Michael Powell's Blog, page 52
February 13, 2016
Diving at Directorsbaai and Double Reef
We had such a fun time diving with Scubacao, that we would have liked to get back into the water the very next day. However, Curaçao has a lot more to offer than just scuba diving, so we forced ourselves to be patient… but after a month, we could wait no more! So we got back in touch with Anton and Marc, and were soon rumbling in Scubacao’s truck toward Directorsbaai.
When Anton suggested Directorsbaai as a potential for the day’s underwater adventure, we immediately agreed. We’d already bee...
February 12, 2016
Pietermaai Smal
One of Curaçao’s four historic districts, Pietermaai Smal lays just to the east of Punda, between the Waaigat Harbor and the Caribbean. Once the most exclusive neighborhood on the island, Pietermaai endured a long, painful period of deterioration. But recently, it’s picked itself back up and become a home to the island’s favorite clubs, trendiest restaurants and most popular boutique hotels.
Willemstad’s initial expansion outside its city walls was west, across the Saint Anna Bay into Otroba...
Boka Pos Spanjo and Boka Hulu
In the rolling, undeveloped hills to the west of St. Martha’s Bay, we completed a long hike through the woods to a few isolated coves, including Boka Pos Spanjo and Boka Hulu. This same trail passes by both the Blue Room and Santu Pretu, but unless you’re prepared for a very long day, you’ll have to pick and choose which beaches you stop at.
We were already familiar with the first kilometer of the trail, as it’s the same one we took from Santa Cruz to the black-sand beach of Santu Pretu. But...
February 11, 2016
The Ghostly Remains of the Aruba Air Plane
Laying along the side of the Koraalspechtweg road, near the Jan Thiel Salt Flats, is the rotting carcass of an abandoned airplane. We had driven by it a number of times, always imagining how much fun it would be to explore the wreckage. And then we realized, there was nothing preventing us from doing exactly that.
I’m not sure how the body of this plane ended up along the side of a busy road, although there are some hints to be discovered. It’s fairly clear that this wasn’t a crash site; the...
The Grand Farewell Parade of Carnival
I don’t know where these guys get the energy from. Just two days after completing the Grand Parade, an alcohol- and Tumba-fueled procession which lasts over nine hours, they’re back out on the streets dancing and partying for Carnival’s Grand Farewell Parade. I was nearly unable to endure it, myself, and that was as a spectator!
If you’ve already seen the Grand Parade, the Grand Farewell Parade doesn’t hold a lot of surprises in store. It’s the same route, the same music, and the same groups...
February 10, 2016
The Coastal Walk from Otrobanda to Piscadera
A popular walking path connects the neighborhood of Otrobanda to Piscadera, up the coast to the north. We regularly drive by this path, and always see people walking their dogs or jogging on it. So we decided to join them on an otherwise lazy Saturday afternoon, for a much-needed spot of exercise.
We started walking from our house in Otrobanda, but the real “beginning” of this path is just past Holiday Beach. For awhile, every time we saw this hotel-casino complex, Jürgen would say, “There’s...
February 9, 2016
In the Air with Blue Skies Helicopters
We’ve been up in a Cessna, floated in a hot-air balloon, and even tried out paragliding, but we’d never been in a helicopter. With colorful towns and diverse nature packed into a small area and framed by clear Caribbean waters, Curaçao is a perfect candidate for a helicopter tour. So we were thrilled when Blue Skies invited us on trip around the island’s eastern coast.
The view over Punda
Based in Otrobanda on the Saint Anna Bay, Blue Skies is the island’s only helicopter tourism company. Its...
February 8, 2016
The Cliffs and Caves of Hato Plains
The deserted section of coastline to the northwest of Curaçao’s Hato International Airport is known as Hato Plains. There are no paved roads here, but if you have a jeep, this wide expanse of dry red earth trapped between the violent ocean and a set of inland cliffs is a fascinating area to explore.
We rented a jeep for a single day, with the sole purpose of visiting Hato Plains. As luck would have it, the day turned out to be miserable and rainy, but we were compelled to stick with the plan...
Curaçao Carnival’s Grand Parade
Events related to Curaçao’s Carnival, such as the Tumba and the Horse Parade, had been taking place throughout the months of January and February. And they were all leading up to this. The Grand Parade, a long procession of music, costumes, drinking and dancing, is a celebration of pure joy.
The parade gets started at 10am, and doesn’t end until well after the sun has gone down. Luckily, spectators are under no obligation to show up on time. It begins in the northern neighborhood of Santa Ma...
February 7, 2016
Sunday Happy Hour at Mambo Beach
Mambo Beach is the exactly kind of place which Jürgen and I normally avoid. Not only is it over-developed, crowded and intensely commercial, it’s also attached to a shopping complex. But Mambo Beach isn’t necessarily just for tourists; Curaçaoans come here in droves, especially on Sunday when there are a couple good happy hour specials at the bars.
There’s this conception which a lot of travelers have, that off-the-beaten-path experiences are inherently better than those which are popular or...
