly from Holland
and can be a bit slow but the atmosphere
makes it worthwhile. Boathouse Food & Marina, Brakkeput Ariba; tel.:
(+5999) 767-2221. Click here for their business card.
JAANCHIES
The most famous restaurant
on the island (and a local favorite) is Jaanchie's
in Westpunt. It’s been around for 71 years and there’s no menu – Jaanchie himself will tell you what the daily specials are! He’s quite a character (as you can see in the video below). The specials always include fresh fish, chicken and iguana. That’s right – this place
serves iguana, which is supposedly an aphrodisiac because the little guy has two penises. I reluctantly tried it and found it to be really bony (no pun intended). It tasted like chicken. It’s open 12pm to 6pm every day and has a rustic setting, surrounded by hedges with hundreds of chirping birds. FYI: It’s about a 45-minute drive from the Marriott. Jaanchie's; tel.: (+5999) 864-0126.
THE BEACHES
After eating at Jaanchie's, you might as well go to the beach and sleep off all that food. The southwestern side of the island
has old
plantation houses
and Curacao’s best beaches. Don’t get me wrong – the beach at the Marriott is nice but it doesn’t compare to the ones out here (about a 30-minute drive from the
hotel). Some of them charge
a small entry fee (fees range between 3.50 NLG to 10 NLG or $2 USD to $6 USD) per car but it’s well worth the price. I visited Playa
PortoMari, Casabao Beach, West End Beach, Fish Market
Beach and Big Kenepa Beach. I couldn’t take just looking at the clear, turquoise-blue water so I followed a local
and jumped off
a 20-foot cliff. It was so much fun I did it three times!
SNORKELING AND DIVING
Another great thing about Curacao? Awesome snorkeling can be found just off any beach, including the beach at the Marriott, where I was staying. However, for those who want to go diving
or snorkel
in a cave, then go out on an excursion with Ocean Encounters. They have a couple of branches around the island and I used the one stationed at Lodge Kurá Hulanda
on the west side. Captain Tuki
is a riot as he walks around in his banana-hammock bathing suit! He’s got a ripped, small-framed body and an attitude that would make a New Yorker back down. He took us
out on a relaxing
spin
in a 42 foot dive boat (we never went over 10 knots). We passed all the waterfront houses, high up on the limestone cliffs, kids jumping off into the refreshing water. We stopped at the Blue Room
for our first dip in a cavern
similar to the Blue Grotto in Capri, Italy but not as nice. The only way to get in is to swim
so be sure you are a strong swimmer. On the way back, we explored a World War II ship that was intentionally sunken to attract more divers. Unfortunately, the water was cloudy
on the day that I went, so it wasn’t all that cool. Tours are from 9am to1pm, and cost $75 USD for 2 dives. Ocean Encounters.
ATV ADVENTURE
The best and most exciting way to see the island is on one of Eric's ATV Adventures (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes shared one of Eric’s All-Terrain Vehicles
when they visited). Eric himself leads most of the 3- to 3 ½- hour wild and off-the-beaten-path tours. I did the East Island tour, which covered
35 miles and first took us down some of Curacao’s streets before entering the bush. To add to the excitement, it was pouring rain and at one point it was coming down so hard
we even had to take shelter in a car wash. The highlights included going down a never-ending, narrow dirt path that occasionally required a duck and jig of the body to avoid getting pricked (or should I say stabbed?) by a Wabi plant -- it’s basically a cactus
and does not feel good. We stopped for an espresso to get warm and a refreshing Aloe Vera juice
– it’s my new favorite drink! They serve it at the
Zambezi Ostrich Farm
(OstrichFarm.net) that’s next door to the Aloe Vera Plantation
Curacao (AloeCuracao.com). They not only have ostriches, but emus, pigs, goats and a safari. From there, we went to a remote part of the island and climbed
into a bat cave
where bats whisked right over your head! On top of the cave is an inspiring view
of the land; Eric pointed out all the coral that we were standing on and explained how it all used to be underwater. For lunch we stopped
at E Bista Restaurant. You’ll never find this lady’s
home on your own because it’s out in the boonies. If by chance you do, she’s only open for lunch. There’s no menu but she serves
tasty fish, chicken and ribs. Reservations are required and meals cost just 10 NLG ($6 USD) per person. On the hour-long ride back to home base I was traveling 47 mph at times, but you can go at your own pace and first-timers are welcome. Just remember to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, old clothes, sneakers,
and your camera! Costs: $90 single, $140 double. Eric's ATV Adventures, Tel: (+5999) 524-7418, eric@curacao-atv.com.
KARNAVAL
Curacao’s carnival might not be as famous as Rio’s but it sure is a lot of fun and now travelers can get into the action, too. Karnaval (that’s how the locals spell it) is a special time of year. It’s a Christian festival
that is celebrated around the world and the length differs by country. In Curacao it begins on New Year’s Day but the highlight is the Festival di Tumba, which is when the island's musicians compete for prizes in a contest held one week before Ash Wednesday (which is the beginning of Lent). Some of the events include the crowning of a king and queen, street parades, concerts and parades for children. The main events take place on the Sunday and Tuesday night before Ash Wednesday. This week is so popular that the city swells by 20,000 to 30,000. That means it’s also the most expensive time of year to visit! Just recently, the Curacao tourism board began encouraging visitors to partake in Karnaval. In fact, that’s why we (myself
and other travel writers) were invited to visit and experience the fun of Karnaval – so we could help get the word out. Last year, they hosted Miss USA and Sports Illustrated model/TV host Estelle Reyna . I know what you’re thinking — too bad I wasn’t invited on that trip. I’m with you!
TAKI TIN
This year’s Karnaval featured 31 different floats. Planning begins 11 months in advance competing for a grand prize. Each group is responsible for their float, which means taking care of decorations, costumes, makeup, Tumba band, bar, and food/drink runners. I
was in the "Taki Tin" group (meaning "Here it is") we had about 20 runners alone who played a key role delivering food and drink to each participant. On the bus ride
to the parade, I couldn’t understand why the runners had different food and drink tags on their hats. Well, I quickly found out when the parade
started. The music
is so loud (be sure to wear earplugs) that the only way marchers know what the runners are carrying (beer, rum, vodka, Red Bull, water, iced tea, pigs in a blanket, cheese rolls …) is by the labels. Duh! Visitors are pretty much allowed to join any group but arrangements need to be made months in advance. Note other groups
might require rehearsal so you will need to arrive in advance. The tourism board has a deal with the Taki Tin group because they are not only the biggest (over 200 participants), but also the cheapest (it costs just 750 NLG [$400 USD] to join, which includes the fitted costume, transportation, food/drink for the two parades. Note: Other groups
can cost
up to
3,000 NLG ($1,800 USD). Because Taki Tin has no intention to win best float (They are too busy having fun) so they are not strict on marching and no practice is required. The Taki Tin group is so funny – not only are their costumes
the ugliest, (they are different every year like everyone
else’s) but they don’t march in sync. While the other
groups
appear professional, marching
in a straight
line, our people were all bunched together
and it got worse whenever we marched by a hill. That’s because everyone would dart
for it (leaving the group is a big no-no!), run up and dance. This year’s Taki Tin theme was appropriate: Last-Minute. That’s why the costumes look like they were thrown together with one sleeve and one pant leg.
GRAND PARADE
The Grand Parade
is the BIG event. If you’re tourist, don’t even bother trying to get a taxi on this day because almost everyone
is at the parade (close to 100,000 people attend) or they’re at home watching it live on TV. I
was warned that the Grand Parade was going to involve non-stop dancing and drinking from at least 10am to 6pm. The 4-mile parade
route moves very slowly
and I seriously have never danced so much in my life (even more than when I was in Ibiza, Spain
with my brother and cousin A.J. in the mid 1990s). Most of the dancing is shuffling
and jumping
but it gets tiring, especially with the hot sun beating down
on you. I was so tired
that I skipped the farewell parade two evenings later. It’s apparently just as crazy but without the sun. When the festivities end at midnight, they blow up an effigy of King Momo. This officially marks the beginning of Ash Wednesday and it is time to fast until Easter. Next year’s main parades take place on February 3rd and 5th. For those who want to see the colorful costumes but don’t want to participate in the parade, you can do it in style by joining others in the Curacao Tourism booth
for $65 USD a person. This fee includes a front row seat, food, drink and a definite good time.
IF YOU GO
Bring earplugs, sunscreen, and comfortable/disposable shoes.
VIDEO
Here’s a 4-minute Johnny Jet Video
of my trip to Curacao. It's also on YouTube, so it takes only a few seconds to load (though the quality is not as crisp). We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on their servers.
NEXT WEEK
Next week, we travel back to L.A. then to Hollywood Beach, Florida before flying out of the country again. I will give you a hint where we’re going; to get to this destination we will fly right over Curacao and the country’s national pastime is soccer.
Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet
*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!
Note: This trip was sponsored by the Curacao Tourism Board.
Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet
, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.