Vamos en la playa en in diferentes partes del pais!

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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 in the American South-lots of loud clapping and singing and the piano player making the hymns sound sort of honky-tonk! In the afternoon we went out to Kenepa Beach on the Westpunt and caught some rays on one of the most beautiful public beaches in Curacao. I had lots of sunscreen on so fortunately I just got a bit of a tan.

Today is the day after the Children's Parade for Karnaval and Ama's mom who is a teacher got the day off so we went off exploring together. We were going to visit the ostrich farm but it isn't open on Mondays so instead we went into the store of the Aloe Vera Plantation where they grow aloe plants in abundance! The desert climate here in Curacao is perfect for the aloe plants to grow and they are made into shampoos, creams and soaps among other things. We also went to the Curacao Museum, which is based in an old plantation house owned by a Dutch family. Inside the rooms are made in the way that they were in the 18th century with also some 20th century art! There is a beautiful stained glass map on the wall of the Caribbean and it was presented at the World's Fair in 1939 in New York which was formerly known as New Amsterdam! A trade off to the Dutch for Suriname!

We went to a great fresh fish restaurant called Awa di Playa where I ate wahoo fish with rice and plantains. To finish off our afternoon we went to Jan Thiel and I was able to buy some post cards to send home.... perhaps one will end up in your mail box.

Hope you are all doing well. To the VRA IB staff happy marking of exams and to everyone else take care. Happy Belated Birthday to Scotty. Happy Birthday to Amanda. See you all in a week or so.

love always,
Thinking of you.
Katy

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