Day 2 (March 11, 2017): Willemstad is a City Gem

Today was supposed to be a drizzly day, so the plan was to drive around part of the island this morning and to hope for a miraculous sun breakthrough and spend the afternoon on the beach. Being on the same time zone as home made it easy to get up early. We were at breakfast by 8AM and since there turned out to be no drizzle when we awoke, we chanced it and hit the beach. And we were so glad we did, as it turned out to be a perfect day -- scattered cloud, a nice breeze, and 28C. The morning was spent in and out of the ocean, where the snorkelling was perfect, right off the beach, and the fish were plentiful and varied. 

[ The beach area at the Hilton Curacao ]

[ The beach area at the Hilton Curacao ]

[ The pools at the Hilton Curacao ]

[ View of the hotel from the pier ]

[ The flamingoes are especially large here in Curacao ]

[Iguanas are plentiful ]

[ The volcanic rock is quite eroded by the sea, making for a rugged coastline around the island ]

At 2PM we called it quits and got ready for a bit of sightseeing. Our hotel is on the western end of Willemstad, the capital. So we drove toward the centre of the city, parked, and started exploring. It's by far the most picturesque city we have seen in all the Caribbean. 

Willemstad's downtown is recognized by UNESCO and is in two parts, split by a channel called Sint Annabaai. On the west side is Otrobanda, an old workers’ neighborhood, which has a mixture of beautifully restored buildings and areas rough around the edges. East of the channel – and linked by the swinging Queen Emma Bridge – is Punda, the old commercial center.  Punda is home to Fort Amsterdam; the walls are mostly gone now, but a series of beautifully restored government buildings remain. 

We spent the afternoon exploring both sides of the bridge. And the bridge itself is a wonder - apparently it opens to allow large ships to pass, although it remains a mystery to us how they do it.  

[ Entrance to RIF Fort, 1828 ]

[ Inside RIF Fort, which is now a high-end shopping mall! ]

[ The wall remnants of Fort Amsterdam ]

[ The Queen Emma Bridge from 1888 is a very unique thing in Willemstad ]

[ This row of Dutch-inspired architecture in Punda is THE scene that Willemstad is famous for ]

[ The city almost feels like Amsterdam -- except for the sand, vegetation, and heat! ]

[There was a huge youth gathering in Otrobanda's Brion Plaza, with live youth bands ]

[ The Governor's Palace in Fort Amsterdam ]

[ We wanted to see the Kara Hulanda Museum, as it tells the story of the slave trade in an excellent manner, but we were just a bit too late to get in ]

[ The Fort Church in Fort Amsterdam ]

[ Dutch songbirds? ]

[ Every day, fruit and vegetable vendors from Venezuala make the 70-mile journey to Willemstad to sell their goods in the 'floating market']

[ These letters in Punda's Willemlumina Park are a major draw for tourists ]

[ Back at the hotel for sunset, the lava-rock coastline made for a great coastal walk before dusk set in ]

[ The 6:45PM sunset marked the end of a wonderful day ]

We returned to the hotel at 5PM, did a swim in the pool and watched the sunset from a rock perch along the rugged coast.  We had some snacks in the executive lounge and then went out for a light dinner. And so ended a wonderful day in the Netherlands Antilles.