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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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