Curacao - on diving, dogs and Macamba's

Yesterday I arrived at Schiphol after a two week holiday on Curacao . I stayed there with a friend of mine, Darlene, and her sister, Natalie. My holiday has brought me to where I gasped - relaxation, warmth and new energy.

Diving is magical
What has dominated my vacation - besides the sun and the delicious heat! - It was diving. It started gently, with a test dive at Dive St. Wederfoort Michael Bay . Eric Wederfoort did this lesson. I wanted to learn to dive because I was afraid of water and hoped it would be less if I would learn what life under water. I had my family for my birthday money sought for that course and decided that I, as the first dive felt good, indeed my license would go. And with Eric's patience was I did it. I told him that I was scary and he gave me a second the feeling that I was appointed, was very careful in the information he gave, and so I soon felt at ease underwater

The underwater environment also helped. At the beginning I saw the beautiful fish and my last dive on the day I passed my PADI, was magical. I do not know what peace was more promising - the image of the turtle calmly swam up for air to get one bite, or fish schools where between us while we swam over some kind of abyss appeared. That dive felt like I was floating and completely free.

Short but vibrant nightlife
On my last Saturday in Curacao, I wanted the evening to Asia de Cuba and as Natalie and Darlene were tired, I wanted to drive yourself, which I would meet a dive buddy. Asia de Cuba is a beautiful tent. You can have dishes from Asia and Latin America receive, but on Friday and Saturday live band plays a few good salsa, merengue and bachata dance and locals and tourists until closing time. The reaction to my proposal was: "Are you there? Alone? Hmm. Make sure all doors locked. If you for one traffic light, just driving by, even if it is red. And when you are riding, just drive through. They do so often to rob you. "After the warnings have my dive buddy, but called and asked if he would come pick me up. We had a nice dance indeed.

The nightlife is there very early, after half past one closing most tents. This is the result of policy change, I'm told. Before this policy was there, was the night life on Curaçao dangerous. Shooting incidents were not unusual. In order that a halt should nightlife close early now and I think that it is successful. A few days later I the evening basis only with the car, and with my dive buddies celebrated that we had achieved our PADI. On the street was quiet and I had a very enjoyable evening at the Grand Café Heeren , where the Anti Liana danced to salsa and merengue from a live band and the 'Macamba's' drunk. Both venues are Zuikertuintje , which I assume was cozier than in Punda and Mambo Beach.

Antillean men still dominate the streetscape still evening. The first night we went shopping after we had done a "snack food out. 'Snacks' are eateries for a song where you can make simple meals like grilled chicken with fries. You'll find them at every turn on the side of the road. Outside, there were only men. Driving through Banda Riva (east of the island), I saw that it was more than just the one "snack". I asked Natalie, sister of Darlene, to them and said that was typical of the island. "Men go out, the women are home for the children."

Sound dogs everywhere
Curacao full of dogs, street dogs and dogs in the yards. I could, like the evening I stood outside on the balcony, which hear someone walking down the street to the barking: it followed the route of the walker. Darlene and Natalie also had dogs. Darlene has a chihuahua, Charlie, and a boomertje, Koekie. Natalie has one, if I remember correctly, viva (?) Which is called Luna. When I arrived, seven of her pups were still alive. During the day sat in their pen, Natalie was afraid she would run the streets, but at night when they were eating, they were in the front yard. That feed was quite a spectacle. Sadly, all these seven puppies in one weeks time deceased to some mysterious disease. To our eyes they emaciated, they ate no more and they crawled one by one to a sheltered spot to die. The eyes from one of these pups were left over after he was deceased. That image I will never forget.

Spicy rijstijltje
Then there is the rhythm. The pace is different in the Netherlands. Because of the heat people start their days early, on weekdays and weekends. On the way the pace is also different - a lot harder. People drive fast, take the left and right and ride pretty aggressively. I drove back home on Saturday from diving classes, on a dual carriageway. A red car who drove me in the right lane, put his left blinker on and went straight to the left, making the Land Rover had to move his left. Then made a motion that Land Rover to the right, the red car had to move again. That was a while back and forth. Suddenly I saw the driver of the red car hanging out the window and gesticulating violently. A second later he threw the contents of a bottle of water to the Landrover, then went for that car, let gas go and when they stopped a long time but I am driven. This does not, moreover, that it is dangerous to drive there. You just keep calm and alert. As we suffer from overhanging trails or jumping deer, they have hot-headed drivers and the occasional goat crossing.

Macamba's
Finally, I noticed how racial difference is present in everyday life. I found myself as Macamba "(Dutch for abuse) was seen. And not everybody has a soft spot for Dutch. I found myself, especially in non-tourist places such as supermarkets or ordinary shops, kinder was treated when I spoke English or Spanish than when I appealed to them in Dutch. This attitude also seems to depend on whether the Curaçao Netherlands in question had studied. Conversely happened anyway. I was with Darlene and her friend Ingemar, both anti-Liana, at Mambo Beach , where an episode of On land, sea and air were recorded. They wanted me Seaaquarium show that was on the other side. At the end of the bridge there was a security guard go to Darlene and Ingemar in Papiamentu appealed. Only when Darlene told him that I came from the Netherlands, we could go through without explanation. Comment from Darlene: "We are already so used to us asking us not even remember why."

Two weeks in a completely different culture of life did me good. I got caught sleeping a lot, nice colored, 'unwind' and got ready for the summer.

Tips

• Go for your PADI at Wederfoort , or get at least one lesson (Nafl 90 / Eur 36). It is not as touristy and massive as the resorts diving (like Lion's Dive and Jan Thiel you in large groups of dives), you get carefully taught (I have to max three other students had lessons) and you pay a modest amount for : Nafl 525 / Eur 209. In addition, St. Michael Bay (aka Boca Sami) a beautiful place on the island. I've heard of several divers that they had nowhere else to Curacao as much marine life as seen there.
• Get a map at the tourist information point on Punda and orient you on the road (Schottegatweg) and landmarks such as churches, gas stations and fast food chains like McDonald's. Signs and street names are often not at times when you want to know where you are.
• Rent a car. You will need either public transport, but the last buses around one hour or seven in the evening. A good little car rentals for you to do Geng Car Rental . Even before 40 Nafl (approx. 16 euros) per day you have a car including taxes and insurance. Moreover, they pick you up at your place to stay if your rental period starts and they bring you to the airport on the day you hand in your car. Tip: ask for a machine. That drives a lot more relaxed there.
• In Zuikertuintje can enjoy entertainment and salsa dancing, going on Thursday to Grand Café de Heeren and on Friday or Saturday at Asia de Cuba .
• ArkeFly has a bad reputation, but I have not noticed. Excellent flight had both ways, good crew and more legroom in economy class than I had when I went with KLM to Singapore.
• Take vitamin pills along. A variety of "pyramid" is not exactly a guiding principle in the Netherlands Antilles kitchen.
• For Eurasians among us - eating vegetarian nasi rames at Toko Sambal , in Zuikertuintje. And ask for the sambal badjak, which is great!
• The herb Paradera visit if you want to know more about the nature of Curaçao and local practices. I have heard stories about fun and exciting example plants in hammocks, the gourd and - important! - A poisonous tree.
• Go to Watamula Band'Abou on and let you guide by a good guide. You can hear breathing Curacao. If you're there to guide you ask and do not know what you're talking about, look for a bit.

Related Posts

• June 17, 2008 - Curacao

Tags: Curacao , holidays , Wederfoort

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 15th, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. and is filed under Travel . You Can Follow Any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You Can leave a response , or trackback from your own site.