1/24/2013 - Curaçao Island

Our next stop was Curaçao (pronounced [koo-r-uh-sou]), which represents the “C” in the ABC Islands.  The island was founded in 1499 by the Dutch and given the name “Curaçao”, which means “heart” in Portuguese. The Island is world renowned for its orange liqueur by the same name. Until I visited this fair island, I neither knew that the blue-colored liqueur was actually orange-flavored nor the correct pronunciation of Curaçao (frequently referring to the sweet liquid as blue [ka-rawk-co]).

Upon arrival to Curaçao the first thing you notice are the many colorful Dutch style buildings lining the water way.  Like Aruba, this island is rich with culture, language and architecture.  Curaçao is the largest most populous of the three islands we visited and the city of Willemstad reminds me of a much smaller Amsterdam. We toured the island to see the unique culture, lush vegetation as well as the lengthy and complicated history involving a once substantial Jewish population.

One of the most abundant wildlife in Curaçao  are the Iguanas, which are small reptiles that live in trees and also prevalent throughout South America. You can see Iguanas running along the streets and rural pathways.On a stop during the tour, a local was selling Iguana soup from a crockpot outside a gift shop.

I couldn’t resist (when in Rome and all) and was horrified when I went to take my first bite and noticed that the each piece had a slimy reptilian skin still attached.  I thought I was eating a piece of the Queen reptile in the V television series. (I know I am dating myself. However, if you knew what I am talking about then you are old too).  Nevertheless, I sucked it up figurative and literally and got my head in the game.  After a mental battle with the consistency, I concurred with the locals that Iguana does in fact taste a bit like chicken.After our tour, we searched for Wi-Fi, had a late lunch at a cute little sidewalk café and then sat along the waterway sipping cocktails well into the night.  The area was lively at night with bands playing Latin tunes and the locals chatting and celebrating over cold beer.  Sea water feeds a water way through downtown Willemstad and a pedestrian bridge crosses to allow the locals and tourist to go to and fro.  The interesting thingabout the bridge is that it is motorized by a boat propeller and can be moved toan open or shut position allowing boats and ships to pass through the waterwayand access the ship dock.  Although Curaçao was mostly uneventful, I did find meaning in the motorized bridge. In life, the land of Curaçao represents your heart.  Similar to the pedestrian bridge, your heart will get walked on by people in a hurry to go to and fro; however, one must be flexible to open your gate and allow magnificent vessels big and small to pass through and gain access.