The tour we were to go on this morning (Nov 1) was the Willemstad
Trolley tour. Originally I had booked us on the snorkeling tour for
Caracas Bay, but canceled Bob's part of that and just had me
snorkeling, and him taking the trolley. However, they canceled the
snorkeling tour, so I switched my ticket to ride the trolley with him.
Only problem was that the tour began at 8:20. So we had to get a move
on.
The ship was to be in port by 7 and we woke up and looked at the bow
camera on the TV about 6:30. It was still pretty dark, but we saw the
lights of an oil refinery in front of us. What were we doing?
Apparently we were turning around. Then we went under the Queen
Juliana Bridge (the high fixed bridge) and docked facing out. There
were no other ships in this port with us.
When we went up to eat at about 0720, the buffet area was quite busy
(no tables to sit inside), so we ate outside by the pool and could see
the bridge from the ship. While we were eating, we saw the trolley go
across the bridge to the other side.
We'd had an announcement in the daily bulletin that the Queen Emma
pontoon bridge was out of service for reconditioning, so I couldn't
take any pictures of that which was a disappointment, but I took some
pictures of the fixed bridge from the deck. We were told that
because of high winds and traffic, no one was allowed to walk across
the bridge. Bob thought it was because they didn't want people to
jump.
While we were eating, there was an announcement from the bridge that
we were taking on fuel (bunkering) and the activities would be
restricted in some way (but we couldn't understand the announcement as
to what that was) on deck 7 which was where we were. We soon saw that
the deck walkers weren't allowed to walk all the way around the deck
but had to turn back and go the other direction on the dock side of
the ship. Bob thought that was kind of silly, since it was diesel
fuel which is not flammable.
When we got to the dock for our tour, we were put into taxis and taken
across the bridge to the tour. I wondered why they just didn't pick
us up at the ship, but I guess that would have made the trip longer.
I sat up front and tried to take pictures as we drove over the Queen
Juliana bridge - not that I would have wanted to walk up there but I
thought it would have been a nice view.
Link starts here =>
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shareLanding.jsp?shareCode=A4FC1C1BF0C&cb=PW
<== Link ends here
The trolley tour was very interesting and fun. She explained that the
old buildings in the Scharloo district were built of coral and rock
which had salt in it, and then plastered and painted. But the salt is
gradually leached out of the rock, and bubbles appear in the paint so
that the outsides have to be painted every year or so. We did not
stop at the National Archives which is in Bolo di Bruit known as the
wedding cake house, but just drove by for pictures.
She also told us the story about the governor who decreed that the
buildings should not be white because it gave him a headache, but
after he died it was found that he owned the paint factory. We went
by the floating market (boats from Venezuela), and after we toured the
old city, we went into the Pietermaai Cathedral, where she told us
about the pipe organ (pipes from 2 meters to 2 cm) and the story of
the Venezuelan doctor who did 'laying on of hands' i.e. faith healing.
When he died people made statues of him, and the statues were said to
have the power to produce miracle cures 'if you believe'.. A statue
of him is in the church. (photo #40)
We passed by the Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest in
continuous use in the Western hemisphere. We also saw a former
synagogue which had been built when the synagogue split temporarily
between Orthodox and Reform - it is now the offices for the judges and
prosecutors of the court system. (photo 55 - it has scaffolding on
it).
She told us that 'Baratillo' meant 'SALE', so if we saw that in a shop
window, we should know that there was a sale inside.
We finished up at Fort Amsterdam which was built in 1635. Then we had
the option to walk up and take the free pedestrian ferry (which
operates only when the pontoon bridge is open, and since the pontoon
bridge is under reconstruction, the ferries operate all the time) or
to take a taxi back. Bob wanted to take the taxi (which was free with
the tour) so we were back at the ship soon after 10:15.
Our next tour was at 12:20. Unfortunately, the restaurant didn't open
until noon. So we had a hasty lunch, and got back on a bus for the
Discover Curacao tour. The tour guide said that gas was sold by the
liter, and that it would be about $4/gallon even though it was refined
right on the island.
Link starts here =>
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shareLanding.jsp?shareCode=A56D582BF0C&cb=PW
<== Link ends here
First we went to the Curacao Museum (starting with photo 9) which had
exhibits of life in the 1900s. It also had contemporary art and some
archeological exhibits. Then we passed by the desalinization plant,
and the airport and visited the Hato Caves. Apparently the grottos
and stalagmites are spectacular, and there is also what is described
as an 'easily negotiated' Petroglyph Trail.
The guide said that there would be 48 steps and it would be hot in the
caves, so Bob and I opted not to go. We sat on the porch outside the
snack bar and he drank a sprite and I drank a box of peach juice.
They were $2 each. They had bird sculptures made of tires, and it was
cool and breezy on the porch. There was also a hand cranked music box
type thing.
Then the bus took us past the refinery to the top of the Queen Juliana
bridge and allowed us to get out and take pictures. Our last visit
was to Seniors Curacao which is where the authentic Curacao liqueur is
made from the dried peel of Curacao golden oranges (citrus aurantium
curassuviensis) which turned out to be too bitter to actually eat.
(Senior was the name of the man who figured out how to use the oranges
in 1896.)
The liqueur is sometimes blue and is used in a Blue Hawaiian drink.
It also is sometimes put into Delft bottles. I wanted a picture of
the Queen Emma bridge, so I bought a place mat which also had a
picture of the caves on it. It was $4.25. I asked if I could have
some Curacao money for Matthew and Cody, but they didn't have any.
However one of the girls from the tour company who was on the tour
traded me for some small change in her purse for my quarters that I
got as change from the place mat. We finished up the tour back at
the docks about 4.
We hadn't ridden the passenger ferry yet, and I wanted at least to get
some pictures of it, so just before dinner, we went up on deck.
(photos 77 to 102 in the first link) The ferry seemed very wobbly
(like a weeble), and I'm not sure that it wasn't a bit top heavy and
unsafe in a cross wind or storm. I took over 30 pictures (including
some kind of fishing boat putting out to sea) before we went down to
dinner.
I had the Cooking Light Spicy Chicken Bites with Cucumber Dip (three
small bites worth) and Bob had the Mango Cocktail with Creme de Banana
Liqueur for appetizers. I had Mulligatawny soup and Spaghetti con
Scampi for dinner. I got 4 nice sized shrimp with that and a log of
very tasty spaghetti. I had a fruit pizza for dessert which was very
good.
We didn't go to the show after dinner, but we again met our partners
for trivia, and had the best score of anyone. At the end, he said -
we've been doing this trivia together, and we don't even know your
names. I'd thought of that too - we'd never introduced ourselves.
Tomorrow is Aruba
grandma Rosalie |
115562. Curacao - November 1, 2005
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