Posted: 09/19/2013 | September 19th, 2013
The oil refinery I saw on the method to my apartment or condo rental in Curaçao was a harbinger of things to come.
The Caribbean conjures up pictures of white sand beaches, palm trees, coral reefs, as well as tropical drinks. This summer, I organized to travel much of the Caribbean (spoiler alert: I didn’t). At the top of my listing of locations to see was Curaçao, found in the Dutch Antilles, a part of Holland and popular for its casinos, nightlife, as well as eponymous blue liqueur.
As I flew into Curaçao, I dreamed of all the Caribbean used as well as pictured myself kicking back on long, white-sand beaches with a piña colada in hand. The largest as well as a lot of tough of the ABC (Aruba, Bonaire, as well as Curaçao) islands, Curaçao likewise held the pledge of great hiking as well as non-beach activities.
But nearly promptly after arriving, I was disappointed.
What they don’t show in the brochures is the oil refinery on the edge of town. You understand this beautiful, multicolored, waterfront picture that shows off the view Curaçao is popular for?
Well, ideal near there is a not-so-wonderful oil refinery blowing black smoke into the air — as well as it’s extremely visible from town.
That refinery set the tone for the week.
Curaçao was, as we say, “meh.” It wasn’t a poor place, however it didn’t strike my mind. I left the country indifferent. The island’s vibe as well as I just didn’t mesh. I wished to like it, however as I boarded my flight home, nothing in Curaçao filled me with unhappiness to be leaving or a wish to stay.
Let’s begin with the beaches: nice, however not that great. Those near the primary town are all resort beaches, indicating you have to pay to take pleasure in them if you aren’t already staying in one of the resorts. They’re cluttered with people, lounge chairs, as well as man-made breakers to secure against the waves as well as produce a calm swimming area. (Not that a calm swimming area is bad, however the breakers minimize the flow of water, as well as considering that a lot of resorts have boats as well as docks, I didn’t feel the water was the cleanest.)
The beaches up north are public, wider, as well as a lot more natural, however even still, they aren’t the long, white-sand beaches we commonly imagine. Moreover, the shoreline is full of dead coral as well as rocks. Were they pretty? Yes. Did I sit there as well as go, “Damn, this is beautiful”? Sure. Was I blown away by them? No, not really. There’s better.
I was likewise dissatisfied by the lack of affordable as well as easily accessible public transportation. Buses only run every two hours as well as taxis are exceptionally costly ($50 USD for a 15-minute cab ride). If you want to see the island, you truly have to lease a cars and truck during your stay. Not having one truly limits what you can see.
To top it off, even the towns aren’t that pretty. outside Willemstad’s popular waterfront, I wasn’t as well pleased by the scenery, buildings, or homes. even the resorts looked outdated. There’s nothing like a bit grime as well as wear as well as tear on a city to provide it some charm, however in Curaçao, the grit only added a feeling of woeful neglect.
One thing I loved, though, was the locals. They made the trip. They were friendly, helpful, as well as excellent conversationalists. I stayed in an Airbnb rental, as well as Milly, my host, was incredibly friendly as well as helpful. She even went the additional mile as well as drove me some locations so I wouldn’t have to take a taxi. If I returned to Curaçao, I would stay at her location again.
While searching for locations to eat, I stumbled across a local, family-run restaurant near my apartment or condo as well as ate a lot of of the meals there. whenever I walked in, they greeted me like they’d understood me for many years (I was most likely the only non-local to eat there). Jack, from one more restaurant, kindly provided me his phone number to phone call if I needed anything as well as when he saw me, always kept in mind me as well as that I truly liked his lemonade.
And then there were the bus motorists who assisted guide me around town, the locals who let me hitch a trip with them when the bus didn’t come, as well as the many other bit moments of friendly conversation as well as assist that occurred during the program of my week.
If I selected to go back, it would be for the people, not the place.
Curaçao wasn’t awful, however I’ve experienced much better destinations. perhaps I didn’t like it since I had high expectations — when you believe of close-by Aruba as well as Bonaire, you believe Caribbean paradise, as well as I just lumped Curaçao in with them. Expectations can commonly cause frustration when we develop up places in our head.
I walked away from Curaçao without any burning wish to go back. I’m delighted I went as well as I’d motivate others to go, however there was nothing in Curaçao that you can’t discover somewhere else much better as well as cheaper.
You can’t like every destination. It’s impossible. I can normally discover the great in every location (even Vietnam!), however humans have opinions, emotions, as well as preferences — as well as mine doesn’t favor Curaçao.
You must go as well as check out the island for yourself. You just won’t discover me there.
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