Show me the way to Curacao!

To say this semester has felt like a long, drawn out slog is an understatement- especially for Len.  Thank the good Lord spring break had nearly arrived. For this girl, spring break can only mean one thing- it's time to buy a plane ticket somewhere.

Anywhere.

I've racked up lots of air miles in the last three years while I was living and working in China.  It was time to cash some in for a little vacation.  My first plan was Guatemala.  I had it all planned down to the last detail.  I could have flown round trip for 15k miles and $5.60.  I was all set to pull the trigger, then I checked US Department of State for their travel advisories list.  I ALWAYS check here for travel advisories and passport/visa requirements before I book a trip.  It's a good thing I did, as Guatemala is in a Level 3 Advisory.  That trip got tabled for now, so it was time to start over.

I wanted mountains and diving...and up popped Curacao on the internet.  After consulting Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor, it sounded like the place for me.  For 15k miles and just $56.00 I could have a nonstop flight out of Miami.  I found a resort called Lagoon Ocean Resort, up on the west end of the island.  This area is lined with beautiful little beaches and lagoons, and is at the base of Christoffel National Park, where we could hike to the highest point of Mt. Christoffel to see 360 degree views of the island.  

Lagoon Ocean Resort is lovely place; watch the video:  http://lagoon-en.cms.bookingexperts.nl 

I WAS SOLD!

We arrived in Curacao by 4:30pm on Sunday. By the time we picked up our rental car, and attempted to go to several grocery stores in the capital city of Willemstad, (only to discover they all were closed on Sundays), we headed northwest to find our resort.  Len drove as I navigated the map of the island, all written in Dutch, mind you.  Not far out of the city, as we headed in to the countryside, we passed a small market...it was a Chinese market, no less!  Oh my goodness, the Chinese have relocated and set up shop in Curacao, too!  We bought some delicious homemade bread, some coffee, breakfast foods, snacks and drinks, and headed on down the road.  I must admit it was fun to pull out what little Chinese I know :)  I think they were quite surprised by this laowai!

By the time we found our resort (oh my gosh, it really IS like the video on their website!), got checked in, and was given the tour by Peter, the property manager, we hurried to watch our first sunset on Curacao.

There was no green flash, but was it ever beautiful!

There is a lovely Bahia Bar & Restaurant right
on the property that looks out over the lagoon.
We had some cold drinks, appetizers, and took
in the view in the twilight.  The lagoon looks
perfect for diving; we can see many coral heads.
Even better, there is a dive shop right on site.

The next morning, we sat at the same table and
took in the gorgeous view we could barely see
the night before.  Oh my goodness- renting
snorkel gear was first on the list!

While I enjoyed my ham, cheese, and grilled pineapple sandwich
for breakfast, this guy came looking for a hand out.

There is a primary school just behind Playa Lagun. As
we enjoyed our cup of coffee, we watched the kids lined up
along the beach in their swimming suits...

...I guess Monday mornings are the time for swim lessons!
It was fun to watch the kids 'patiently' waiting their turn
to get in the water.  There were a few sand fights, but
no major calamities, lol.

We got our gear and hopped in the jeep to explore some
other lagoons.  Since Playa Lagun is at our resort and can
be explored at anytime, we decided to see what else there was
to see- you only get one go around, after all!  Playa Jerami
was closed, as they were working on the parking lot.  The
next stop was Kleine Knip, but it looked quite busy with
tourists. The next one up, Grote Knip, had an incredible view!

We looked to the left of the lagoon, and not a soul was in the
water...just the way we like it!  We snorkeled all along the
coral heads and around the cliff.  No need to be on scuba...
it was never more than 5-7 meters, and the vis was great :)
While the tropicals and reef fish are the same you see in
Florida, I saw a HUGE puffer fish, and Len spotted a ray,
so that was cool.  The rest was the usual; and no sharks!

After our snorkel, we dried ourselves in the sun, then hopped
back in the car and headed further northwest.  The next stop was
Sweet Alice, which is where the local fisherman sell their catch.
It also is a popular snorkeling spot for viewing sea turtles.

We read of a 'secret out-of-the-way spot' in a
magazine in our apartment. It was at the very
western tip of the island.  It is known as Indian
Caves, and first you had to find the Kura Hulanda
Resort Lodge. From there we asked the security
guard for directions to the cave. He let us in the
resort to park for free, then directed us to the
reception desk. The resort was GORGEOUS,
and way too rich for our blood. The lady kindly
gave us directions to follow a path behind the
resorts villas, to the very end, where a stone
staircase would take us down to the ocean. It
sounded mysterious and intriguing- we found it!

I didn't have the proper footwear, and I would have

torn my feet up on the coral, so Len went exploring.

The waves were seriously crashing against the cliffs; he

had to time the waves to carefully skitter over the rocks!

Len was checking out the first cave, but it
was confusing, as there was no 'hole' like we
saw in the photos in the magazine. Hmmm...

The surf settled down, and he went climbing further down,
in search of the blue hole.  He never did find it.  Strange.

While I stood watch, I looked behind me at the
stone staircase, and it reminded me of the Great
Wall of China, only different. Great memories ❤ 

On our walk, we found another 'hole' and we could see the
waves crash in and make a "woooooosh" sound!
It still wasn't the right hole. I hate it when that happens. 😜

The resort had beautiful views, for sure...

...and interesting sculptures to ponder. The water was spectacular 😎

We wore ourselves out with all of the snorkeling and exploring, so we decided to 'eat in'. We made cheese filled tortellini with basil pesto, a delicious mixed greens salad with kalamata olives and balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and we nearly polished off two bottles of red wine. 🍷

Whew! 

Time to call it a night...

G'nite, y'all!