Distance from Port Everglades to Willemstad: 1150 Nautical Miles
Background. Curacao is an independent country in the southern Caribbean Sea – It is the C island in the ABC Islands (Aruba and Bonaire being the others). It was discovered initially by the Spanish in 1499 and then settled by the Dutch in 1634 . The name Curacao comes from “Cured”; Spanish sailors were cured of scurvy once they ate Vitamin C fruits on the island. The island has a population of 160,000 with its capital, Willemstad. Willemstad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is divided into two sections, Punda and Otrobanda connected by two bridges across Sint Anna Bay. The Queen Juliana is a modern tall bridge (at 51 meters the tallest bridge in the Caribbean) and the Queen Emma, built in 1888, is a Pontoon Bridge. The Queen Emma bridge is appropriately called the “Swinging Old Lady”. The island is blanketed by Curacao WiFi so connecting to the internet is easy. The ship is docked in Otrobanda at the Mathey Wharf Cruise Terminal.
Willemstad
Local Pilot
Just outside the city, we spotted a hotel with an enormous infinity pool – must cost a fortune to stay there.
On Deck for the Approach
Approach to Willemstad
Fancy Hotel and Pool
Also here today is the much bigger, Adventure of the Seas. The Adventure is an old friend which carried us across the Atlantic a few years ago. Still a very sleek looking ship.
Adventure of the Seas
Willemstad
The ABC Islands are known for their winds and it was breezy as we approached Willemstad. The seas were choppy but the pilot did a good job of smoothly bringing the ship alongside.
As the Captain had predicted, the Pacific Princess arrived late in Willemstad at around 1 PM – it was announced that the ship would be leaving later than scheduled (around 8 PM) to give passengers more time to see the city and for the tours to be run in their entirety.
Adventure of the Seas – Around the Bend
Waiting to Disembark
The pier is on the Otrobanda section of Willemstad. It is only a short walk down the hill into the city area. Greeting us was a large square – Plasa Brion, named for Luis Brion, whose statue graces the plaza. Luis Brion, Primer Almirante de la Gran Colombia (1782-1821), fought in the Venezuelan War of Independence. There is an inscription on the side by Simon Bolivar – El Libertador.
Luis Brion Statue
We decided to walk a bit in Otrobanda but the we saw no other passengers and all of the shops were closed. Our plans changed and we crossed the Queen Emma Bridge to Punda.
Crossing the Queen Emma Bridge (Ellen right side)
The far end of the bridge affords a wonderful view of the colonial style buildings of historic Willemstad.
On this side of the bay, there were many more visitors (from both ships) but the shops were still mostly closed. Only the bars and a few souvenir shops remained open.
One of our goals was to visit the Curacao Synagogue – Mikve Israel-Emanuel – located on Columbusstrasse. This synagogue is the first synagogue in the New World (ca. 1732), We found it easily but it too was closed. There was a plainclothes armed security guy standing across the street. He told us (in what was an Israeli accent) that he was guarding the synagogue, He also told us the synagogue was closed because it was “Labor Day” on the island – hence all of the closed stores.
This was our second unsuccessful attempt to visit Mikve Israel – Emanuel.
Mikve Israel-Emanuel
Although most everything was closed, the bars and a few souvenir shops remained open. One bar had an outdoor area and a group singing some local music. I managed to capture part of their performance.
Performers – Outdoor Bar
One place we thought might be open would be the Rif Fort and Renaissance Mall. The mall is back on the Otrobanda side of the bridge. Some shops were open but the main attraction was mall itself. The shops were located on several levels reachable by stairs of elevator – it felt a little like a bunch of tree houses.
Rif Fort Mall Courtyard from top floor
The mall had some ceramic cows on display – similar to past bovine statues in Chicago and Kusadasi. Check out the strange light effects in the picture below – the lens was clean – a mystery.
In the Cow Seat
The top level of the mall incorporated the fort and had a nice view of the Caribbean.
Ellen at the Mall with Ocean View
It was pretty warm and humid so we walked back up the hill to the ship.
After dinner, we caught Alan Bursky’s Encore Show – again he had some funny bits (he stood on stage drinking coffee for a few minutes before speaker show demonstrating that people don’t really start work the minute they walk in the office).
Listened to David in the Casino Lounge before calling a day.
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