shadowmeboy

We started wandering back to the ship. I was hoping to see the bridge open, but no dice. Here is another look at the sign for our travel wall. We sat in the shade and people watched! Those shoes seem a little big for you Susan! We took the shuttle back to the boat and got back on board.

Standing on the sea wall at the entrance to the harbor. I was dodging the spray from the waves coming in! It was gorgeous this day! We walked across the bridge to head to the sign shop. Curacao is not that far from Venezuela, so there is oil in the area. Window display of the harbor! We made our way to the sign shop and they personalized a sign for us!

So the dock we were docked at was the furthest from the walking path to downtown. They did have a golf cart shuttle to deliver you down to the other end of the port area. I had never seen one of these cruise ships before. My research shows its a British cruise line part of the TUI group. It was a bit windy, and the waves were rocking! They have a huge shopping complex, and the have incorporated the north side fort into it. Loved these wooden houses! The Rif Fort is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List

We made our way back to the bus and we headed back to the port.

We made our way to Mambo Beach, where we were having our included lunch. Susan had to get a picture Susan liked the elephants So the meal was a traditional meal from Curacao. I got the beef and Susan got the chicken. Both were really good

I spent my time stalking the small green iguanas Can you see the iguana? It is almost dead center of the photo. the shade of the tree was nice! It was finally time to head out.

We made our way to the Bon Bini Distillery which makes Blue Curacao Liqueur They even had samples! We had a little time to hang out. You could get a drink at the bar or explore the gift shop.

Plasa Bieu is a multi-stall restaurant. Locals buy a kitchen stall and run the restaurant out of it. It smelled amazing. Remember "No Stoppy for Shoppy" We then hopped back onto the bus to head to the next stop.

This is one of the small draw bridges that are in town that go over the fingers that come off of the harbor. Open air market We then walked through another market. Remember "No Stoppy for Shoppy" hand mixer

Green Iguana Bar Can you guess why? We really liked these hand painted signs. But remember "No Stoppy for Shoppy" Susan is my Dushi! The artwork was amazing. So this is the oldest Synagogue in continuous use in the western hemisphere. You wouldn't think this would be in Curacao. I didn't. We did not go in.

This is the walking bridge across the harbor. I can imagine that Willemstad is much like what Amsterdam is like on a smaller scale. Our guide was very informative.

Looking North across the harbor Our tour guide is the lady holding the blue flag. She is the one who lost her niece. Also notice the four people closest to to the man with the same shirt as our guide. Those are the people also from Washington State that we met onboard at lunch. Jason and Beck along with their daughter Emily (white shirt that say Aruba) and Jason's Dad Gary. They were a blast to meet and hang out with the rest of the trip. We also got told a bit about the history, and were given an explanation that we are walking through and there is to be no "stoppy for shoppy." Curacao Governmental Buildings See the hole up the building just to the right of the tree? That is where a cannon ball got stuck in the building. So Curacao is part of the Dutch Commonwealth. This is where the representative of the crown has their office.

First glimpse of Downtown Willemstad Seaborn was small enough to fit inside the Harbor. I had always looked forward to visiting Curacao because of the colors! We made our way up onto the Queen Juliana Bridge. There is a better picture! The Queen Juliana bridge is the only vehicle bridge to cross the natural harbor. You would have to go completely around the harbor to get to the other side without the bridge. There is the Queen Juliana Bridge It was about this point where our tour guide got a phone call. The phone call was letting her know that her niece has passed away. I admire her perseverance, because she did not let it affect her ability to lead the tour. Susan and I felt for her though, and knew it had to be tough for her. This is the South side fort. Both the North and South sides of the Harbor had forts to protect the natural harbor from attack. We got dropped off on the south side of the harbor to begin the walking tour of downtown Willemstad.

After breakfast, we made our way back towards the room to pick up our supplies we would need for the shore excursion Then it was time to hit the shore! We headed off on the excursion!

It was quiet in the Atrium as we headed to the MDR for breakfast. Yogurt Parfait Half Grapefruit with Orange Segments Traditional Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon and Ham Eggs to Order with Bacon, Ham, and Hashbrowns Bagel and cheese (I was making my own breakfast sandwich) Ta Da!

Day 5 - Port #2 December 27th, 2022 Location: Willemstad, Curacao Daily Good Morning and welcome to Curacao!

I can see your point.

Off to dinner we went! SO as we were going in a kid puked on the floor going into the Manhattan Room. We were trying to help Restaurant Manger Jay to keep people from walking in it, but the kids are walking right through it. Finally they got chairs to block it off, and we went in and sat down. Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli Chicken Lettuce wraps Bruschetta Roasted Beet Salad Breaded Flounder Filet Rigatoni Primavera with Pesto Whole-Roasted Sirloin Now it says it come with a loaded baked potato. Is that a "loaded" baked potato? No I was still hungry after eating my sirloin, so I ordered a New York Steak Dessert menu Banana's Foster Warm chocolate lava cake Tiramisu We had an early day the next day, so we headed to bed. we watched some tv before crashing! --

We were unable to purchase a couple of items we were planning on buying onboard, so we had more money to spend on our account than we were expecting. So we decided to switch our shore excursion in Puerto Plata. So off to stand in line! After getting the Shore Excursion taken care of, it was time for pictures! The official Stairway photo! Love this one! Look we found another duck! Look another picture of the display

I went back to the room and started processing video. Emptying SD cards onto my Hard drive. Susan meanwhile went to the Spa. She was getting a manicure and pedicure

We returned to the boat and went to get some lunch. We got back just after the MDR's closed, so off to The Local we go! Menu Cobb Salad Pretzel Bites with beer cheese fondue We both got our own because one is not enough Caesar Salad I got the Cheeseburger Susan got the Tavern Battered Fish Sandwich Carrot Cake Brownie Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake The view out Deck 8

No. It is really flat and only a 7-8 miles wide, at most. So what you see is what you get for the entire island. Its because the island lies outside the hurricane zone and is similar to the top of Venezuela.

Ah, Thank you!

I love seeing the ship all decorated. Its my favorite part of cruising during the holidays!

Stop #4 - Eagle Beach The beach was nice but crowded. We didn't bring swimsuits either. We went and found a bench in the shade. It was fun to people watch! selfie time! Poor coconut We loaded up the bus to head back to the ship. Back on the boat!