Curacao (FEB 06)

The ship docked at the ‘mega-pier’ outside the entrance to Willemstad’s harbor. 

We had hoped to dock at the pier inside the mouth of the harbor…

…just beyond the Queen Emma swing bridge… 

...but that spot was occupied by FREEWIND, a small passenger sip owned by the Church of Scientology.

The walk from the mega-pier to the center of town was not far.  Along the way we ran the usual gauntlet of gift shops and tour hawkers; the local chamber of commerce perhaps having some influence on where VEENDAM docked.

Having been to Curacao before (before I started blogging about our trips), we initially opted to just wander around, re-orienting ourselves.

We decided to take a taxi out to the aquarium.  We arrived there just in time for an impressive dolphin show.

After touring the rest of the aquarium exhibits, including the flamingo exhibit...

…and some really strange specimen in one of the tanks we dubbed ‘Wetsuit Unflaterous”…

…we returned to the floating market in Willemstad. 

The produce comes from Venezuela in a small freighter that transfers it to boats that bring it to the harbor.  It is then transferred again to boats that have obtained spots on the floating market jetty.  This second transfer is done using boats paddled from one shore to the other across a narrow channel.  Presumably the men paddling them are paid by the amount of cargo they transfer.  In maximizing each load, the freeboard (for landlubbers the distance between the waterline and the top of the side of the boat) got so little the single occupant would move his homemade paddle slowly, never shifting his weight for a more powerful stroke. 

We had lunch at the Iguana Café while watching the Queen Emma bridge open and close.  Disconnecting from shore at one end and literally floated out of the way on its pontoons, the bridge tender wasted no time, opening the bridge only wide enough to accommodate the boat traffic. 

This morning’s walk having turned out to be considerably longer that we anticipated, we wended our way back to the ship for a little down time before heading out again for a late afternoon walk, the sun lower in the sky enriching to color of the buildings.  During this second walk, we spotted an iguana in some bushes.  As photographers gathered, he seemed to take his(?) momentary fame in stride.

By the time VEENDAM departed Willemstad at 11:30 PM, Pam & I were sound asleep.