Curaçao

Autumn 2003, 10 til 17 October to be precise. Me and my family made a trip to the wonderful island of Curaçao, the biggest of the so-called ABC-islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao). Curaçao is part of the Netherlands Antilles, a self-governing part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The population is about 133 000 inhabitants.

We stayed at the Hilton Hotel. It was a true paradise out there. Everything is so extremely relaxed. We had a private beach, which was only opened for people who stayed at the hotel. The sea was perfect for snorkling. After just a couple of meters in the water, you could see a lot of beautiful fishes and very big sea urchins. One thing I didn't liked was the fact that I saw a moray eel once. I guess it would be very funny to see my reaction on camera right now. The water was very clear, clean and bright too, just wonderful. Man, I was totally scared! The weather was perfect. Temperatures laid between 25 and 30 degrees celsius every day.

The capital of Curaçao is Willemstad. Almost all of the inhabitants are living in and around this city. Willemstad consists of two areas: Otrabanda and Punda. The two parts are seperated by the St. Anna Bay. You can cross this water by using the Queen Emma Bridge. I really love Willemstad. It's such a nice city. The Dutch architecture (the coloured houses) at the foot of Otrabanda is very characteristic and beautiful. The city is very relaxed. When it becomes dark, the temperature is still very nice and warm. You can eat at restaurants near the waterside, with a great harbor view. When I was there, I was lucky to see the MS Volendam, a really big cruise ship. It was stationed at the narrow St. Anna Bay, pretty impressive.

Within a week, we had seen almost all of the beautiful places on the island. Great beaches, amazing nature and nice little towns. Mambo Beach was the most beautiful place on the island I've been. White sandy beaches and the sea was clear blue. It was another perfect place for snorkling. You could see a lot of different fishes and seashells. I think you'll admit that it's beautiful when you see my pictures.

We had a great time in Curacao. It's funny and a little strange to hear people speak Dutch when you're thousands and thousands of miles away from home. I'm pretty sure that I will return some time, but I've got a lot of other places to visit first! I can highly recommend Curacao to all of you, it's simply beautiful.