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Curaçao: Island of Surprises
by Holly Reich

In Curaçao, ‘dushi’, a word from Papiamentu, the local language, translates to sweetie, very nice, darling, tasty or good. On this Dutch owned Caribbean island, “dushi” is as common a saying as hello.

Curaçao (pronounced cure-a-sow) is located in the southwestern Caribbean, outside of the hurricane belt and about 35 miles north of Venezuela. The largest of the Netherlands Antilles, the island is 38 miles long and ranges from 2 to 7.5 miles wide.

With an average year-round temperature of 82 degrees, constant cooling trade winds and some of the sweetest beaches I’ve ever seen, Curaçao is the personification of dushi. It is also an island for families.

Willemstad, Curaçao’s port city, which has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site, looks like something out of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Candy colored colonial townhouses and New Orleans style baroque mansions flank an inland waterway. A “Swinging Lady Bridge” that moves underfoot and lifts for tall masts, connects the two sides of town.

On one side, there’s an open-air market with small boats from Venezuela selling fish, fruit and spices, shops that sell imported French jewelry (Beads & Pieces was the best example we found) and boutiques with imported clothes and purses from Indonesia (Bamali is one such shop). On the other side of the harbor, vendors sell fresh mango milkshakes, cotton wraps from India and locally crafted wooden salad bowls and spoons.

This is an island full of surprises; both culturally and historically. Besides brewing Amstel Brite (made from sea water) and hosting Elite’s Latino Model Competition, Curaçao has casinos, ostrich farms, Indonesian restaurants and the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere.

Inhabited in 600 by the Caiquetios Tribe, an Arawak Indian tribe from the coastal regions of South America, Curaçao was discovered in 1499 by Europeans during a Spanish expedition, who named it La Isla de los Gigantes (Island of the Giants) because of the height of the native Indians.

In 1634 the Dutch took possession of the island and soon after became leaders in the international slave trade. Africans were transported to Curaçao and sold to wealthy plantation owners. The wharf where they were sold is now the site of the Kura Hulanda Museum, commemorating the tens of millions of Africans who were forced into labor.

The Hato Caves --another site for any visitor’s “must-see” list-- is where the slaves hid to perform their rites. Entered by a series of steep steps carved into the mountain, these eerie caves are still blackened from the ceremonial fires and have natural sculptures formed by stalactites and stalagmites.

Churches and synagogues usually bore kids, but the Mikve Israel- Emanuel Synagogue is unusual enough to keep children involved. It was established in 1732, soon after the Jewish community began arriving to Curaçao during the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions. Lit by candles in chandeliers, the synagogue has sand floors to commemorate the Spanish and Portuguese Jews who spread sand on the floors of their secret temple to muffle the sounds of worship.

Further outside of town, at the Sea Aquarium you can feed sharks fish through a Plexiglas window, pet sea lions or swim with dolphins. At the Ostrich Farm, we took an open-air truck around the property, held out buckets of feed to the big birds (whose brains are smaller than their eyes) and cuddled a 6-week old baby ostrich. If you have a yen for ostrich meat, the restaurant, which is open for dinner, serves up ostrich sausage and pumpkin stew.

And while we’re on the subject of food, De Governeur in town has a loft with a kids playroom, a beautiful view of the harbor and delicious Banana Soup. The Rijsttafel Restaurant, decorated with antique ceremonial puppets, serves up platters of Indonesian food on a rotating dolly. For New York-style chic, try Avalon.

Our most fun food adventure was at Angelica’s Kitchen. Angelica, a charming local woman who is a pharmacist by trade, returned to Curaçao to reclaim her childhood home. She redesigned it with a super-sized kitchen and tiled courtyard and started hosting group cooking classes.

On our last night in Curaçao, we joined with other families for one of Angelica’s sessions. While dancing to hot Caribbean music and drinking pitchers of caipirinhas (sugar cane rum with lots of lime – the kids drank Coca-Cola), we all prepared a simple Caribbean meal of tomato-cucumber salsa, beef with Caribbean vegetables, funchi ( polenta) and grilled pineapple with vanilla ice-cream. It was simply dushi.

We stayed at Breezes Curaçao, which was the first time I have stayed at an all-inclusive with a casino. It is definitely a fun distraction. My kids loved the resort because there was so much activity, including a circus (combination of trapeze & trampoline), and a snack bar with jerk chicken and tortillas.

All-inclusive meant everything: meals, snacks, brand cocktails, unlimited use of land and water sports facilities (including equipment rental and instruction), entertainment and hotel taxes - with no tipping allowed.

Info: SuperClubs at (800) GO-SUPER (or 1-800-467-8737) or visit their website at www.superclubs.com.

Also see:

Photo courtesy Curaçao Tourist Board


Holly Reich is a travel and automotive writer based in Manhattan.

All text copyright Holly Reich. No part of this article may be reproduced without written permission from the author.

 

 

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