The traveling manatees by Nancy French: Curacao

Arriving at our hotel outside Willemstad at sunset, our first day had been consumed by travel. Even though the flight from Miami is only 3 hours, we had a 3-hour drive to the parking garage and then to the airport; and we needed to arrive 3 hours prior to our flight due to the International status. Unlike most flights, this plane was only about a third full, so we moved around to find more comfortable seating, and the stewardess provided us with free wine, just because. That's the first time that has ever happened when flying coach. Customs on our arrival went quickly, and after securing our rental vehicle, we headed to our home for the week. Once again, travel points were utilized to provide free round-trip flights and our hotel for the week. Luckily, the Hilton Curacao offered a BBQ our first evening which included fresh grilled red snapper as one the entrees. Seated at a beachside table with our feet in the sand and cocktail in hand was a perfect start to our getaway.

Overcast skies and a rain forecast made us head into Willemstad instead of the beaches on our first

Queen Emma Pontoon bridge joins the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the city

morning. Visiting during the rainy season, we had known that rain might be a possibility, but the island only gets 21-22 inches of rain per year, and this day (and in fact for the whole week) we got about 10 minutes of precipitation.

One thing that is immediately apparent on arrival to the island is the impact of the Netherlands on the island. Dutch is widely spoken and architecture in the city reflects that heritage. The Dutch captured the island from the Spanish in 1634, and have been here ever since. In our travels around the island, we found that English is widely spoken, most menus are offered in English and U.S. dollars were accepted everywhere except the parking meters in town (Netherlands Antillean guilders are the official currency.) Most of the islanders speak at least 3 languages, and many speak 4 or 5. Papiamento, a Portuguese-based creole language, is the primary language on Curacao, as well as on nearby Aruba and Bonaire. In making purchases from the Venezuelan boats at the Floating Market at the waterfront, we utilized our Spanish. Prices here were dirt cheap; a bag of 10 oranges for $1, two mangoes for $1, etc., and the salesmen were enthusiastic, but not pushy. The coast of Venezuela is only about 40 miles away, but the political/economic turmoil of that country did not entice us to make any side trips.

At the recommendation from a dive shop, we headed out the following morning to Westpunt Beach to snorkel with turtles. Told to make a turn at the octopus tree at the end of the road, we easily found the small beach area. Upon our arrival, only a few other visitors were on hand. No facilities were offered at this beach, but for our purpose, it was fine. Unfortunately, my "waterproof" camera had filled with water during the previous afternoon's snorkel, and so no underwater shots were taken during the week. Entering the water to the right side of the beach, we saw a number of small tropical fish and then swam through literally hundreds of thousands of small silverfish. Moving to our left and past a dock extending out, we spotted around a dozen green sea turtles. A few were clustered near a huge fishing net near the shore, which trapped thousands of small fish, and enabled the turtles to snack easily through the netting.

From Westpunt, we drove on to Cas Abao Beach, which had been recommended by some friends. Offering not only snorkeling opportunities, but this location also has a snack bar, chair rentals, and restrooms on-site. Parking was $6, but seemed secure, though no security personnel was around. Plentiful shade trees near the beach provided some respite from the sun. Even though the daytime temperatures during the week stayed around the mid-80's, the heat index was close to the mid-90s, so when not in the water, the shade was appreciated. Water temperatures in the low 80s were refreshing. Crystal clear turquoise water allowed easy viewing of the various tropical fish.

Turpials- the National Bird of Curacao

Having previously scoped out the two National Parks on the island, we departed our hotel at 7 AM the next day in hopes of seeing a number of the endemic birds at Christoffel Park. In spite of the early departure, most of the birds had disappeared by our arrival an hour later. Several trails are available and we opted for the one recommended as being best for birding. The hike/climb to the top of Christoffel Mountain is the most popular in the park, but we weren't prepared with proper shoes for the mountain climbing that is required at the end of the trail in order to reach the top. After our hike, we followed the Mountain Car Route which provides nice overviews, the Northern Car Route which takes visitors to the coast and caves, and then the Savonet Museum, a former plantation home turned into a museum takes visitors from the original settlers, the Arawak Indians, who first came about 4000 years ago, through to the plantation era of the 17th and 18th centuries. We decided to bypass the nearby rocky, coastal Shete Boka NP and headed to the beach.

Playa Lagun

Playa Lagun is a narrow rocky cliff enclosed cove with calm waters. Grouper, parrotfish, pufferfish, numerous reef fish, and brain and fan coral are found here. A restaurant/bar up on the cliff provides nice views and tasty meals. Waters are peaceful and clear, and rental chairs are available on the white sand beaches. A handful of trees and a few concrete shelters provide some welcome shade. No admission or parking fee was charged here, and security was provided in the parking area. Small fishing boats come into the area, so it's important to keep a lookout for them. A fisherman appeared to be selling his catch just above the waterline on the left side, but since we had no kitchen facilities we didn't check it out.

The next day, we headed to the opposite end of the island to Baya Beach and a tug boat wreck. Hurricane Omar in October 2008 heavily damaged the boat which now lies in 17 feet of water. Without question, the ugliest snorkel location we have ever visited (above ground), turned out to be a delight under the water. A colorful diversity of corals and sponges, in addition to a wide array of tropical fish, a moray eel, and numerous squid were found here. Several yards beyond the wreck, the water drops along a wall that is about 60 feet deep, so a great near shore exploration spot for scuba divers. We snorkeled to the edge of the wall but didn't attempt any free dives into the depths. The only drawback, from a snorkeling perspective, was the popularity of the area. Granted, we visited on a day when 3 cruise ships were docked in Willemstad so that undoubtedly increased the number of tour boats. Parking and admission were free and a small restaurant and dive shop provide the basics. Lunch was enjoyed at the nearby Pop's Place at Caracasbaai Beach, which serves local fish and Caribbean dishes.

Wandering back into Willemstad, we were on the hunt for a few souvenirs. During our Sunday visit to the city, most of the restaurants and stores had been closed. Having the massive cruise ships in port meant that all the businesses and sidewalks were crowded. Surely, the businesses are happy to see them come, and maybe happier to see them go. Later back at the hotel, we relaxed poolside.

Coral sculptures at Playa Kalki

Our final full day on the island we headed westerly to Playa Kalki (aka Alice in Wonderland.) Arriving early, plenty of parking was still available in the small lot. A long flight of stone steps leads down to the beach with a dive shop and ice cream/ beverage shop overlooking the water. A second flight of steps, to the right, led up to a hotel/restaurant which provides the rental chairs and thatched canopies. As with most of the beaches on the island, the shoreline is covered with dead coral, making entry to the water a challenge. Named "Alice in Wonderland," perhaps due to numerous mushroom-shaped coral formations, we saw a nice variety of fish. We enjoyed trailing an octopus for several minutes and watched multiple metamorphoses as he transformed himself depending on his surroundings. It's fascinating to watch how they literally disappear almost instantly as needed to protect themselves from possible predators.

Next, we moved on to Playa Porto Marie which offers full amenities. With a beachside bar/restaurant, restrooms, showers, dive shop, chair, and umbrella rentals and secure parking, we were set for the remainder of the day. 280 concrete reef balls have been placed throughout the waters to aid in the recovery of the corals destroyed by Hurricane Lenny in 1999. As a result of volunteer efforts transplanting coral plugs into the balls, Staghorn coral has begun to grow. Snorkeling was pleasant but not exciting, and we were able to spot a few of the typical tropical fish, especially near the reef balls. In these waters, we followed a small founder alternately burying himself in the sand and then camouflaging himself on the rocks along the bottom within seconds.

Knowing there was a Flamingo Sanctuary somewhere nearby, on our departure from Porto Marie, we typed Flamingo into Google Map and a

few minutes later we were overlooking a lagoon with a couple dozen flamingos hanging out. Even though we have had the opportunity to see flamingos before in their natural habitat, it is always a treat to see these beautiful birds.

Departing our hotel at 6:30 AM the following morning, marked the end of this trip.

Next on our agenda, the Far East, but not until early 2018.