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Blogs from Curaçao, Central America Caribbean - page 2
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February 11th 2008
Saturday, February 2, 2008 We're in route to Curacao after an excellent start with American Airlines. I was checked in separately from Alex due to my confirmation not pulling up in their system. Found out the hard way that they charge a flat $50 for anything over 50 pounds. Completely forgetting I packed an 8 pound laptop in my bag, I came in five pounds to heavy and couldn't transfer weight to our other bag since his was already checked in. I suppose now I know at least... Random Thoughts on the Plane - as this is my journal after all... I'll be 23 this upcoming St. Patty's day. I've never been one to take life for granted, I'd imagine after being exposed to death early on from a series of friends and peers, all before ... read more
Snorkelling in the Deep Blue Sea and Felis Karnaval!
Published: February 2nd 2008Central America Caribbean » Curaçao
February 2nd 2008
Happy Groundhog Day everyone! Not sure whether or not Wiarton Willie saw his shadow or not but hope you are all well in reading this blog. I hate to talk about the sunny days in Curacao but there have been many here when I know many of you have been digging yourselves out of your driveways filled with snow! Every day the sun shines here in Curacao and the skies are blue with white puffy clouds with only occasional rain! (that only really lasts for 10 minutes). Over this past week I have spent a lot of time reading, roaming around town and learning about how to live in a family in Curacao. Speaking Spanish all the time and being surrounded by people speaking their native tongue that you don't understand can become challenging. I am ... read more
Vamos en la playa en in diferentes partes del pais!
Published: January 28th 2008Central America Caribbean » CuraçaoJanuary 28th 2008
Bon tarde! Hello everyone, I hope that you have been receiving some of the sunshine I have been sending up north! Today the temperature was 29C and there was just a little rain shower in the afternoon. This past weekend I spent most of my time visiting with my friend Amarelys. We went on a drive out to Caracasbaai and saw all the very expensive homes right on the waterside. We climbed up into an old tower that was used as a fortification by the Dutch against the Spaniards. We wandered down town in Willemstad and checked out the sales in the stores. I even bought a nice summer top! On Sunday I attended the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church and got the chance to sing with my friends here. Being in that church reminded me of being ... read more
January 25th 2008
Hello everyone, Well I arrived here safe and sound last night and was welcomed by my three friends Elizabeth, Amarelys and Farida at the airport. The flight was uneventful and for the last leg I had my three seats to myself... I read mostly. Last night we chatted a fair amount here with everyone and caught up. Elizabeth's mom and sister speak little English so I am speaking spanish most of the time. Thank God I still remember a lot of it and I am getting better at remembering the tenses too... If I don't remember words I am asking for translations but so far so good. Today I got up with Eliz and Melissa, sister and went to see where they go to school. I then took a mini-bus down into Willemstad itself. This is ... read more
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January 25th 2008
Hey everyone, Ok so the true is, I didn't eat a whole iguana but I did get to try some today. It tastes like chicken really with a whole lot of bones. As they say, you only live once! Today Elizabeth and I went on a fantastic bus trip all over the island. Of course, Elizabeth is from here but went to places she has never been to before. Here are some of the things I learned today! They are in no particular order 1) It is not a strange occurence to see a man walking down the street carrying 4 ft long iguanas, one in each hand! 2) The reason why the buildings are all painted different colours in Willemstad is because a doctor in the town went to the Governor and told him that ... read more
November 26th 2007
After dinner one night, sitting out back, dark, swirling water, swells rolling thru’, it’s so much spookier at night, the foreboding-meter ratchets up to 11, I chuck a piece of leftover bread out the back…suddenly a massive splash, flash of silver and gone!…quick!!….out with the line…. bit of somescrap on the hook and in….the line didn’t get 10’ down and whack…big fight…this one’s a real goer…..the handline is slipping thru’ dinner greasy fingers…I can’t hold it when it runs…slowly clawing back ground….finally fought it onboard, a big Horse Eye Jack…looks edible so I skin and fillet it…darkish firm flesh, a bit tunalike…we ate it next night….not too bad….would be good curry. Next I let out a line with just a hook, floating on a piece of bread…10 mins and snap again…this time a nice sized ... read more
Supposedly South of the Hurricane Track
Published: November 26th 2007Central America Caribbean » Curaçao
November 25th 2007
We stayed a little too long in Peurto la Cruz Venezuela after hurricane Felix kissed Bonaire, our next main island. Finally we got out to the Venezuelan offshore island, and the were georgous. Fantastic water, snorkelling, diving, fishing and eating. Eventually getting to Bonaire, we were in divers paradise on an island that got the nature preserve idea early on. There waters are totally protected and provide over 150 marked dive sites and we made the most of it every day for 2 weeks. Now in Curacou, we wait another window in the weather to head down the Columbian coast to Cartegna. Here it is more populated and no less beautiful, just not as laid back. The shopping here is fantastic and we have been able to buy the best of the world in food and ... read more
The Colorfully Wonderful Architecture of Curacao
Published: August 6th 2007Central America Caribbean » Curaçao
May 31st 2007
As a matter of principle, we must feature Curacao. The trip started there, we will pass thru it at least three times before we say 'goodbye' and, not least of all, we lived there for a year or so. Plus, our friends and fans and history would not forgive us. The island is bright and cheerful in most parts. It is the kind of place where people are not afraid to paint their homes and businesses in the brightest combinations of colours. Curacao is a small Dutch Caribbean island located 40 miles from the west coast of Venezuela. It is a part of the 5-island Netherlands Antilles with the others being St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire. It is 444 km, or just about 141 square miles. Willemstad, its capital, is split in two by ... read more
May 31st 2007
Someone, sometime long, long ago, decided that the center of Willemstad, the capital, was the ideal place to situate an oil refinery. Maybe it was because a natural deepwater harbour was located here or maybe someone thought that upper respiratory tract infection would be trendy for the locals in 2007. We think the former was the reason and that the latter was an unfortunate side effect. The Isla refinery, formerly owned by Shell who sold it to the government for USD 1, is now a Venezuelan concern. Its furnaces and phallic chimneys belch black smoke high into the air and spew fire 24 hours a day, everyday. Wind shift would send pungent fumes in different directions. Huge oil tankers sail thru the narrow Santa Annabaai and under the impressive Emmabrug which spans the canal and on ... read more
